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3+ years writing about auto, home, and life insurance
7+ years in personal finance and technology
Amy specializes in insurance and technology writing and has a talent for transforming complex topics into easy-to-understand stories.
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Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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While the GEICO gecko is known for promising savings on car insurance, the company offers a usage-based insurance program worth knowing about. Usage-based insurance, or UBI, tracks your real-time habits behind the wheel and uses the information to set your rates.[1]
Using an app, DriveEasy monitors your driving and rewards safe drivers with discounts of up to 15%.[2] Think of it as having your insurance company peek over your shoulder while you drive.
Our GEICO DriveEasy review explains how the program works, how much you can save, and data privacy considerations that come into play.
DriveEasy uses your smartphone and doesn’t require a plug-in device.
Poor driving scores can result in higher premiums.
DriveEasy is available in most states.
DriveEasy is GEICO’s usage-based auto insurance program that helps safe drivers save money on their car insurance premiums. It uses telematics to track and analyze driver behavior, rewarding good driving habits with coverage discounts.
No hardware or plug-in device is required. GEICO’s mobile app uses your smartphone’s built-in sensors to track driving behaviors like hard braking, rapid acceleration, and phone usage. It also monitors when and where you drive to provide a complete picture of your driving style.
The program runs in the background, automatically collecting data during your trips. Careful driving can earn you premium discounts. GEICO DriveEasy also has a built-in feedback feature that offers personalized tips to help you become an even better driver.
While anyone listed on your policy can use DriveEasy, the program is available only to current GEICO customers. You also need to live in a participating state and have an iPhone or Android phone with a data plan.
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GEICO DriveEasy uses the GEICO mobile app to monitor how you drive. Beyond sudden braking and fast acceleration, the app tracks speeding, sharp turns, and how smoothly you maintain your speed. The program also detects distracted driving — like handling your phone or making calls — and considers route regularity and weather conditions.
Setup involves downloading the app, enabling push notifications, and granting necessary phone permissions for trip logging. Drivers on your policy each need their own setup. You can text them an invitation link directly from the app so they can get started.
The app determines if you’re the driver or passenger. If it gets your role wrong or counts bus rides as driving trips, for example, you can manually correct these errors so your driving score isn’t affected. Driving scores update within 24 to 48 hours.
While safe drivers can see a drop in premiums when their policy renews, car insurance rates can increase if the program flags risky driving habits.
In addition to monitoring your driving habits, DriveEasy includes a crash detection safety feature called Accident Assist. If it detects hard braking, it checks if you’re OK and can connect you with emergency services or roadside assistance if needed.
Like any telematics program, DriveEasy comes with advantages and trade-offs. Consider these pros and cons before enrolling:
Discounts of up to 15% for careful drivers
Easy setup through EasyDrive app — no plug-in device required
Emergency assistance through Accident Assist
Risky driving can increase rates
Can mistakenly count passenger rides
Not available nationwide
GEICO advertises an insurance savings of 5% to 15% through DriveEasy, but your actual telematics discount depends on your driving score. Safer habits mean bigger savings, while risky driving can bump up your rates at renewal. GEICO states that most policyholders save money rather than see increases.
DriveEasy users may see their insurance premiums decrease by between $60 and $250 per year, depending on coverage. But it’s important to note that premium reductions aren’t guaranteed. Because the program continuously evaluates your behavior behind the wheel, consistent safe driving is key.
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While the GEICO mobile app earns solid ratings — 4.8 out of 5 stars on the App Store and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play — the GEICO DriveEasy user experience is mixed. Success stories are impressive, though. One driver mentioned on Reddit that their premiums dropped from the mid-$100s to just $82 per month.
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Many users report issues that raise concerns about the program’s reliability. Trip detection issues popped up frequently in program reviews. The app sometimes mistakes Uber rides, bus trips, and work vehicle usage for personal driving.
One frustrated Trustpilot user said their monthly premium increased from $691 to more than $1,000 after the app misclassified their transportation choices — even after contacting customer service.
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Technical issues also frustrate users. One complained about receiving endless notifications to fix phone permissions that were already set correctly.
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Getting started with DriveEasy depends on your current relationship with GEICO. New customers need to purchase a GEICO policy before enrolling in the DriveEasy program, and existing policyholders can enroll through the GEICO mobile app.
There’s no need to wait for a device to arrive in the mail. GEICO DriveEasy operates entirely through the mobile app, so you can begin tracking trips immediately. The app will prompt you to enable necessary permissions for location tracking and notifications.
If you share your policy with a spouse or other drivers, each person will need to download the app and set it up. You can send each person an invitation link. Once you’ve set up the app, DriveEasy begins collecting data immediately, building your driving score with each trip and displaying it on the program dashboard.
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While GEICO gathers driving-related information through your phone’s GPS technology, Bluetooth, and built-in sensors, it’s fairly transparent about what it captures.[3] The app records where you drive, when you’re on the road, trip duration, and distraction incidents like phone use while driving. It also pulls in weather and road condition data from partners.
GEICO encrypts your trip data and stores it in secure U.S. data centers, with access limited to specific GEICO employees. The company uses this data primarily to calculate your driving score and potentially streamline the claims process.
The company doesn’t capture speeding violations to report to authorities or access your personal messages, calls, or contacts. GEICO’s privacy policy also says it doesn’t share or sell your information to third parties.
Even so, the insurance policy terms allow location services and behavioral analysis. Some drivers find the potential savings worth these privacy trade-offs, while others may consider the data collection too invasive for their comfort level.
GEICO DriveEasy is best for people who have solid driving habits and don’t mind digital oversight. If you stick to the speed limit, avoid stopping quickly, and don’t drive much at night, it could help cut your auto insurance costs. People with regular driving patterns and people who enjoy tech-based feedback usually find the most value in DriveEasy.
Some driving situations don’t mesh well with DriveEasy’s scoring system. Night-shift workers, delivery drivers, and other drivers with unpredictable schedules may be penalized for driving during “risky” hours. Likewise, city drivers who regularly make sudden stops could see their scores affected.
DriveEasy is worth it if you:
Drive predictable routes during daylight hours
Rarely brake hard or accelerate quickly
Want to improve your driving habits and value feedback
Don’t mind sharing data for a discount
For more information about how DriveEasy works, check out answers to frequently asked questions.
DriveEasy makes sense for safe drivers with predictable schedules who don’t mind constant location tracking. You’ll likely benefit if you avoid hard braking, rarely speed, and drive during daylight hours.
Yes. DriveEasy can increase your premiums if it identifies risky driving behavior. Telematics programs don’t always result in discounts.
The app uses motion sensors and GPS patterns to distinguish between drivers and passengers, though it’s not foolproof. You can manually correct trip details if the app gets your role wrong.
No. GEICO doesn’t offer specific dashcam discounts, but footage can help with claims and proving you weren’t at fault in an accident.
GEICO DriveEasy doesn’t give you a final score. The program continuously evaluates your driving habits and updates your score every 24 to 48 hours. Policy premiums adjust based on your performance and happen at policy renewal — typically every six months.
No. GEICO states it doesn’t sell or share your driving data with third parties for marketing purposes. Your information stays within GEICO’s system and isn’t passed to other insurance companies or data brokers.
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Amy is a personal finance and technology writer. With a background in the legal field and a bachelor's degree from Ferris State University, she has a talent for transforming complex topics into content that’s easy to understand. Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.
Amy has been a contributor at Insurify since September 2023.
Becky Helzer is an editor at Insurify. She loves helping writers express their ideas clearly and authentically. With a diverse background in editing everything from curriculum and books to magazine articles and blog posts, she’s worked on topics ranging from home finance, insurance, and cloud computing to the best tools for home improvement.
A proud graduate of Colorado State University with a degree in technical journalism, Becky lives in Fort Collins, CO, with her husband and their two spoiled rescue dogs.
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