Recently on the r/Ioniq5 Reddit, a poster caught our eye after debuting his open-source replacement app for what many Hyundai drivers wish never happened: Bluelink. Every car now has an app, and for the most part, they do indeed suck. However, Hyundai Bluelink tends to be one that really gets people fired up, and not for the best reasons.
Fast-forward to a couple of days ago, and this guy has decided to bypass the technology altogether. I’m all for innovation, in whatever shape or form it comes in, so this Redditor being creative enough to make an alternative is awesome. You can even use his app through TestFlight, so this is really happening. The internet never lets us down!
Goodbye, Hyundai Bluelink, Hello BetterBlue
Bluelink is so old news, especially considering this Redditor has an alternative app already live in TestFlight. BetterBlue is what he is calling it, and we’re all eyes and ears.
On his post, he covers everything this new and shiny alternative app offers, including viewing your car’s range, locking and unlocking, climate controls, widgets, shortcuts, and, most importantly, it’s not Bluelink! This is pretty cool all around, and for those who have ever been irritated with their car’s app and its functionality, why not make your own?
From Paternity Leave To Changing Hyundai Drivers’ Lives
Another key component to this BetterBlue story is that in another comment in the Reddit thread, the user goes on to add that he did all this during his paternity leave. Direct from him, “It was 50% annoyance with the BlueLink app and 50% a pathological need to be productive/creative during my paternity leave or else I would go insane.” We get it, we really do. Also, what job does he have that offers paternity leave? Sign me up.
One of the main complaints of Bluelink has always been that it feels delayed and out of date, so it’s not entirely shocking that somebody took matters into their own hands. The Ioniq 5 is such a cool car; let’s make the app equally as neat.
Both the app itself and the client are fully open-source, with no tracking or advertising.
When In Doubt, Replace Your EV’s App Altogether
TestFlight this, TestFlight that, normalize starting from scratch. Reddit continues to be a place where rules and order are abysmal, and it’s great to see all of the creative chaos that takes place. BlueLink is Hyundai’s app, offering a range of features including remote control capabilities and vehicle health and battery monitoring. You need it, but not everyone wants it. Perhaps someone higher up at Hyundai will take a look at BetterBlue.