AstroStart® SmartStart

Start, control or locate your vehicle from virtually anywhere with your smartphone and compatible AstroStart® 2-way ready systems.

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Featured Question

Can I demo the AstroStart SmartStart App before purchasing any hardware?

Yes! Visit the Get AstroStart SmartStart page to find the correct download link for your smartphone. You can download the app and test drive many of the features. Some of the features such as SmartPark and Parking Meter don't require any hardware to be fully experienced.

Frequently Asked Questions

The DSMU350/450 has all the regular AstroStart SmartStart features of the DSMU300, and the GPS capability adds many more, allowing users to enjoy the following location based features on their smartphone using the AstroStart SmartStart GPS app:
  • VEHICLE LOCATOR: Press a button on your smartphone and receive vehicle's current location, plus speed if it's moving
  • SOCIAL CHECK-IN: Text or e-mail your car's location just by pressing a button, or check-in to update your social network
  • SPEED ALERT: Receive notification if a family vehicle exceeds your specified setting
  • LOCKDOWN ALERT: Receive notification if your vehicle is moved without your OK
  • LOW BATTERY ALERT: Receive notification if your car battery drops below a safe threshold
All five of the above features are included in the AstroStart SmartStart GPS Secure Service Plan. Three additional value-added features of AstroStart SmartStart GPS can be accessed with the Premium Secure Service Plan:
  • SMARTFENCE: Creates a secure zone around your vehicle so you'll be alerted if your vehicle leaves the zone
  • HOTSPOT: Adds a virtual Do Not Enter zone around a location so you'll be alerted if your vehicle goes there
  • CURFEW: Schedule time frames and curfews for notifications
Directed SmartStart is the only vehicle security and remote start system that works with your smartphone. Directed SmartStart is brought to you by Directed, the leader in vehicle security and remote start systems. With AstroStart SmartStart, you can use your smartphone to pre-warm your car’s cabin in the winter, pre-cool it in the summer, lock and unlock your doors, arm and disarm your vehicle’s security system, open your trunk, and even find your car in a parking lot, all using your smartphone.
Directed SmartStart is a clever solution that combines the functionality of your vehicle’s key fob with your cell phone. Now you can control your vehicle’s locks, security system, remote start system, and trunk release with your cell phone. Anyone who’s used a remote car starter before knows that range is critically important to maximizing the value of your remote starter – and range doesn’t get any better than with a Directed SmartStart. If your phone has sufficient signal and your vehicle also has sufficient signal……YOU’RE ALL SET!
Let’s face it; your vehicle can be pretty uncomfortable in extreme weather. In fact, getting into a frozen or overheated car can be downright painful. With remote start, you can start your car from the comfort of your home to make sure it is the right temperature before you get inside. The AstroStart SmartStart remote start system provides virtually unlimited range so you can rest assured your remote start system is activated no matter how far away you are from your vehicle.
Please visit www.astrostart.com/WhereToBuy/ to find a AstroStart SmartStart dealer in your area.
If you already have a compatible Directed system in your vehicle, you can add the stand-alone Directed SmartStart module. For compatible models please visit www.directed.com. Compatible systems will say "Directed SmartStart compatible" when selected. For those that may not have an existing remote starter in their vehicle you can purchase a combination package that comes with both Directed SmartStart AND a remote starter.
  • A complete Directed SmartStart system, or, if you already have a compatible remote start system, you need the add-on Directed SmartStart module.
  • A compatible smart phone (not included with the Directed SmartStart system).
  • Directed SmartStart application for your smartphone
Download the Directed SmartStart app and give it a try for free. You do not need a AstroStart SmartStart system to try the app.
With Directed SmartStart, there is no such thing as "too far away." Directed SmartStart works over a cellular network or over Wi-Fi, giving you virtually unlimited range anywhere in Canada. As long as your vehicle is in range of a cellular signal and your phone has a 3G or Wi-Fi signal, AstroStart SmartStart will work.
Your Directed SmartStart is an “always-on” connected device that communicates over the GSM network. Just like a cell phone, your AstroStart SmartStart requires a service plan from 3rd party provider to communicate over the network.
Your annual service plan was designed to cover all the activity that a customer would use under any reasonable circumstances. Like all other "unlimited” services such as cell phone data plans, we do have a limit on the number of uses per month that we can enforce on a case by case basis in the event that a device is malfunctioning or a subscriber is clearly abusing the service (e.g. commercial purposes). In the unlikely event that you approach the usage limits of your service plan, you’ll receive a notice with an option to opt up to a higher usage plan for an additional fee.
Step 1. Your installer activates the Directed SmartStart product:Immediately after installing the device in the vehicle, your installer will activate the device using a specific device activation website.

Step 2. You set up your account and activate your AstroStart SmartStart smartphone app:Once your AstroStart SmartStart module is activated, you will receive an email that contains your AstroStart SmartStart username and account password. Follow these steps:
  1. From your smartphone, launch the AstroStart SmartStart App.
  2. Go to the "Settings" tab.
  3. Type in your AstroStart SmartStart username and password from the activation email and click the "Done" button.
  4. Exit the AstroStart SmartStart App and relaunch it. Now you should see your vehicle(s) in the "Cars" tab.
Once you've completed the activation steps, your AstroStart SmartStart system is ready to use.
Yes. Users can be added by downloading the app on another smartphone and entering the User Name and Password for the account. Once the app is installed on the new smartphone, you can access all cars already set up on the account.
Yes. Several vehicles can be linked to a single phone. A separate Directed system will have to be installed in each vehicle, but after that you can control any of your vehicles with any smartphone you’ve authorized.
Currently, Directed SmartStart is available in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Malaysia only.
Directed SmartStart is available only through authorized retailers that offer professional installation. Professional installation is required.
Remote start means being able to start your vehicle from a distance using a remote control, or in the case of Directed SmartStart, your smartphone. This allows you to have the vehicle warmed up in cold weather or cooled down in hot weather, before you get in to drive it. This may seem like a luxury but in extreme climates it is virtually a necessity as well as a safety factor.
Yes. Our systems keep the vehicle locked securely while it is remote started, and it still requires a key to actually drive the car. If anyone gets in the car and tries to drive it without the key, the car just shuts off.
Directed is continuously improving Directed SmartStart. That means we are already working on compatibility with other smart phones. Please refer to www.directed.com for the current list of compatible smart phones. We also have lots of other products that don’t require an smartphone to start your car. See directed.com for more information about Directed remote start and security systems.
This message will pop up when there is a communication issue with your Directed SmartStart module and our server, or the Directed SmartStart module and your remote starter. This can be caused by a loss of power to the module, insufficient signal strength at the module or the module being outside the GSM coverage area. Also, if you have been out of 3G coverage for an extended period of time, that may cause the module to get dropped from its data session and lose communication with our server. Cycling the power to the module will re-establish a data session.
This message will appear if the login credentials don’t match the information in our server. This can be caused by a typographical error during activation or a password that is using an invalid format. Please contact the original installer assistance in resetting your password or completing the activation process.
Some internet service providers will mark our email as SPAM or JUNK. Please check these folders if you do not receive your email within a few minutes. If the activation email is not there, it is possible that the installer did not complete the activation process or the wrong email address was entered. Please bring the vehicle back to the original installer to have the process completed or the email address corrected.
Yes, but it requires new hardware and a new service plan specifically designed for AstroStart SmartStart GPS.
Simple; have your dealer replace your existing AstroStart SmartStart device with a AstroStart SmartStart GPS module. Then, contact our Customer Care team by phone at 1-800-753-0600 (select options 3 and 4), or by email at smartstartcustomersupport@directed.com to arrange a promo code so you can receive a discount* when you purchase your AstroStart SmartStart GPS service plan. Your dealer can easily reinstall your existing AstroStart SmartStart device into a new AstroStart SmartStart system for you in a second vehicle.
Even if the DSMU350/450 is not plugged into a compatible system, it will still provide the above GPS features, but without the current AstroStart SmartStart features. We recommend however that you integrate it with one of our many compatible systems to enable the complete Directed SmartStart feature set*, allowing you to:
  • Start your engine to control the cabin temperature
  • Lock and unlock your doors from anywhere
  • Pop the trunk
  • Control the horn or siren as a panic alert or car finder
  • Receive security alerts pushed to your smartphone
* Based on the features and installation of your compatible security or remote start system.

Users will also be able to take advantage of the useful SmartPark feature, as well as Motor Club roadside assistance – all depending on the features and installation of their compatible security or remote start system.
No. The DSMU350/450 only works with a GPS Secure Service Plan or GPS Premium Secure Service Plan.
All iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android (SDK 1.6 and newer) smartphones. At this time, our plans for bringing Directed SmartStart GPS to the BlackBerry platform are not final, but we do continue to offer AstroStart SmartStart app coverage for many BlackBerry handsets.
Not at this time.
With the flip of the wrist from the Home screen (or by selecting Home Control from the More menu) the AstroStart SmartStart app will toggle to the Home Control screen, allowing users to arm or disarm their Alarm.com-powered home security system, or to check on arm/disarm status. For more information about compatible home alarm systems, please visit www.alarm.com