Rivian

Review by eFreeware

If you own an R1T or R1S, the Rivian app is less an optional extra and more the remote control for the truck or SUV sitting in your driveway. It handles the everyday jobs that would otherwise mean walking out to the vehicle or digging through menus on its screen: locking and unlocking, warming or cooling the cabin, checking range, starting a charge session. For anyone who has already taken delivery, or is waiting on one, this is the companion piece that makes the ownership side of an electric vehicle feel less like admin.

The app is free, carries no ads and offers no in-app purchases, so there is no paywall between you and the basics. It has been on Google Play since September 2021 and sits at a 3.2 average from 734 ratings, with more than 50,000 installs. That rating is worth keeping in mind: it suggests a tool that owners rely on but do not always love, which is a fair description of most vehicle companion apps.

What appeals to me here is the breadth. Rather than one narrow function, the app covers delivery, daily driving, charging, navigation prep and service in a single place. Whether that breadth holds together in daily use is the question every owner will answer for themselves, but the scope is genuinely wide for a free app.

Your phone becomes the key

The headline feature is using your phone as a key for the R1T or R1S. That means the device in your pocket can stand in for a fob, and it pairs with remote lock and unlock so you can secure or open the vehicle without being next to it. For anyone who has juggled keys, bags and a coffee on the way out the door, the appeal is obvious.

Climate control is the natural companion to that. The app lets you warm up or cool down the cabin before you get in, which matters most on the days when the interior has been baking in a parking lot or sitting through a cold snap. It is the kind of feature that sounds minor until you have used it once and then wonder how you managed without it.

Both of these depend on the phone and the vehicle being able to talk to each other. The developer's framing is that the app pairs with the R1T and R1S to keep driving and ownership simple, and the phone-key and climate features are the clearest expression of that idea.

Charging, trips and the map

Charging gets a solid share of the app's attention. You can check your Rivian's range and current charging status, manage charging sessions, and connect with your home Rivian Wall Charger. For anyone charging overnight at home or topping up on a longer drive, having that status on a phone screen rather than on the vehicle display is a small but real convenience.

Trip planning is the other half of that picture. The app plans routes and shows recommended charging stops based on your preferences, which is the part of electric vehicle ownership that takes the most getting used to. The map also finds chargers and places of interest, and any destination can be sent to the truck ahead of time.

Put together, these features cover the two questions that dominate electric vehicle life: how much range do I have, and where will I charge next. The app answers both without requiring you to be in the vehicle, which is the point of having it on your phone at all.

Support, service and software updates

The ownership side goes beyond driving. You can accept delivery of your Rivian through the app, which makes the handover part of the same tool you will use afterward. From there, you can connect with the support team to ask questions or troubleshoot, and request and track vehicle service and roadside assistance when something needs attention.

Software updates can be started from the app as well, so a new build does not have to wait until you are sitting in the vehicle. A recent release adds a warranty overview so you can see your vehicle's coverage in the app, which is a sensible place for that information to live.

The same update brings a live view of an R2's interior and phone-based Pet Comfort, both tied to Connect+. Gmail access means the assistant can pull up flight times, email and shared calendars without using your hands. The R2 interior view specifically depends on Connect+.

What the app asks of you

The first requirement is the obvious one: an R1T or R1S. This is not a general-purpose driving or charging app, and the features are built around Rivian's own vehicles and hardware. If you do not own one, there is very little here for you.

The second is the home Rivian Wall Charger if you want the charging features to extend to your garage. That is a piece of hardware, not something the app provides, and the same logic applies to the newer additions: the R2 interior view depends on Connect+.

On cost, the app itself is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases. That is a straightforward position and worth stating plainly, since companion apps for vehicles often are not. Beyond that, what you get out of the app tracks what you have in the driveway and how your vehicle is configured.

Getting the most from it day to day

The most useful habit is to treat the app as the first stop before you leave. Check range and charging status, warm or cool the cabin, and send your destination to the vehicle while you are still inside. That sequence turns several separate tasks into one short session on your phone, and it is where the app stands out.

For longer drives, the trip planner is the piece to lean on. Setting your preferences once means the recommended routes and charging stops reflect how you actually travel, rather than a generic suggestion. Searching the map for chargers and points of interest before you set off is a natural extension of the same routine.

The support and service side is worth knowing before you need it. Knowing that you can request service, track it, and reach roadside assistance from the same app means less scrambling when something goes wrong. Starting software updates from the phone is a small thing that keeps the vehicle current without you having to think about it.

The 3.2 rating from 734 ratings suggests owners have mixed feelings, and it is fair to go in expecting a companion app rather than a flawless one. The scope is broad and the price is right, but the experience will vary with your vehicle, your charger and your software version.

A companion app for Rivian owners

The Rivian app is a focused tool for a specific audience: people who own an R1T or R1S and want the day-to-day jobs handled from their phone.

The newer additions, including Pet Comfort, the R2 interior view with Connect+, the Gmail-linked assistant and the warranty overview, show the app is still growing. If you have the vehicle and the hardware, the app is the natural control center for it. If you do not, there is nothing here to install it for.

What's new in version 3.17.0

This release includes a few new features for productivity and pet lovers (requires 2026.36).
 • Turn on Pet Comfort from your phone, plus, stream a live interior view of your R2 with Connect+ for easy check-ins. • Connect Rivian Assistant to Gmail so you can check flight times, catch up on emails and access shared calendars hands-free. • See your vehicle's coverage right in the app with the new warranty overview.