Questions about the NGM App

The All-in-One License is the full package. Stage 1 on factory hardware and Stage 2 for cars with matching hardware such as a downpipe, intercooler, intake and turbo inlet; both stages exist for the engine control unit and, where the car supports it, for the gearbox control unit as well, plus all sound features.

The Sound License only changes how the car sounds and behaves. Pops & Bangs in sport mode, a raised stationary rev limiter, Vmax removal, exhaust flaps permanently open. Power and torque stay at factory level.

Take All-in-One if you want more performance. Take Sound if you want the experience. You can start with Sound and upgrade later.

You receive an email right after the purchase with a link. Open it, install the app, and the app takes you through the remaining steps on its own.

Your licence is assigned to your email address automatically. There is no code to type in.

The last step happens in the car. Plug the adapter into the OBD2 socket, switch on the ignition and let the phone connect. The app now links the licence to the chassis number (VIN) of your vehicle and to your email address. That link is permanent.

From this moment the licence can no longer be returned, because our service has been fully delivered. See Can I cancel my purchase? below.

For life. No subscription, no renewal, no running costs.

Two conditions have to stay the same: the vehicle (chassis number) and the email address. Within those you can flash as often as you want, switch between stages and go back to stock. There is no limit on the number of flashes.

No. Licences are not transferable. They are bound to one chassis number and one user account, and that binding cannot be moved to another car or another person.

If you sell the car, the licence stops working for you. The new owner cannot take it over either, because the account does not change hands. Please factor that in before you buy.

The email with your activation link arrives immediately after the purchase. In rare cases it takes up to 24 hours.

If nothing has arrived by then, check your spam folder first. Automated emails end up there regularly. Still nothing? Write to support@ngmapp.com and quote your order number.

Yes, every update is included. New features, revised maps, support for additional control units, app improvements. You never pay for updates. The only later purchase is the optional upgrade from the Sound License to All-in-One.

Yes. There is a separate upgrade product that charges only the difference. You do not buy the full All-in-One License a second time.

The upgrade runs on the same vehicle and the same account, so nothing has to be set up again. After the purchase the performance stages appear in the app next to the sound features you already have.

A personal address that clearly belongs to one person or one company. Something like john.doe@example.com or info@yourcompany.com.

What we cannot accept are generic addresses or addresses that are obviously meant to be passed on, for example tuninglicence-vehicle@example.com. Those suggest a licence that changes hands, and licences are tied to one vehicle and one account. Choose the address carefully: once the licence is activated, it cannot be changed later.

If you register with such an address we may ask you to change it. If that does not happen within a reasonable period, the account can be blocked until it is resolved, and the licence is suspended for that time. Section 2 of our terms and conditions has the details.

No. One licence covers exactly one chassis number. For a second car you need a second licence.

Your account can hold several vehicles, so you manage everything in one app. Each car carries its own licence.

One-off. The licence is a one-time purchase: one purchase, one vehicle, the full package. No subscription, no renewal, no running costs and no charge per flash; the details are under “How long is the licence valid?”. Every update is included, and the only optional later purchase is the upgrade from the Sound License to All-in-One.

What you are paying for: not an individual calibration of your car. Every file is calibrated for one specific engine variant, and that is what the figures on your vehicle page are matched to: your engine variant, not your individual car. Our maps are calibrated for standard hardware unless a stage says otherwise, and we would rather publish conservative figures you actually reach than headline numbers.

That also means the maps are not tuned individually to your car. If your car is already modified with hardware outside our list, the app is not enough. You then need an individual calibration (custom map) from a tuner with a dyno.

For a licence you do not. The app reads the VIN from your car when it connects for the first time and binds the licence to it, so there is nothing to mistype.

By credit card, PayPal, Klarna (invoice and instalments), Apple Pay and Google Pay. Which of these you see depends on your country; checkout shows the ones available to you.

Prices are shown in your currency at the daily rate. For licences the activation link arrives by email right after payment, for Klarna invoice after Klarna's approval. The adapter ships once payment is received.

Yes. Workshops and dealers get their own partner portal with trade terms. Write to support@ngmapp.com with company name, address and proof of business, and we set up your access.

As a workshop you flash customer cars with your own adapter. Every licence stays bound to the VIN of that car, the adapter does not. One adapter covers all cars, each licence belongs to exactly one.

Our terms for consumers, including the right of withdrawal, do not apply to business customers. Trade purchases run on the terms we agree with you in writing, and all trade enquiries go through support@ngmapp.com.

Selling: flash the car back to stock before you hand it over; that works at any time, and no new licence is needed for it. Be open with the buyer: a flash leaves traces in the control unit, and going back to stock is not the same as it never having happened. Your licence stays bound to the chassis number and your account and cannot be passed on, see “Can I sell or transfer my licence?”. Your adapter is not what is bound to the vehicle; it works with every licence, so you can use it with your next car and a new licence for that car.

Buying a car with NGM software: the previous owner's licence does not transfer to you, even if the email address is handed over; passing on an account is excluded by section 4 of our terms and conditions. To change the software on that car you need a licence of your own. Whether and how the car can be returned to stock without the previous owner's licence is something to clarify with us before you buy: send us the chassis number and we will tell you what applies.

Write to support@ngmapp.com. Our support is available Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, and the average answer time is 24 hours. For anything about your vehicle or your order please use email, so we can look up your account.

Include your order number or the email address on the account, the vehicle with engine code and model year, and the app version. For a problem after a flash, add the stage, the fuel grade and what exactly happens. For a connection problem, work through the four points under “The app will not connect. What now?” first and tell us what you tried. That saves a round of questions and gets you an answer faster.

If you have not received your activation email, check the spam folder first; see “How long does it take until I receive my licence?”.

Use the configurator on our site. Pick brand, model and engine. You immediately see whether your car is supported, what it makes from the factory and what is possible with Stage 1 and Stage 2.

The complete list of supported variants is on the supported vehicles page. If your exact engine code is missing, the car is not supported yet, even when the model name matches.

Currently 127 model variants from Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Cupra, Skoda, Porsche and Lamborghini, model years 2012 to 2025.

Support always refers to a specific engine and generation, not to a model name. A Golf 7 GTI Performance and a Golf 7 GTI Clubsport are two separate entries with different figures. The engine code is not in the registration document. You find it in the service booklet or on the data sticker in the boot, often in the spare wheel well. If in doubt, send us your VIN and we will check it for you.

The list grows with every app update. Which vehicle comes next depends mostly on how many people ask for it.

Write to support@ngmapp.com with your model, engine code and year. We will tell you honestly whether it is planned, in progress, or not realistic.

No. It depends on the engine, the gearbox and the build year.

On the 2.0 TSI models of the EA888 Gen4 generation (for example Golf 8 GTI and R, Leon, Formentor, Octavia RS, S3 8Y) a tuning shop has to do a one-time TCU bench unlock if the car was built from January 2022; after that the app flashes the gearbox software as usual. On older cars the app does the unlock itself over OBD2. On the facelift models from model year 2024 (Golf 8.5 and the like) the gearbox currently cannot be flashed; those cars get the engine stages only, running on the factory gearbox software.

On the V6 and V8 models with the 2.9 TFSI (EA839) and 4.0 TFSI (EA825), for example RS4 B9, RS5 F5, RS6 and RS7 C8, SQ7, SQ8, RSQ8 and Porsche Cayenne, on cars built from 2022 the transmission control unit has to be flashed by a workshop via bench.

Which stages exist for your car is listed in the licence overview on your vehicle page. Manual cars have no transmission control unit, see “I drive a manual”.

The car is in development with us, but the software is not released yet. Nothing can be bought for it so far, not even a licence in advance.

Join the waiting list on the vehicle page. As soon as the car is released you get an email from us, and from then on the purchase works like for any other car. Joining is free and does not commit you to anything.

We deliberately do not name a date. Development and testing take a different amount of time for every car, and we only release software once it runs cleanly on real vehicles.

Where a TCU tune is released for your car, our tuning guides recommend it alongside the engine tune. The reason is in the guides too: higher torque figures can stress the DSG gearbox beyond its factory clutch capacity, so regular DSG servicing and a matched TCU tune become more important on tuned cars.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 exist for the engine control unit (ECU) and, on many models, for the transmission control unit (TCU) as well; the licence overview on your vehicle page lists which ECU and TCU stages are offered for your model. The app identifies your exact car by its VIN, so there is no guesswork about compatibility; what is released for your variant you see in the licence overview on your vehicle page. Which build years need a workshop first and which models get no gearbox tuning at all is explained under “Does gearbox (TCU) tuning work on every car?”.

Where no TCU tune is available for your car, the engine stage runs on its own with the factory gearbox software.

Yes, where the engine variant is listed. Support always refers to a specific engine and generation, so check the configurator or send us your VIN. A manual has no transmission control unit to flash; the TCU part of the licence applies only where the car supports it, so for a manual the licence covers the engine stages and the sound features your variant supports.

There is one restriction with sound tuning: a manual car without drive profile selection cannot use sound tuning, because there is no switch for it. A DSG car is different: even without drive profile selection you control sound tuning with the gear selector, off in D and on in S. Check your equipment before you buy the Sound License. The other sound features are listed per vehicle in the licence overview on your vehicle page.

More torque also means more load on a manual clutch. If yours is old or already slipping, have it checked before you flash a stage.

You need:

• The NGM App
• The NGM OBD2 adapter
• An iPhone or iPad with iOS 26 or newer, or an Android phone
• A stable internet connection

For the first flash we strongly recommend a battery charger. Everything else comes through the app: licence, maps, vehicle data.

Yes. The NGM App runs on Android as well as on iPhone and iPad. Both versions have the same features and use the same licence, so it makes no difference which phone you flash with.

You will find the app in the Play Store and in the App Store.

We hand the adapter to the carrier within the period shown in the shop. How long it travels from there is up to the carrier, and on cross-border shipments up to customs.

The times shown are estimates, including for express options such as DHL Express. Customs clearance, import processing, public holidays or strikes can add days, and none of that is within our control once the parcel has left. Your statutory right of withdrawal is not affected by any of this.

Yes. There is currently no other compatible OBD2 adapter.

Writing to a control unit is not the same as reading fault codes. It needs guaranteed timing and a connection that stays stable for twenty minutes. Generic adapters do not implement the protocol that far. An interrupted write can leave a control unit unusable, and that is why we do not allow third-party hardware.

The app is built to recover an interrupted write. What happens in that case is explained under “What happens if the flash is interrupted?”

No. Those adapters are made for diagnostics, not for writing a complete calibration into a control unit. The app checks which adapter is connected and will not start the flash with other hardware.

Why only the NGM adapter works is explained under “Do I really need the NGM adapter?”

Only while you actually use the app: flashing, switching stages, reading fault codes. For normal driving it is not needed.

Unplug it after a successful flash. Left in the socket it keeps drawing a small current and can drain the battery over a few days. That matters most on cars that are not driven daily.

On iPhone and iPad the app requires iOS 26 or newer; that is stated in the specification on the adapter page. For Android the app is available in the Play Store, and the store listing shows the required Android version in the app details. If a store tells you your device is not compatible, it is usually the operating system version rather than the hardware: update the phone first. If it can no longer be updated, it is too old for the app.

Please check this before you buy. If you only notice afterwards, a licence that has not yet been activated on a vehicle can be withdrawn within 14 days of purchase, and the adapter within 14 days of receipt. Use the “Withdraw from contract” button in the footer of our website or write to support@ngmapp.com; see “Can I cancel my purchase?”.

Which phone you flash with does not matter otherwise: the Android and iOS versions have the same features and use the same licence, which is assigned to your email address, not to a device.

The adapter is not what is bound to your car. It contains no tuning and only transfers data; what gets written to your car comes from your licence. It works with every licence, and your account can hold several vehicles. If you want to flash a second vehicle, that vehicle needs its own licence, see “Can I use one licence for two cars?”.

The licence is bound to your chassis number and your account, that is your email address, not to the phone and not to the adapter. A new phone, a reinstalled app or a replacement adapter changes nothing about it; the Android and iOS versions use the same licence, so you simply log in again.

For the adapter the statutory warranty applies, in addition to the 14-day right of withdrawal from the day you receive it. If it fails within the warranty period without having been damaged, write to support@ngmapp.com with your order number. The app and the licence are updated free of charge, see “Are future updates free?”.

Park the car, connect a battery charger and plug the adapter into the OBD2 socket. Switch on the ignition, engine off. Open the app, select your vehicle and pick the stage you want.

The app reads the current state of the control unit, transfers the new calibration and verifies it afterwards. The first flash takes about twenty minutes. Later changes are faster because the car is already known.

When the app reports success, switch off the ignition, unplug the adapter and wait a moment before you start the engine.

For the first flash we strongly recommend it. The process takes around twenty minutes and the voltage must not drop during that time.

A modern car draws a surprising amount of current with the ignition on. A battery that is merely healthy is not the same as a battery on a charger. A voltage drop mid-write is the most common reason a flash fails.

Switch off everything that draws power before you start: air conditioning, infotainment, lights, seat heating. The ignition stays on for the whole process, the engine stays off.

Do not lock the car and do not open or close doors unnecessarily. Leave the phone connected. Anything that wakes a control unit or interrupts Bluetooth can abort the write.

We recommend staying in the vehicle for the roughly twenty minutes. The phone must stay in the car, the connection must hold, and the app may ask you something during the process.

Do not lock the vehicle and avoid opening and closing the doors; that can wake control units and interrupt the write. If the connection drops, the process stops and has to be started again.

The app is built for that case. It detects an incomplete write, keeps the vehicle in a defined state and guides you through starting again. Usually you reconnect the adapter and cycle the ignition.

This is what the charger and twenty undisturbed minutes are for. If a second attempt does not fix it, stop and contact support@ngmapp.com before you do anything else. Do not start the engine and do not try other tools.

If the second attempt fails too, write to support@ngmapp.com, see “What if a control unit gets damaged during the flash?”

Yes, at any time and as often as you like. Going back to stock works like flashing a stage. You select the factory setting in the app and the original calibration is written back.

You do not need a new licence for it, and you can flash a stage again afterwards. Many owners go back to stock before a workshop visit and reapply the tune later.

Work through these four points in order:

• Is the ignition switched on?
• Is Bluetooth active on the phone?
• Is the adapter fully seated in the OBD2 socket?
• Is the correct adapter selected in the app?

If all four are fine, unplug the adapter for ten seconds, switch the ignition off and on and try again. Still nothing? Send us your vehicle model and the app version at support@ngmapp.com.

For most vehicles, no. The app unlocks the engine control unit automatically over OBD2. No workshop, no removal, no soldering.

There are exceptions. On the Audi RS3 8Y and the Cupra Formentor VZ5 the engine control unit has to be unlocked once by Autotuner before it accepts our software. The same applies from model year 2024 to the V6 and V8 models with the 2.9 TFSI (EA839) and 4.0 TFSI (EA825), for example RS4 B9, RS5 F5, RS6 and RS7 C8, SQ7, SQ8, RSQ8 and Porsche Cayenne: the ECU is removed and sent to Autotuner, after that you flash with the app as usual. The 2.0 TSI facelift models from model year 2024 (Golf 8.5 and the like) are not available yet. They will need a special unlock at NGM. The transmission control unit follows its own rule, see “Does gearbox (TCU) tuning work on every car?”.

Not sure what applies to your car? Ask our support before you buy.

Normal: Pops & Bangs and flap behaviour only in the drive modes you enabled them for; a slightly higher idle right after a warm start; a gearbox that re-adapts over the first kilometres.

Not normal: check engine light, limp mode, jerking under load or loss of power. Then read the fault codes in the app, take a screenshot and write to support@ngmapp.com with VIN, stage, fuel grade and what exactly happens. Until we answer, it is best to flash back to stock.

That depends entirely on the engine. The configurator shows the exact figures for your model: factory output, Stage 1 and Stage 2, in horsepower and newton metres.

The gain also depends on fuel quality, engine condition and ambient temperature. Our figures assume a healthy car running the fuel grade stated for that stage. We would rather publish conservative numbers you actually reach than headline figures you never see.

Stage 1 runs on completely standard hardware. Nothing on the car is changed, only the calibration in the engine control unit and, where your car supports it, in the gearbox control unit. ECU and TCU are tuned in separate stages; which of them are offered for your car is listed on your vehicle page, see “Do I have to flash the gearbox as well?”.

Stage 2 expects hardware that breathes better. Typically a downpipe, a larger intercooler, a turbo inlet or an intake. Without those parts the Stage 2 map cannot deliver its figures and puts unnecessary load on the engine.

The vehicle page for your model lists which hardware a stage expects.

The tuning guide for your engine says the same: Stage 1 consists of ECU and TCU tuning, all factory hardware stays unchanged, and it lists the Stage 2 parts.

Four things, depending on what your car supports:

• Pops & Bangs in sport mode
• Stationary rev limiter raised, so you can hold revs standing still
• Vmax removal, the electronic top speed limit
• Exhaust flaps permanently open in sport mode

Power and torque stay exactly at factory level. The load on the engine does not change, only the sound and the behaviour.

For the performance stages we require at least 98 octane, and that is a deliberate decision.

Higher load on low-octane fuel forces the engine to pull ignition timing to avoid knocking. You lose most of the gain and keep most of the risk. Your manufacturer usually recommends 98 for these engines as well. The Sound License is unaffected, because it does not change the load.

Our maps are calibrated for standard hardware unless a stage says otherwise. The upgrades we account for are turbo inlet, intake, intercooler and downpipe. The vehicle page for your model shows which of them a stage expects.

If you have fitted parts that are not listed, tell us before you flash. Hardware the calibration does not know about changes air mass and back pressure, and the map cannot compensate for what it cannot see.

Yes. You can flash our software directly over an existing tune; there is no need to restore the factory state first.

Just be aware that the calibration in the control unit is replaced completely, not modified. The other provider's software is permanently lost in the process and cannot be recovered later. Going back to standard is still possible at any time: we flash the original factory calibration for your vehicle from our database.

The figures in the configurator and on the vehicle pages are maximum values. Every vehicle page states that all maximum power figures were measured with 102 octane fuel and represent the maximum achievable output, and the licence page adds that these figures are only reached under optimal operating conditions. Lower-octane fuel will not deliver them.

Three things explain most gaps. Fuel: the licence includes a separate map for each fuel grade (98, 100 and 102), so a car running the 98 map is not expected to reach the 102 figure. Conditions: a hot day or a heat-soaked intercooler costs real power; our figures assume a healthy car on the fuel grade stated for that stage. Method: dyno results are only comparable when fuel, conditions and measuring method match, and different dynos often disagree noticeably with each other.

Also check the base model. A GTI Performance and a Clubsport start from different factory outputs and have separate entries with different figures.

For the performance stages we require at least 98 octane. The All-in-One licence includes a separate map for each of the three fuel grades 98, 100 and 102, and the licence overview on the vehicle page for your model lists which of these fuel maps are released for your car. Use the map that matches the fuel that is actually in the tank: the maximum figures were measured with 102 octane, and lower-octane fuel will not deliver them.

Some engines are stricter. The Audi RS3 models and the Cupra Formentor VZ5 only have fuel maps for 100 and 102 octane. So check the fuel line on your vehicle page before you buy.

95 octane is not released for the performance stages; why is explained under “My car runs on 95 octane. Can I still use the app?”. The Sound License is not affected by the fuel grade, because it does not change the load.

Depending on the engine and hardware setup the app offers a few functions beyond the performance stages and the four sound features. Listed on our site are reading and clearing fault codes, a Start/Stop option with three modes (Last Mode remembers your last setting, Stock Mode behaves like the factory, and you can disable start-stop completely), and on some models launch control and Emotion Start, for example on the Audi RS3 8V.

Launch control and Emotion Start appear in the licence overview on the vehicle page of the models that offer them. For the other functions the note on our site applies: features may vary depending on engine and hardware setup, so ask support with your VIN if a specific function matters to you, and do not assume a function from another model. The app identifies your exact car by its VIN, so there is no guesswork about compatibility.

All of these options, like the performance stages, are intended for closed circuits only. What that means for road approval is explained under “Is the software road legal?”.

Three things. Shifts get faster and crisper. The torque and clutch pressure limits in the gearbox are matched to the engine stage so the extra torque is transferred cleanly. And where your car has launch control, the launch rpm is set to suit the stage.

In sport and manual mode you feel it clearly, in D and comfort the gearbox stays relaxed. After the flash the gearbox needs a few dozen kilometres to adapt to the new values; during that time individual shifts can still feel unfamiliar.

An interrupted flash does not normally damage the control unit. The app detects the incomplete write and guides you through the second attempt, see “What happens if the flash is interrupted?”.

In the rare case that a control unit no longer responds after a flash with our app, we do not leave you on your own: write to support@ngmapp.com with VIN, stage and what the app last showed. We look at each case individually and work out a solution with you. This is goodwill, decided case by case: there is no legal claim to it, and what we do in one case sets no rule for others. Your statutory rights in the event of a defect in our software are not affected by this.

Goodwill is not possible when the cause lies outside our software: the flash was interrupted by something on your side (ignition switched off, car locked, adapter pulled, phone out of range), no charger was connected and the voltage dropped, third-party tuning hardware or software is in the car, the car was not in sound technical condition before the flash (for example existing fault codes or a weak battery), or the app was used in a way the instructions say not to. That is why the notes under “What do I need to watch out for during the flash?” matter.

Yes, it can. A change to the engine or gearbox software can affect your manufacturer warranty, and you should assume that it does.

You can return the car to the factory state at any time, which many owners do before a workshop visit. Be aware that a flash leaves traces a dealer can find. Going back to stock is not the same as it never having happened. If your car is under warranty or on a lease, clarify this before you buy.

More power generally means more wear. There is no honest way around that sentence.

What can be controlled is how much. Our calibrations keep temperature and pressure monitoring deliberately tight, so the engine backs off before it reaches a critical state rather than after. That costs a few horsepower on paper and buys a lot of margin in practice.

Your driving matters more than the map. Warm the engine up properly, avoid full load when it is cold, and service the car a little earlier than the book says: oil every 10,000 to 15,000 km, spark plugs every 20,000 to 30,000 km.

Two things we ask of you. First, check the result after every flash before you drive normally: the engine should start and idle cleanly, the app should show no fault codes, and the car should behave as expected on a careful first drive. If anything is off, stop and write to support@ngmapp.com instead of driving on. Second, keep the maintenance up: oil, spark plugs and service intervals matter more on a tuned engine than on a stock one. Wear that comes from skipped maintenance or from an ignored warning is your responsibility.

No. This software is intended exclusively for use on closed circuits. Modifying the engine control unit can void your vehicle's road approval.

Rules differ from country to country, and the end user is responsible for complying with the regulations that apply where the car is registered. If you intend to use the vehicle on public roads, clarify the legal situation in your country before you buy.

Talk to your insurer before you use the car on public roads. We cannot answer this for you, because it depends on your policy and on the country where the car is registered.

What we can tell you is the starting point. Our software is intended for closed circuits only, and a modification to the engine control unit can void the road approval of your vehicle. A change that affects road approval usually affects insurance cover as well, and an undeclared modification can become a problem in the event of a claim.

You are responsible for complying with the rules that apply where your car is registered. That is also stated in section 7 of our terms and conditions.

Only what is needed to identify the vehicle and write the calibration: the chassis number, the control unit identifiers and the current software state. The chassis number is what binds your licence to the car.

The app does not read position data, journey history or personal information from the infotainment system. Details are in our privacy statement.

It depends on what you bought.

Licences (digital content). You can withdraw within 14 days of purchase as long as the licence has not been activated on a vehicle. In the cart you tick a separate box: you expressly agree that we make the licence available before the withdrawal period ends, and you acknowledge that your right of withdrawal expires once the licence is activated on your vehicle. Activation is the moment the licence is bound to your chassis number (VIN) and our service is delivered in full; from then on the contract cannot be withdrawn (section 356(6) of the German Civil Code, BGB). Until then you can withdraw. The licence sitting in your account or the app being installed does not change that.

The adapter (hardware). You have 14 days from receipt to withdraw. You bear the direct cost of returning the adapter. We refund within 14 days of receiving your withdrawal, using the payment method you paid with, and we may wait until the adapter has reached us or you have shown proof of return. If the adapter shows use beyond what is needed to inspect it, we may deduct an amount for the loss in value.

To withdraw, use the “Withdraw from contract” button in the footer of our website (you confirm on a second page and receive a confirmation email with date and time), write to support@ngmapp.com, or send us the model withdrawal form by post.

The binding wording is in our right of withdrawal and in section 2 of our terms and conditions.

If you live in Austria, “withdrawal” here is the Rücktritt under the FAGG. If you live in Switzerland, we grant you the same right voluntarily. If you live in the UK, you have the same 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, with the same rule for licences.