Questions and answers
Routing
Does Lefty tell me when a turn is safe?
No, never. Lefty reduces how many risky turns are on your route. At every turn you still look, judge and decide.
What does Lefty count as a risky left?
Ranked from worst: an unsignalized left across a major road; a blind left, where the queue of cars turning left opposite you hides oncoming traffic; a left at a light with no confirmed protected phase; a left at a light whose protected phase runs only at other hours. Right turns and going straight are never penalized. U-turns are penalized like left turns, so Lefty does not swap a risky left for a U-turn.
Why is the Lefty route sometimes identical to the fastest?
The fastest route already had no risky lefts or undivided roads to remove. Lefty shows both so you can see that.
How much longer are Lefty routes?
In our Toronto study, about 3% on average, roughly 40 seconds on a 25-minute trip, for a third fewer left turns. Some trips cost nothing; a few cost a couple of minutes. The card always shows the difference.
What is cottage-country mode?
Lefty always discourages two-way roads at 70 km/h (45 mph) or more with nothing between you and oncoming traffic, and gravel roads. Cottage-country mode, part of Lefty Plus, weighs them far more heavily, so Lefty takes the freeway or a divided highway even when the two-lane road is a little quicker. It prefers divided highways and shows how many kilometres of undivided road each route has. The last stretch to a lake is often two-lane no matter what; Lefty minimizes it rather than pretending it can be avoided.
What are road event reports?
Like Waze: one tap reports police, a crash, a hazard on the road, a stalled vehicle, construction, a road closure, heavy traffic, a pothole, an object or animal on the road, a broken traffic light, a blocked lane, bad weather or flooding at your position. Drivers behind you see a marker and, if it is on their route, hear a short heads-up. Reports expire on their own unless other drivers confirm them, and two "gone" answers clear one early. Passengers can report any time; drivers only while stopped. Alerts can be switched off in Settings.
Can I turn the arrow question off?
Yes. The first time it appears it asks whether to keep asking, and there is a switch in Settings › Your standing. It only ever appears while you are stopped at a light on your route, at most a few times per trip. Turning it off keeps your rank; you just stop earning points.
Where does it work?
Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia. Outside those areas Lefty shows Apple's route and tells you it is outside coverage. Confirmed arrow data is densest in Toronto.
Can I add a stop?
Yes, one stop on the way, from the phone or from CarPlay, before or during a trip. Lefty routes around risky lefts on both legs and moves on to your destination once you reach the stop.
Does it warn about red light cameras?
Yes. "Red light camera ahead" for cameras published as open data by the City of Toronto, York Region, the Region of Peel, the City of Hamilton, the City of Ottawa and the City of Kingston. You can switch these alerts off in Settings. Lefty does not alert for speed cameras.
Does it know about traffic?
Not yet. Route times are estimates from road types and speed limits, not live traffic.
Arrows and the community
How does Lefty know which lights have a left-turn arrow?
Toronto published signal phase data, which seeded about 350 intersections. Everywhere else, drivers answer the arrow question. No map records arrows, and many arrows run only at certain times, which is why Lefty keeps time-of-day windows.
What counts as a protected left?
A green arrow, or a flashing green advance light, which gives you the turn while oncoming traffic is held. A flashing yellow arrow does not count: it means turn only when there is a safe gap, the same as a plain green light.
When does the arrow question appear?
Only during a trip, only after you have been stopped for a few seconds within about 45 metres of a signalized left on your route, and only once per turn. It disappears the moment you move. You can ignore it.
How many answers confirm an intersection?
Three different devices agreeing, with at least 75% of answers in agreement, per approach and per time window. Where Toronto's data already suggests an arrow, one driver's answer settles it. A single answer never changes routing on its own.
What are ranks?
Rookie, Scout, Navigator, Pathfinder, Wayfinder and Left Legend, earned through points: 10 per answer (20 when your answer is the less common one at that light, which tells us the most), 5 for a "That felt risky" tap, and 40 more when your intersection is confirmed. They appear in Settings. Ranks are private; nothing about you is shown to other drivers.
Can I earn Lefty Plus?
Yes. 150 points unlocks a month of Lefty Plus, and every 100 more points adds another month, up to twelve months ahead. Sign in with Apple or Google so your points follow you to a new iPhone.
Privacy
Does Lefty track where I go?
No. Your position is used to plan and guide the trip and is not stored on our servers. Trip history stays on your phone. Details in the privacy policy.
Are my reports linked to me?
They are linked to a random code on your phone, stored hashed on our server. We cannot connect it to your name, email or Apple ID.
Lefty Plus
What's free and what's Plus?
Free: both routes side by side, spoken guidance, CarPlay, a stop on the way, favourites, road event and red light camera alerts, the protected-left question, points and ranks, everywhere Lefty routes. Plus: live left-turn arrows for the hour you drive, cottage-country mode, plan for later, and trip history with export. Plus costs $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year in Canada (the App Store shows your local price), or you can earn it with points.
How do I cancel or get a refund?
Cancel in iPhone Settings › Subscriptions. Refunds are handled by Apple; see the refund policy.
Does Lefty work with CarPlay?
Yes, free. The map follows your car with the phone locked; turn-by-turn directions, Where to? (search, voice, Home, Work, favourites and recent places), reports and the protected-left question all work on the car's screen. Tap the star on a destination to save it as a favourite.
Android?
Not yet. iPhone first.