Ownership Guide
What the Toyota app does, how to set it up, which Connected Services are free and which need a subscription after the trial, how remote start works, how the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple CarPlay fit in, and what to do when you buy or sell a used Toyota.
The Toyota app is free and works with most 2018-and-newer Toyotas (and all 2022+ models with Toyota Audio Multimedia). It lets you lock, unlock and remote-start your vehicle from your phone, see its health and maintenance status, find where you parked, and manage your Toyota Financial account. The app itself costs nothing. The services behind it, called Connected Services, start with a free trial and then require a paid subscription, which is the part that catches most owners by surprise.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Trial lengths and pricing are set by Toyota and change by model year and trim; confirm your vehicle’s terms at toyota.com/connected-services.
Bought the vehicle here? Our delivery team sets this up with you on the day you take the keys. If you skipped that step, call or stop by and we’ll walk you through it.
Toyota bundles its connected features into named packages. Each starts with a trial that begins the day the vehicle was first sold, and each requires a paid subscription afterward. Trial lengths vary by model year and trim; the figures below reflect Toyota’s published terms for 2026 models.
| Service | What it does | Typical trial |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Connect | SOS button, automatic collision notification, enhanced roadside assistance, stolen-vehicle locator. | Minimum 5 years on 2026 models (up to 10 years on many 2023–2025 models) |
| Service Connect | Vehicle health reports, maintenance reminders, recall alerts; optional sharing with your dealer. | Minimum 5 years on 2026 models (up to 10 years on many 2023–2025 models) |
| Remote Connect | Remote start and stop, lock and unlock, climate, lights, horn, vehicle finder, guest-driver alerts. Also enables key-fob remote start. | 1 year on most models; 3 months or 3 years on some trims |
| Drive Connect | Cloud navigation with live traffic, “Hey Toyota” voice assistant, Destination Assist (a live agent sends directions to your car). | 1 year on most 2026 models; 3 years on some earlier models |
| Wi-Fi Connect | In-car 4G LTE hotspot for up to 5 devices, through AT&T. | 3 months or 2 GB, whichever comes first, from the day you enroll |
| Integrated Streaming | Apple Music or Amazon Music through the head unit without using your phone. You still need your own music subscription. | No separate trial; needs a plan with streaming data |
| Digital Key | Use your phone as the key; share with up to 5 drivers. Apple Car Key arrived on the 2026 RAV4 first. | Follows the Remote Connect trial |
Source: Toyota’s 2026 Connected Services feature-applicability guide and toyota.com. Not available on manual-transmission vehicles for remote start; Digital Key needs Bluetooth.
As of late 2026, Toyota sells Connected Services for 2022-and-newer vehicles in three bundles, each including Remote Connect: Music Lover (streaming + Remote Connect), Go Anywhere (Drive Connect + Remote Connect), and Premium (everything), with Wi-Fi Connect as a separate add-on through AT&T. Toyota’s published prices run $15 to $25 a month for the bundles; Wi-Fi Connect is priced separately by AT&T (see the Wi-Fi section below). Prices are Toyota’s, not ours, and change; the current numbers are on Toyota’s plans page.
Every 2022-and-newer Toyota with Toyota Audio Multimedia (and most 2018–2021 models with Entune 3.0) has a built-in 4G LTE hotspot called Wi-Fi Connect. It turns the vehicle into a mobile hotspot for up to five devices, so passengers can stream, kids can game on a tablet, and a laptop can work from the back seat, all on the car’s own antenna rather than a phone’s signal. Coverage is the contiguous U.S. and Alaska.
If your phone has a hotspot feature and a decent data plan, you can skip Wi-Fi Connect and share your phone’s connection instead. Wi-Fi Connect is worth it when several people use data at once on long drives, when you don’t want to drain the phone’s battery or data, or when the car’s roof antenna gets a better signal than a phone in the cabin, which is common in rural Connecticut and western Massachusetts. Older Toyotas without a built-in modem can use a phone’s hotspot or a portable hotspot device from any carrier.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto do not use Wi-Fi Connect. They run on your phone’s data, so streaming music through CarPlay costs nothing extra from Toyota.
Both are standard on every new Toyota and have been since the 2020 model year (Android Auto arrived on most models for 2020; CarPlay for 2019). They are free, need no subscription, and work with any iPhone running iOS 14 or newer or any Android phone running Android 8 or newer.
Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, podcasts, Messages (read aloud), phone calls, and Siri. Any app that supports CarPlay shows up on the car’s screen once it’s installed on your phone. Google Maps and Waze on CarPlay are the main reason many owners never pay for Toyota’s Drive Connect navigation.
Yes, Toyota remote start needs a Remote Connect subscription after the trial, and that applies whether you start the car from the app or from the key fob (press Lock, Lock, then hold Lock on most models). Trials run 1 year on most 2023-and-newer Toyotas and up to 3 years on some trims. If remote start stopped working, check the subscription status in the app first; an expired trial is the usual cause. Some owners report the fob continuing to work after expiry on certain models, but Toyota’s stated policy is that it requires a subscription.
Connected Services collect location, driving behavior, vehicle health and account data, plus voice recordings when you use the assistant. You can review and change what’s shared, per vehicle, in the Data Privacy Portal inside the app’s account settings. Insurance data-sharing programs are opt-in. To opt out broadly, use Toyota’s Privacy Hub at privacy.toyota.com or call 855-226-4048. Canceling Connected Services altogether (through the app or the SOS button) stops location and driving-data collection but also turns off Safety Connect. Full details are in Toyota’s Vehicle Technology Services privacy notice.
Toyota’s 3G telematics network shut down October 31, 2022, and there is no retrofit. Safety Connect and app features stopped working on the 2010–2016 Prius, 2010–2019 4Runner, 2011–2017 Sienna, 2011–2017 Land Cruiser, 2012–2016 Prius v, 2012–2015 Prius Plug-in, 2013–2017 Camry, 2013–2018 Avalon, 2014–2018 Highlander and 2016–2017 Mirai. Built-in navigation still works on those vehicles. Live app features generally need 2018-and-newer hardware; all 2022+ models with Toyota Audio Multimedia are supported.
Related
Common Questions
Yes. The app, your Toyota account and Toyota Financial payments cost nothing. The Connected Services the app controls, such as remote start, cloud navigation and the SOS button, come with a free trial and then require a paid subscription.
Free during the trial, then a subscription. On 2026 models, Safety Connect and Service Connect are included for a minimum of 5 years; Remote Connect, Drive Connect and Wi-Fi Connect come with shorter trials (typically 1 year, 1 year and 3 months). After the trial, Toyota sells Connected Services in bundles that run $15 to $25 a month as of late 2026. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth are always free.
Remote start is part of Remote Connect. It’s free during the trial (1 year on most 2023-and-newer Toyotas, up to 3 years on some trims), then requires one of Toyota’s Connected Services plans, which start at $15 a month as of late 2026. Toyota states this applies to both app and key-fob remote start.
Remote start and stop, lock and unlock, climate pre-conditioning, lights and horn, vehicle finder and last-parked location, guest-driver alerts, vehicle status (fuel, odometer, tire pressure), and on EVs and plug-ins, charge status and scheduling. It also shows maintenance due, service history and recalls, and lets you pay a Toyota Financial account.
Every 2022-and-newer Toyota with Toyota Audio Multimedia has a built-in 4G LTE hotspot (Wi-Fi Connect) for up to 5 devices. It comes with a 3-month or 2 GB trial that starts when you enroll in the app. After that it’s sold by AT&T, Toyota’s partner: $15 a month added to an eligible AT&T unlimited plan, more for a standalone in-vehicle plan. No contract; cancel in the app.
The built-in hotspot runs on AT&T only; that’s Toyota’s connectivity partner in the U.S. You can add the vehicle to an existing AT&T plan or buy a standalone in-vehicle plan. If you’re on Verizon or T-Mobile, use your phone’s hotspot, a portable hotspot from your carrier, or a plug-in OBD hotspot. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto use your phone’s data and don’t need Wi-Fi Connect at all.
Yes, both are standard on every new Toyota and free with no subscription. Models with Toyota Audio Multimedia (the 2022 Tundra first, most of the lineup by 2023–2024) have wireless CarPlay and Android Auto on every trim. Earlier models with Entune 3.0 are wired only; use a data-capable USB cable. Most 2018-and-older Toyotas don’t have factory CarPlay.
Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps for navigation; Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music for audio; Audible and Apple Podcasts; Messages and WhatsApp (read aloud). Any iPhone app that supports CarPlay appears on the car’s screen automatically once installed. Because CarPlay navigation is free, many owners skip Toyota’s paid Drive Connect navigation.
On 2026 models, Safety Connect and Service Connect come with a minimum 5-year trial; Remote Connect and Drive Connect typically 1 year; Wi-Fi Connect 3 months or 2 GB. Many 2023–2025 models had up to 10 years of Safety and Service Connect. The trial starts on the original sale date (Wi-Fi starts at enrollment) and transfers to later owners.
Yes. Trials are tied to the vehicle and start from its original purchase date, so whatever time remains passes to the next owner. The previous owner must remove the vehicle from their Toyota app before you can add it to yours; if they haven’t, Toyota’s Brand Engagement Center (1-800-331-4331) can release it.
The usual causes, in order: the trial or subscription has expired, the in-vehicle authorization step wasn’t completed, the car is somewhere without 4G or GPS signal, or the data-handling consent was declined on the touchscreen. Check subscription status in the app first, then re-pair.
All 2022-and-newer models with Toyota Audio Multimedia, and most 2018-and-newer models with Entune 3.0. Toyota’s 3G network shut down in October 2022, so 2010–2019 vehicles that relied on it no longer support app features or Safety Connect, and there is no retrofit.
Yes. Add your VIN in the Toyota app or at toyota.com/owners and you’ll see service records from any Toyota dealer, upcoming maintenance due, open recalls, and the vehicle health report if Service Connect is active. Set Gale Toyota as your preferred dealer and we can see the same report before you arrive.
Our team in Enfield sets up the Toyota app with every new and used Toyota we deliver. If yours isn’t connecting, bring it in and we’ll get it working.
