With Vugo, the screen your passengers see is a tablet of your own, mounted on the back of the front seat. A good mount is what keeps it earning: secure enough to stay put through a full shift, powered so it never runs flat, and placed where riders in the back can see it. Here's how to set one up.

Check your tablet first

Most tablets you may already have at home will work. It needs to be:

  • An Android tablet 7 inches or larger, or an iPad. A phone can't be the screen.
  • On Android 7.0 or later, or iPadOS 15 or later.
  • A separate device from your phone. Your phone runs the Vugo Driver app; the tablet is the screen.
  • Able to stay online and share its location while you drive, so Vugo can confirm where each ad played. An offline screen earns nothing until it's back.

If you drive a leased fleet vehicle, ask the fleet owner to work with Vugo directly. The fleet can help cover the cost of the screen, and may already have screens in its cars.

Pick the spot

Mount the tablet on the back of a front seat, facing the back seat, at about eye level for a seated passenger. Before you commit to a spot:

  • Keep it out of your view. Nothing should block your mirrors or your view out of the rear window.
  • Keep it clear of airbags. Don't mount anything where a side or curtain airbag deploys, or in front of the front passenger airbag. Your car's manual shows where they are.
  • Leave the seat working. Make sure the seat still reclines and slides, and the headrest still adjusts.

Choose a mount

A headrest mount is the usual choice. It clamps to the two metal posts of the front headrest and holds the tablet in a frame or cradle.

  • Clamps to the headrest posts, not straps over the seat, so it doesn't swing on turns or bumps.
  • Fits your tablet's size, with or without its case, and grips it on all sides.
  • Tilts and turns so you can angle the screen toward the passengers and away from glare.
  • Locks or tightens firmly. A loose tablet can become a hazard in a hard stop.

Power it from the car

A tablet that runs all shift needs the car's power, not just its battery.

  1. Use a car charger in the 12-volt socket or a USB port with enough output for the tablet, plus your phone if they share it.
  2. Use a cable long enough to reach the tablet without pulling tight.
  3. Route the cable down the back of the seat and under the seat or floor mat, away from the seat rails and pedals.
  4. Hold the slack with a couple of cable ties so riders' feet don't catch it.

Get it ready to earn

  • Turn on location and keep it on.
  • Keep it online, through the tablet's own data plan or another connection that stays on while you drive.
  • Wipe the screen at the start of each shift; a clean screen is easier to watch.
  • Take it inside in extreme heat or cold if your car sits in the sun or the cold for hours between shifts.

Ready to drive with Vugo?

Once your tablet is mounted and powered, you're ready to put it to work. See the screen requirements, or apply to drive with Vugo.