Signal℠ by Farmers®

I've only been using this app a few days, but I'm already pretty sour on it. There seem to be numerous flaws that i've found in just a couple hours of driving. #1, it doesn't stop recording when you get home. So if you've been ignoring texts while driving, trying to be a good driver, but then answer them when you get home, it still seems to consider that as a distraction while driving. #2, it doesn't seem to differentiate between really hazardous behavior (like texting while driving), and less hazardous things (like answering a call and then talking via bluetooth). Both seem to count the same as a "distracted trip", though, in my opinion, have vastly different risk factors and levels of distraction. Same with GPS navigation, it doesn't seem to care, it just sees that you touched your screen and were distracted. Finally, it doesn't seem to account for the length of the trip. An 8 hour trip with a couple navigation touches seems to count as "distracted", the same as a 5 minute trip if you're texting the entire time. Bottom line, the app has flaws, and I seriously doubt it will save me any money, even though I'm a good driver who doesn't text.

It's simple. Uses no battery really(people saying otherwise should look at their settings for other problems, because I drive a lot) You only have to interact with it after a ride in which you were a passenger(and really not even then unless your driver isn't any good). It does take it a moment to recognize when you've stopped driving, but that's to be expected and is a minor issue that I expect will improve. Discount for having it is excellent. Literally no downside. Discount just for having it and so even if it's wrong on occassion, it hardly matters in the grand scheme. Worth it. I also like competing w my family members for highest score.

When I signed up for this app, I was told it would give me a savings each month & didn't matter how I drove. I,m a good driver. I don't speed, drive rush hour or busy times of the day, over break and only use my Bluetooth or have my navigation on in advance. I say all these things because the app shows I do all these things wrong! except for speeding. This makes no sense and this app needs a lot of work. I did get my disct. though. I have to agree w/others, it's not accurate.

SO grossly inaccurate with the distracted driving. This app needs to be completely redone and be transparent with your qualifiers. Allstate has a feature where you could turn the app off for a period of time/days, as in you were driving a company vehicle or such that they dont insure, or in my case, driving a fire engine and ambulance, which is heavy braking and speeding. Give more options or I'm getting out of this feature.

Less than 10% accurate. This app is terrible at correctly determining if you are distracted. Bluetooth hands-free, other apps just running in the background, or using your phone after you arrive and have exited your vehicle all show you being distracted. Because there's no transparency on what caused it you can't improve. To make all of this worse, it's unclear if this is going to cost me money because it sucks so bad.

App doesn't always capture your drive. I installed to get the insurance discount (after 10 rides). I've made at least three trips (each longer than 20 minutes) that have not been recorded, as reflected in the app. For all the invasive permissions this app requires (simultaneous high-accuracy GPS, wifi, running in background), when I do manage to get the minimum number of rides recorded, it's getting quickly uninstalled. Not worth the pain factor. Filesize is bloated relative to features.

Never works so I lose my discount. I have driven so little during that last few months in this pandemic and my premium went up. Farmers keeps sending notifications to turn it on. The only way it will work is if I leave the app open All The Time. So of course I forget and "close all". Now it doesn't recognize me I think. It keeps telling me to try again later. So not happy with new app.

It definitely makes me more aware of my driving, but frustrated it won't track all my trips. It picks up mid trip, stops tracking half way through, or just completely fails to work. All settings are correct and I've called to troubleshoot. I've uninstalled and reinstalled to no avail.

Interesting idea but still has a ways to go. I use Android Auto so I NEVER touch my phone in the car, but the app reports a high percentage of phone use. Secondly, if you are in a congested area, braking depends on OTHER drivers. Third, safe acceleration is a factor of HP/curb weight/gearing - completely floored in one vehicle is nowhere close to smooth careful mild acceleration in another. Definitely appreciate the discount despite the shortcomings.

The app has a screen that allows you to select if you are a passenger or driver but that screen rarely comes up when you open it. I rarely drive, but my rating went from 100% to 70% when he was driving & I used my phone (as a passenger) but couldn't mark myself as a passenger. I also text & answer my husband's phone when he drives so the app thinks he's using his phone when he drives. We both removed the app when our ratings plummeted. We are both good drivers & use our car's hands free mode.

It keeps saying I was "distracted driving" when I wasn't, bringing my score down to 98%. The days it shows this are the times I've used GPS to a place I'd never been and so needed help finding. The times I've picked up my phone while in the car was when stopped with the engine running i.e. in a parking space listening to music before exiting the vehicle. On several occasions, its asked why I haven't driven in the last few days when I've been about and about every day. Ex: drove 40 miles one way yesterday. App said only 38, but then sent an email saying I hadn't driven in a few days, basically asking "what's up with that?" So, Farmers, what's up with that???

promotes and rewards unsafe driving if you break to avoid an accident, you're penalized. if you pull off the road to use your phone, your penalized, if you use GPS rather than taking your eyes off the road, your penalized, the list goes on and on, the only reason I use the app is so that I have proof I don't speed, if I ever need it, however, this app is so flawed it may easily be discredited

If you use your phone within 5 minutes after stopping the app counts it as distracted driving.... so frustrating. I also bought a bluetooth head set and the app does not recognize it, with no score improvement. The distracted driver family weekly rating is way off and the score jumps around even if I never touch my phone.

MAJOR data eater!! Do not use unless you have an unlimited plan!! It used 4.3GB of data this month, and +2GB of wireless data. Had to turn off cell data use an entire week before the bill cycle because of this!! Also suspect it was causing connection issues with my Lyft and Uber driver apps. Otherwise all other features of this app work well.

The discount is great, but the rating system seems a bit contrived against the concept of distracted driving. Your 'distracted driving' Rating can be in the high 80s (which I thought was the goal of this app), but If you drive during rush hour (80% of people do) , your rating suffers SIGNIFICANTLY. If the app is supposed to discourage distracted driving (which it is doing greatly in my family), then why de-rate people for driving characteristics that have nothing to do with distracted driving?

Great app. Has saved me quite a bit of money on my insurance. DOWNSIDE....less then I'd say 10% of the tracking is not always accurate on where you have driven to and from. Can/could cause a problem if a spouse checks your phone and questions the locations listed.

really funky interface. 1) sometimes it captures my trip, sometimes it doesnt. could benefit from a start and stop button. 2) nagging alert messages if you want to shut off gps, no way to turn it off in app 3) the concept of distracted driving is half thought, for example i cant give my child my phone to play games in the backseat because farmers now thinks im distracted and ding me. agent told me its basically best thing since sliced bread. yeah ok, its saving me some money so ill take it.

Idea is really good, but some metrics used to determine score is just bad. 1. Excessive braking: It is too sensitive. It seems like anything other than a slow application of the brake will result in excessive braking. 2. Mileage: you get penalized for driving too much. If you live far from work and go out with family on the weekend, it's bad. 3. Time of day driving: this is the worst one. Most working people dont get to choose what time we go to work. Penalized for driving to work.

app will not work on Republic wireless networks. I'm posting feedback from Republic wireless help. "What may be going on here is that the app is misreading your phone number because it is not properly coded to work with VoIP carriers. Is there any way that they can "whitelist" your phone number - basically push the sign up through anyway, even though the number is being misreported to their app? It appears their app was not designed for use with VoIP services."

Used for several months with no complaints but an update over the summer has resulted in it becoming a HUGE data hog. As in going from 200ish MBs per billing cycle to over 3 gigs. With no significant changes in my driving habits or phone use habits, I do not understand how this app is using so much data but I can tell that it is because my phone breaks the data consumption down by app and it's always this. The discount on my insurance policy ain't worth the risk of going over my data on my phone plan. Fix this!

Needs work. About 6 hours of driving over the weekend resulted in over 4GB of data transmitted to Farmers and blew out the data allowance on my cell phone plan. According to customer support, transmission should happen over WiFi. It didn't. According to customer support, an hour of driving should produce the same data as a photo posted to Facebook. Umm, not even close. I have turned off the app. The discount is not worth the additional cost of boosting data on cell phone plan.

We like the app. Our only problem is when are both in the car and use the phone as a passenger it records us both as drivers. The having to log yourself in as a passenger every time you aren't the driver leads to forgetting that fact when the phone rings...thus leading to lost points in the the 'Driving Distraction' area.

Very Inaccurate Does not allow me to indicate if I'm a passenger rather than the driver. Scores were in the 90's and now 2 days later 62??? My husband and I are cautious drivers - no speeding tickets ever, no accidents, and never text or talk on cell without bluetooth. Have no idea how Signal calculates the scores.

it's not accurate. example i was just out for a leisurely drive. I got on to the interstate. NO TRAFFIC. When i first got on it I was going about 68 then dropped down to 63 instead of the posted 65. I did not hit my brakes even 1 time. there was no need, there was no traffic YET this app has me excessively braking for 2 miles.. HOW??!!! AND it registers miles that you take as a passenger

gash...what an app..even on a heavy traffic or red light one can't touch the phone.. also keeps saying enable WiFi it will work better.. who in the world provides WiFi on streets where thus app is built for. secondly it should not record once the trip has ended..a user can use the phone once the trip ended..that's not distraction..this app keeps saying record trip even after the trip ended..as the user is moving..

I don't understand why, but after I am no longer driving and am inside of a store the app is still recording my trip. Then it counts against me on my distracted driving. It's very frustrating! Somehow this needs to be fixed. If it is resolved I would give the app 5 stars.

This app is terrible. I'm actually mad that my discount is depending on something so spotty and unreliable. I've used this app everyday for a month now and drive my vehicle twice a day, every single day, yet the app shows I've logged only 4 trips in my car. Each only a mile or so long. I think a beacon, much like State Farms, that I can put in my car that connects with my phone would be so much better are so much more effective and accurate considering just how expensive Farmers insurance is.

Sign up process is cumbersome and I still haven't gotten my girlfriend on the app due to it. As far as the app goes, it's an unfunny joke! Factors weighing against your discount, namely time of day and mileage (hint: if you want your premiums, I have to get to work a**holes) are out of the customer's control. Also, the braking score is inaccurate, I don't break hard unless I have to do something defensive. Next, the distracted driving score penalized me for using my phone from the console connected via bluetooth and also for Spotify running in the background. Only accurate metric is speeding, for which I'm in the green. I'm going to request a 5% discount from Farmer's insurance, otherwise I'll be shopping around again come renewal. Ridiculous issues all around.

the app is not very accurate sometimes. it keeps recording what you stop driving and then it also takes a while to start recording when you started driving a while. I've been doing a very good job of breaking and it's saying that I'm not and I can't figure out why that is.

The app operates in background by default yet keeps on asking to operate in background. Worse is that it records "distractions" even when the vehicle isn't moving and if I'm told correctly, for some small period of time after the ignition is turned off.