TopAware
Getting started
You don’t need an account to get warnings. They work straight after you install the app. To add, confirm or report a zone, sign in with Apple, Google or email.
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Set your loaded height
Open Garage and add a rig: your car plus whatever is on top. Measure from the ground to the tallest rigid point. That’s usually the roof bars, the roof box lid or the top of upright bikes. Rigid antennas count; flexible whip aerials don’t.
If you’re unsure, round up. TopAware can only be as accurate as the height you give it.
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Pick today’s rig
Bikes on today, roof box tomorrow? Save each setup as its own rig and tap the one you’re using before you drive. Alerts are worked out against that rig’s height.
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Allow location and notifications
TopAware needs your location to know which low clearances are ahead. Choose Always so it can keep watch while another app is on screen and on CarPlay. Allow notifications so a warning reaches you when TopAware isn’t in front.
Your location is used on your phone to check for nearby zones. TopAware doesn’t upload your position or keep a route history on its servers.
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Start Guard mode
Guard mode watches for low clearances while you drive with Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze. Start it from the map, then switch to your navigation app as usual. You can also plan the drive inside TopAware and follow its guidance on your phone or on CarPlay.
Guard keeps an eye on the road from the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. Alerts switch on once you’re moving faster than 10 km/h and switch off again below 7 km/h. The gap stops them flickering on and off in slow traffic.
Zones and trust labels
A zone is a place with a low clearance: a bridge, tunnel, underpass, parking garage, drive-through or similar. Each zone records the clearance height and where the structure is.
TopAware loads the zones within about 50 km of you and keeps a copy on your phone, so Guard keeps working when your signal drops.
Verified and Unverified
- Verified means enough other drivers have confirmed the clearance.
- Unverified means the zone is new or hasn’t been confirmed yet. TopAware still warns you about it, with an extra band that reads “Unverified height · treat with caution”.
TopAware won’t hide a warning because the data is unconfirmed. If GPS is weak, Guard tells you so and asks you to treat every clearance with caution.
Add, confirm or report a zone
Spotted a low clearance that isn’t on the map? Add it with the height shown on the sign. Other drivers see it as Unverified until it’s confirmed. On an existing zone, tap Confirm it’s right if it matches what you see, or report it if the height or place is wrong, or the structure is gone.
Adding, confirming and reporting zones needs you to sign in, so every contribution belongs to a real account. Free accounts can add 3 zones a month. Pro has no limit.
Zone data comes from drivers like you and can be wrong or out of date. The signed clearance at the structure always wins.
Alert levels
TopAware compares each zone’s clearance with your rig’s loaded height. The difference is your margin.
Including when the rig is taller than the clearance. Find another way.
It should fit. Slow down and check the sign.
Plenty of room, so TopAware stays quiet.
So that the same zone doesn’t nag you, a High Risk warning isn’t repeated for that zone for 5 minutes and a Caution warning for 10 minutes.
CarPlay
Plug in your iPhone or connect wirelessly, then open TopAware on the car’s screen.
- Confirm today’s rig. Each drive starts by checking which rig you’re driving, in case bikes, boxes or roof bars changed. You can turn this off in Settings › Confirm rig on connect.
- No typing in the car. CarPlay never asks you to type a height, only to pick one of your saved rigs. Set rigs up on your phone before you leave.
- Built for a glance. Warnings are large and short, with no more than two quick actions, and TopAware doesn’t prompt you while the car is moving.
Pro and purchases
Safety warnings are free and are never behind a paywall. Pro adds conveniences:
- Unlimited new zones (free: 3 a month)
- An adjustable alert distance
- Unlimited vehicle height lookups (free: 5 a month)
Pro comes as Pro Monthly, Pro Yearly (with a 1-week free trial for new subscribers) or Pro Lifetime, a one-time purchase. Apple handles every payment, and the app shows the price in your local currency before you confirm. You can also leave an optional tip. Tips unlock nothing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I restore my purchases?
In TopAware, open Settings › TopAware Pro and tap Restore purchases. The Pro screen has the same button. Make sure you’re signed in to the App Store with the Apple ID you used to buy Pro.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Apple manages subscriptions. On your iPhone, open Settings › [your name] › Subscriptions, choose TopAware and tap Cancel Subscription. You can also get there from Settings › TopAware Pro › Manage subscription in TopAware.
Cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends to avoid the next charge. Pro stays on until the end of the period you’ve paid for. Deleting the app doesn’t cancel a subscription.
How does the free trial work?
New Pro Yearly subscribers get 1 week free. If you don’t cancel at least 24 hours before the week ends, the yearly subscription starts and Apple charges your Apple ID. The app only offers the trial if Apple says your Apple ID is eligible.
How do I get a refund?
Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Do I need an account?
Not for warnings. Guard, alerts and the zone map all work without signing in. To add, confirm or report a zone, sign in with email, Apple or Google. Your zones and reputation then belong to that account and follow you to any device. Without signing in, TopAware stores nothing about you on our servers.
Does TopAware track where I drive?
No. Your location is used on your phone to find nearby zones. Your trip history stays on your phone and holds times, the rig, the zones you were warned about and, if you navigated in TopAware, the destination name and distance. It never holds coordinates or the route. See the Privacy Policy.
A zone is wrong. What should I do?
Obey the sign at the structure first. When you’re parked, open the zone in TopAware and report it with the reason, such as a wrong height or place, or a structure that’s gone. Reports help other drivers and shape each zone’s trust state.
Will TopAware work without a signal?
Yes, for zones it has already loaded. TopAware keeps nearby zones on your phone and uses them when you’re offline. It can’t load zones for a new area until you’re back online, so open the app with a connection before a long trip.
How do I delete my account?
In TopAware, open Settings › Account and tap Delete account. You may be asked to sign in again first. Deleting your account doesn’t cancel a subscription; cancel that with Apple too. The Privacy Policy explains what is removed.
Email us and we’ll help. The Support page lists what to include.