Live
Turn it on, set your phone down, and drive. It reads out the places you pass, hands free, and pauses on its own when you park.
Out now on the App Store · iPhoneThe road has
The road has
a story. Ride along.
Passenger Seat is a friendly travel companion for the car. As you drive, it narrates the history, landmarks, and towns you would otherwise pass right by, completely hands free.
Free to download. Your first 100 discoveries are on us.
Watch
The story behind the app.
How a road trip around Ireland turned into Passenger Seat, and a quick look at how it works.
How it works
Three taps from your driveway to a narrated drive.
01
Get in and sign in
Install Passenger Seat and sign in with Apple. No accounts to manage, nothing to fill out.
02
Start Live
Tap once, set your phone down, and start driving. From here on it is completely hands free.
03
Listen to the world go by
As you pass towns, landmarks, and history, Passenger Seat tells you the story, and waits when you stop.
What it does
Everything a curious passenger would know.
What Was That?!
Just passed something and wondered? One tap and Passenger Seat tells you exactly what it was, the moment you ask.
Plan a Trip
Heading somewhere? Build a friendly narrated tour along your whole route before you leave, then press play on the way.
Find Things Near Me
Curious right now? Ask for one good fact about whatever is close by, on demand.
Your History
Everything you hear is saved. Listen again any time: relive the drive, or catch the fact you half-heard.
Choose the Voice
Set your Story Style, from deep history to quick practical context, so stories sound the way you like.
In its own words
“Coming up on your right is Donner Pass, named for a wagon party stranded here in the winter of 1846. Today it carries the railroad, the highway, and one of the prettiest views in the Sierra.”
A typical Passenger Seat moment
What is an app that tells you about places as you drive?
It is a location-aware audio guide for the car. Passenger Seat watches where you are as you drive and narrates the history, landmarks, and towns you pass, out loud and hands free. There is no route to plan and no buttons to press once it is running.
Is there an audio tour app that works on any road, not just set routes?
Yes. Most audio tours are recorded for one fixed route, so they only work if you drive exactly that way. Passenger Seat writes each story for wherever you actually are, so it works on any drive: a commute, a detour, or a cross-country road trip.
How do I find out what a building or landmark I just drove past was?
Tap What Was That?! and Passenger Seat looks at where you are and what you just passed, then tells you what it was. It is built for the moment you drive by something interesting and have no idea what it is.
What is the best app for a road trip with kids?
Passenger Seat turns the drive itself into the entertainment. Instead of screens in the back seat, everyone hears the same short stories about the places going by outside the window. You can pick a story style, including a weird and interesting mode that hunts for the surprising stuff.
Can I get a narrated tour of a road trip before I leave?
Yes. Plan a Trip builds a narrated guide along a route you have coming up, so you can listen as you go. You can also download the audio in advance, which is what you want for national parks and long stretches with no signal.
Does it work without cell service?
Stories are written in the moment, so live discovery needs a connection. For places you know will have no signal, plan the trip ahead of time and download the audio first. Passenger Seat tells you when it cannot reach the internet and picks back up when you are online.
Does it work with CarPlay?
Yes. Passenger Seat works with CarPlay, and audio plays through your car speakers like any other app. It ducks your music while a story plays and hands the audio back afterward, and it pauses for navigation prompts and phone calls.
How is this different from a history podcast?
A podcast plays the same episode no matter where you are. Passenger Seat is triggered by your location, so what you hear is about the road you are on right now. Drive a different way and you get different stories, because they are written for that place.
Why does the app need my location?
Location is how Passenger Seat finds the interesting places around you. It is used while Live or a planned trip is running, including in the background if you allow it, and Live pauses on its own when you stop moving.
Does it work hands free while I drive?
Yes. That is the whole point. Start Live before you set off and everything is read aloud, so you never need to look at or touch your phone while driving. It pauses by itself when it detects that you have parked.
What does it run on, and what does it cost?
Passenger Seat is an iPhone app, available now on the App Store and free to download. It needs iOS 17 or later and works with CarPlay. Your first 100 discoveries are free with no daily limit, then the free tier allows 10 per day.
Do you sell my data?
No. We do not sell your personal information and we do not use it for advertising or cross-app tracking. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.
Your next drive is full of stories.
Download Passenger Seat and take the first 100 discoveries on us, no subscription needed.