This is where Nokia Car App comes in, removing all the things you don’t need, offering vital information you do need, and providing an easy means of launching three key apps at the touch of a (very big) button.

The concept behind Nokia Car App makes a lot of sense, acting like a particularly simple home screen, making things as clear as possible, even with the phone held at arm’s length in a car cradle. It’s this distance that can also present issues with smaller onscreen buttons, and with Nokia Car that’s a thing of the past.

Fire up the app for the first time and you’ll see instructions onscreen. Swipe the top section of the screen left or right to switch through three different information offerings: Time, Weather and Battery life. That’s it for information – no more, and no less. There are no Live Tiles, no flashing or distracting information; it’s ideal for a driving environment. And, of course, HERE Drive is itself designed to be used comfortably in the car, at arm's length.

Just three buttons to launch apps

Under the information at the top, Nokia Car App provides three buttons to launch apps. Stretching the full width of the screen, they’re easy to hit even if you’re only looking at your Lumia from the corner of your eye. As standard, Nokia Car App offers launch buttons for HERE Drive, Nokia MixRadio and Quick Call — some of the options you’re most likely to use while traveling.

It’s also easy to change what each button does, which is useful if you’re more interested in using different apps. To make changes to each button, press the menu button at the bottom right of the screen, and then press ‘Settings’.

From here, you can select the apps you want to open from three drop-down boxes. You can select any of your apps to appear in Car App, so it’s easy to select music services or any other app you may need in the car. Once you’ve picked the apps you want, click the back button to head back to Nokia Car App.

There may not be a lot to Nokia Car App, but sometimes it’s the simple things that really make a big difference. And when you’re traveling in your car, cutting down on distractions is important. The fact Nokia Car App helps you to do so makes it a worthy addition to your app collection.