USAA SafePilot Insurance Review [2025]: Drive Safely, Save Money

USAA exclusively serves military members and their families, and it’s long had a reputation for excellent customer service. USAA SafePilot is an app that could help you save money on USAA car insurance. You do need to be a safe driver to make the most of the app and be comfortable sharing your driving data with USAA, knowing that the company could use the information from your SafePilot app if you’re involved in an accident.

While I’m personally a bit leery of sharing that much information with an insurance company, the discount of up to 30% could make it worthwhile. If you meet USAA’s membership requirements, I’d suggest trying out the program to see how you score on the app and if you want to use it long term. You could even get a 10% discount just for enrolling.

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FinanceBuzz researches a number of factors in each auto insurance provider to create our reviews. These factors include cost and discounts, complaints and customer satisfaction, coverage, and ease of use. We also gather information from sources such as J.D. Power, AM Best, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), and the Better Business Bureau to ensure we provide the most useful information to our readers.

How does USAA SafePilot work?

It seems like every insurance company has a telematics app these days, and USAA is no exception. Telematic apps use GPS technology to track how you drive. They also typically track how you interact with your phone while driving (hint: you shouldn’t).

You can enroll in USAA SafePilot if you have a USAA car insurance policy and you live in an eligible state. At this time, that’s any U.S. state other than California, Delaware, and New Jersey.

Once you enroll, you download the SafePilot app onto your phone, set it up, and you’re ready to go. You start with a 14-day learning period, and after that, your trips count toward your driver score. After driving 325 miles and 16 hours, you’ll be able to see your projected future discount for the next time your policy renews.

What does it track?

The SafePilot app runs in the background of your phone and collects data about:

• Your location
• The time of day
• Whether you’re a driver or passenger
• Phone handling
• Whether you use hand-held or hands-free calling
• Harsh braking, defined as reducing your speed more than about 8.25 mph in a second
• Annualized hours driven
• Potential accidents

USAA then uses that information to develop a driving score for you. It doesn’t disclose exactly how that score is calculated, though. USAA shares the information with the third parties that administer the SafePilot program. It is clear, however, that it doesn’t share information for marketing purposes, which is reassuring.

Who is USAA SafePilot right for?

Safe drivers

USAA SafePilot is right for those who qualify for USAA membership and are dedicated to safe driving habits. Granted, you get the 10% discount just for enrolling, but if you’re someone who picks up their phone while on the road or who finds themselves braking hard on a regular basis, you might not want to let your insurance company in on that info.

USAA does say it won’t raise your rate because of the information it collects, but if there’s an accident, the findings of the app may be taken into account.

Teen drivers

Of course, there’s one group of potentially unsafe drivers who could also benefit from the app — teen drivers. Parents can review the app to see their teen’s driving and help them build safe driving habits early on. And they could earn a discount on their high insurance costs.

Plus, parents may feel more comfortable knowing that the app detects potential accidents and proactively reaches out to the driver.

Drivers looking to save

On a tight budget, every dollar counts. So some might find getting the app worth it since it guarantees a 10% savings, with the potential of up to 30%. If your policy is $600 every six months and you qualify for the maximum discount, you could save $180, bringing your semi-annual premium down to $420.

USAA SafePilot app reviews

USAA app ratings:

• 3.8 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store (43,000 reviews)
• 4.5 out of 5 stars in the Apple App Store (118,000 ratings)

Overall, it looks like the Apple SafePilot app has stronger reviews than the Android version, so that’s another factor to keep in mind.

In terms of user experience, some have complained about the app draining your phone battery during use. There are also multiple complaints regarding the accuracy of the information captured by the app. If you’re considering the app, pay close attention to how it records information during the two-week learning period to see if it’s accurate or not if you’re focused on getting the up to 30% discount.

FAQs

Bottom line

If you are eligible for USAA membership and you’re a safe driver, the parent of a teen driver, or someone keeping an eye on your budget, USAA SafePilot could be a good fit. Overall, it seems that iPhone users have a better experience with the app, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work on Android.

If you’re comfortable with sharing your driving information, it doesn’t hurt to enroll and install the app and see what your experience is like. After all, you’ll save at least 10% off your USAA auto insurance policy just for being in the program.

If you’d like to find other insurance options, our list of the best car insurance companies is an excellent place to start.