R8 Companion

I rarely feel compelled to leave reviews, but after extensive testing and keeping over 700 apps on my device, R8 Companion stands firmly in my top three of all time. If you are serious about radar detection and own a Uniden R8, this is not just an optional accessory—it is an absolute necessity. What Angela Mcarthur has built here completely transforms the R8 platform. Out of the box, the R8 is an incredible detector, while better than most, it can be notoriously noisy with false alerts. This app fixes that flawlessly. The Advanced False Assist engine, Ghost Muting, and the incredibly intelligent, bidirectional SpotLocks function seamlessly. It gives you a quiet ride without sacrificing a single inch of long-range protection. The high-resolution proximity meter, the brand new MyRadarIQ threat assessment graphics, and the background voice announcements provide vastly superior situational awareness compared to the stock screen. The only true way to improve this app is the exact feature we need most: full Apple CarPlay integration. With the developer’s recent promise to bring a dedicated CarPlay layout to an upcoming update, my expectations are incredibly high. Bringing this level of developer dedication directly to the in-dash screen will make an already flawless experience completely unbeatable. I would have never imagined saying something like this, but, as much as I detest subscription-based apps, I would gladly pay a monthly or annual subscription fee if that’s what it took to keep this app fresh and updated! To the dev: Thank you for your relentless work, the consistent real-world data updates, and for keeping future updates free. You didn't just build a companion app; you built the definitive R8 experience. Simply phenomenal work.

I'm really surprised reading some of the problems people have with this app. I NEVER leave app reviews. I'm not a radar detector enthusiast. In fact I got here after getting fed up with Escort which was all I ever used all the way back to the original Passport days. When I switched to the R8, the performance was a little better than my Escort it was replacing, but not enough to make up for how chatty the R8 was out of the box. I did my research. I started making the recommended setting changes (which was a PITA doing it on the detector), then I found this app. Most apps designed to work with a product are bells and whistles to wow you a little bit more about your new toy but do nothing to improve it (think the factory Uniden App). This app not only makes the R8 the product it should have been out of the box by way of user interface and display but it SIGNIFICANTLY improves the performance of the detector while making false alerts nearly non existent. Uniden should make the developer of this app a wealthy person and buy the rights to it to include with all of their products and get rid of the app they developed. This is THAT good.

I bought an R8 after owning a R3 for 3+years and I love my R3. After seeing the reviews on the 8 I decided to try it out. Noticed it was very chatty at first but after adjusting some settings it was much better. I found this app looking for Uniden items in the App Store. Noticed it was not free so originally was very hesitant to purchase this app. Best decision I ever made. I drive 4 hours a day round trip and it’s mostly highway I am on. I do speed enough to get pulled over 10 to 15 mph over. My R3 has saved me many times but was chatty. This new R8 with this app is silent the whole way home now. Friday night on the way home a highway patrol car was going in the opposite direction and I was getting a KA warning so I decided to slow down. About 2 miles for driving I passed him and was doing 5 over. Highly recommend this app. The price point is definitely worth it if you want a silent ride and ease of use.