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How to Use Mellow Miles

A guide to getting the most out of Mellow Miles—from your first trip to long-term insights.

Safety Reminder: Mellow Miles is designed for post-drive reflection, not real-time feedback. Never interact with the app while driving.

Getting Started

Step 1

Download & Setup

  • •Download Mellow Miles from the App Store
  • •Grant permissions for Location (Always), Motion & Fitness, and optionally Health (for heart rate)
  • •Complete the onboarding tutorial to understand core features
  • •Take 2-3 calibration trips to establish your personal baseline
Step 2

Start Your Trip

  • •Open the app before driving (can be on CarPlay or in mount)
  • •Tap "Start Trip" when you are ready to begin
  • •Place phone in mount or connect to CarPlay—never hold while driving
  • •The app runs in background, collecting data automatically
Step 3

During Your Drive

  • •Focus on driving—app is passive and will not interrupt you
  • •Optional: Use voice notes to capture quick reflections without touching your phone
  • •If using Apple Watch, wear it normally for continuous heart rate data
  • •App detects hard braking, acceleration, and swerves automatically
Step 4

End Trip & Reflect

  • •Tap "End Trip" when you arrive (or it ends automatically when stopped >10 min)
  • •Review your trip summary with route map and key metrics
  • •Scrub through the timeline to see correlations between driving and biometrics
  • •Add notes, tag emotions, or mark significant moments

Core Features Deep Dive

Interactive Timeline

See your entire trip at a glance, then scrub time to line up the map and metrics.

Scrub Through Time
Drag the timeline scrubber to move forward/backward through your trip. The map marker moves in sync.
View Multiple Metrics
Toggle between Speed, Heart Rate, HRV, Breathing Rate, and Stress Index using the chart tabs.
Spot Events
Markers show hard braking, acceleration, and swerves. Tap any marker for details.
See Correlations
Notice how physiology changes across traffic, intersections, or highway segments.

Route Map

Visual representation of your route and where moments happened.

Follow Your Route
Your complete driving route is shown as a line you can review during reflection.
Event Markers
Markers show where driving events occurred. Tap for timestamp and severity.
Position Marker
A moving marker shows your position as you scrub the timeline—see where you were at any moment.
Context Awareness
Look for patterns like repeated reactions at the same place.

Emotion Tagging

Connect your reflections with your timeline so you can see patterns over time.

Post-Drive Tagging
After your trip, use the Wheel of Emotion to tag moments with specific feelings.
Voice Notes
Capture short reflections while safely parked, then connect them to the timeline.
Pattern Discovery
Over time, see which situations correlate with which emotions and physiological changes.
Private Reflection
Keep detailed notes to support your own growth and awareness.

Insights & Trends

Long-term patterns and comparisons across trips.

Weekly Summaries
View aggregated stats and comparisons across recent trips.
Trigger Identification
Spot recurring situations that tend to correlate with higher stress responses.
Progress Tracking
Notice changes over time—smoother driving, different routes, calmer physiology.
Personalized Tips
Use your own patterns to adjust routines, routes, and coping strategies.

Helpful Tips

Privacy & Safety

  • •Enable Do Not Disturb While Driving to reduce distractions
  • •Never interact with the app while the vehicle is in motion
  • •Use device lock (Face ID / Touch ID) to protect reflections
  • •Delete trips anytime—data retention is your choice

Getting Better Data

  • •Wear your Apple Watch consistently for reliable heart rate data
  • •Keep your phone charged and mounted for best GPS accuracy
  • •Take at least 2-3 calibration trips before interpreting scores
  • •Enable Background App Refresh so syncing can run reliably

Making the Most of Reflection

  • •Set aside a few minutes after longer drives to review and tag
  • •Look for patterns across trips, not just one moment
  • •Use notes as a private record of what you want to remember