A live car dashboard for iPad.

On the Link tab, choose GPS only or GPS + Road Vision. The tab shows whether the iPhone and iPad are connected. The iPad talks to the OBD adapter and relays the car data to the phone, so you do not set up an adapter on the iPhone.

The Link tab also has a Help card with a “Help & setup guide” link back to this page and the recommended OBD adapter, the Vgate iCar Pro BLE, which pairs to the iPad. See Recommended OBD adapter.

Road Vision is optional and off by default. When you turn it on, the iPhone camera looks for cars, people, traffic lights, and stop signs, and can show alerts such as “Keep distance” and “BRAKE, vehicle ahead.” All of this runs on the phone. NightCluster Eye is not a safety, collision-warning, or driver-assistance system. Detections and alerts may be missing, delayed, or wrong. Never use it while driving; set it up while parked, or let a passenger use it, and always follow the actual road, posted signs, and the law.

A 3D tab shows the same Mazda car as the iPad, including headlights and brake lights. A Speed tab shows a gauge cluster. A Music tab lets you browse your library, control playback, and change the volume.

Install both apps, open Link on the iPhone, and pick a mode.

The Vgate iCar Pro OBD-II adapter (Bluetooth LE) is the one the developer runs in his own 2014 Acura ILX. When you scan for it in NightCluster, it shows up as “IOS-Vlink.”

Get the adapter on eBay

Disclosure: this link goes to an eBay listing by Raul Fregoso, NightCluster’s developer, who may earn from the sale.

NightCluster isn’t affiliated with Vgate or any adapter maker.

NightCluster is an iPad app. NightCluster Eye is the companion iPhone app. Both are coming soon to the App Store.

There are two ways to turn on Developer mode.

Direct: open Settings (the gear icon), tap the Developer card, and switch on Developer options.

Hidden: go to Settings > About & Data Sources > About & credits, then tap the version number seven times. After the fourth tap a countdown appears, and at seven you see “Developer options enabled.”

Once it is on, Settings > Developer > Diagnostics shows debug readouts for GPS, speed limits, stop signs and lights, gear estimate, and the OBD log. While the car is moving, Diagnostics asks you to confirm you are a passenger. Never use Developer options or Diagnostics while driving.

Go to Settings > About & Data Sources and tap the NightCluster app icon at the top seven times quickly. Taps more than 1.5 seconds apart restart the count. The icon spins with a glow ring, and the screen shows “Secret theme unlocked: FRE.” Tap Use FRE to switch right away. FRE then also appears as the last tile in the theme grid under Settings > Display. The unlock stays on.

This step is optional. It can improve speed limits. NightCluster and NightCluster Eye use OpenStreetMap speed limits by default; with a TomTom key, they ask TomTom only on roads where OpenStreetMap has no posted limit.

To get a key, register a free account at developer.tomtom.com. No credit card is required. Sign in, open the Dashboard’s API & SDK Keys section, and copy a key. TomTom typically creates one for you, called “My first API key.” The free tier includes a monthly request allowance that varies by API.

On NightCluster (iPad): turn on Developer mode, then open Settings > Developer > Diagnostics. Under “Speed limit source,” paste the key into “TomTom API key (optional, free tier).” Spaces are stripped automatically. Under “TomTom test,” tap Test key; a green OK means it works. “TomTom live status” then shows the last lookup and the lookups today. To turn TomTom off, clear the field.

When a key is set, TomTom receives your approximate location with each lookup. NightCluster is not affiliated with TomTom.

Open Eye, go to the Link tab, and scroll to the About card. Tap Version seven times quickly. Taps more than 1.5 seconds apart reset the count, and from the fourth tap a hint counts down. A Developer card appears at the bottom with a “TomTom API key (optional, free tier)” field and a Test key button, which shows a green OK with a mph reading or an error such as invalid key or quota exceeded. The unlock is remembered. “Hide developer options” turns the card off.

The key must be entered on each device separately and does not sync between iPad and iPhone. Eye uses TomTom only when OpenStreetMap has no posted limit, same as the iPad, and the sign then shows source “TT.”