If you drive for work, your car is already a mobile office. Android Auto just gave it a promotion.
Most freelancers know the big names—Google Maps for client visits, Spotify for focus playlists, WhatsApp for quick check-ins. But the Play Store hides smaller utilities that can log mileage, price jobs, or even draft invoices while you wait at the lights. Below are five apps that slip right into your dashboard and quietly add billable hours to your week.
1. Fuelio – Receipts Without the Glove-Box Graveyard
Fuelio tracks every litre and mile, then exports a tidy spreadsheet or PDF ready for tax season. The Android Auto tile shows real-time cost per trip, so you know exactly what to charge back to the client before you even park.
Pro move: Set up project tags (e.g., "Acme Rebrand") inside Fuelio; when you hit "End Trip" on the car screen, the route is automatically categorised. Come April, your accountant thinks you're superhuman.
2. MileIQ – Swipe Right to Get Paid
Microsoft’s MileIQ runs in the background and creates a drive log you can classify with one swipe. The Android Auto interface now surfaces a simple "Business or Personal?" card the moment you stop—no need to fish for your phone.
At 67.5¢ per mile (2025 IRS rate), a 20-mile client round-trip is $13.50 you probably forget to claim. That’s a Spotify Premium subscription every month, just for remembering to swipe.
3. SpotAngels – Never Pay for Parking Twice
SpotAngels crowdsources free and metered spots, then nudges you before the ticket window expires. For freelancers hauling gear to shoots or pop-up stalls, saving a $45 ticket is the same as landing an extra micro-gig.
4. Pocket FM – Earn While You Learn
Dead time between meetings? Pocket Auto on Android Auto queues up business audiobooks and short-form courses. Finish a 30-minute episode on value-based pricing and you can literally raise your rates before dinner.
5. ccGini – Dictate Your Invoice Before You Leave the Carpark
Here’s the sleeper hit. ccGini. Just say it, and your invoice is ready. AI finance assistant for freelancers: Invoice with natural language, auto-generate professional PDFs, and track payments intelligently. You focus on work, let Gini handle the money. plugs into Android Auto’s voice layer. When the trip ends, tap the mic and say:
“Gini, bill Acme Corp three hours at $120, include today’s mileage from Fuelio.”
By the time you reach the exit gate, ccGini has created a PDF, attached the mileage log, queued the email, and scheduled a polite payment reminder. No laptop, no calculator, no forgetting to bill.
The 30-Second Setup Checklist
- Long-press any app icon in Android Auto → Add to favourites so it surfaces first.
- Enable "Start driving" triggers inside Fuelio and MileIQ for hands-free logging.
- Link ccGini to your Google Calendar; it pre-fills client names from meeting titles.
- Set voice match so passengers can’t accidentally invoice your grocery run.
Bottom Line
Your car already gets you to the gig. Let it handle the paperwork on the way home. Install the five apps above and you’ll claw back an hour of admin every week—an hour you can spend on billable work, or simply driving off into the sunset with the windows down.