A broken windshield on the Autobahn used to mean pulling over and searching for a phone number buried in a glove compartment folder. Now it often means opening an app instead. German insurance apps have become central to the country’s shift toward digital policy management, letting customers sign contracts, report accidents, and track claims without visiting a branch. This article looks at how far that shift has actually gone, which apps lead the market, and where digital insurance in Germany still lags behind the promise.
How Much of German Insurance Has Actually Gone Digital
Germany’s insurance market has a reputation for being paperwork heavy, and the numbers show that reputation is only partly outdated.
Figures from the German Insurance Association, known as the GDV, tell a clear but gradual story:
- In 2024, more than one in five insurance contracts (22 percent) were signed digitally, whether through a website, comparison portal, or app.
- That share rose from 20 percent in 2023 and 18 percent in 2022, showing steady rather than explosive growth.
- Motor insurance leads all categories, with 29 percent of contracts signed digitally in 2024, though about 70 percent of motor policies still involve a personal advisor at some point in the sale.
A separate survey from the digital industry group Bitkom found that 89 percent of Germans have already taken out at least one insurance policy online, covering products such as contents, liability, or pet insurance. That figure suggests most Germans are comfortable buying insurance online, even if fewer are comfortable managing every part of a policy that way.
A 2025 Digital Customer Experience study of German insurers found that websites scored highest among digital touchpoints, while online claims reporting and customer loyalty programs lagged well behind expectations. Around 22 percent of all customer communication with insurers now flows through an online portal or app rather than mail or phone.
Meine Allianz: Germany’s Largest Insurer Goes Mobile
Allianz topped the 2025 Digital Customer Experience ranking of German insurers, and its Meine Allianz app is central to that result.
- Key features: a full overview of active policies, a secure inbox for messaging an Allianz representative directly, and document storage for contracts and statements.
- Accident assistant: customers with Smart, Komfort, or Premium car insurance can activate an automatic accident detector, which alerts Allianz damage experts if the phone senses a crash.
- Claims reporting: the app supports filing a claim and checking claims status without a phone call, and customers can secure the app further with a one-time SMS code.
- Standout strength: Allianz scored 7.25 out of 10 points overall in the 2025 industry ranking, ahead of its competitors, with particularly strong marks for its website and cybersecurity practices.
Meine Allianz reflects a broader pattern among large German insurers: the core app experience is solid for policy access and messaging, though full digital claims reporting still trails the strength of the website itself.
HUK-COBURG’s Mein Auto App and Telematics Claims
HUK-COBURG is Germany’s largest insurer for private households, with more than 12 million customers, and its Mein Auto app is where much of its digital innovation shows up.
- Telematics discount: customers who download the telematics app can earn up to a 30 percent discount on future premiums based on safe driving behaviour.
- Automatic crash detection: built on technology from Cambridge Mobile Telematics, the app can detect a crash and notify an accident reporting service, which then contacts emergency services if needed.
- Digital damage reports: after a crash, the app helps generate a digital damage report that speeds up the claims process, rather than requiring paper documentation.
- Connected car accident service: for newer, connected vehicles, HUK-COBURG can receive accident data directly from the car through a data-sharing platform called CARUSO, without requiring any extra telematics hardware.
These crash and claims features are included at no extra cost for HUK-COBURG and HUK24 telematics customers, which makes the Mein Auto app one of the more feature-rich insurance apps available in the German market.
Getsafe and the Insurtech Challenger Model
While Allianz and HUK-COBURG represent traditional insurers going digital, Getsafe represents a newer breed built entirely around the app from day one.
- Founding and scale: Getsafe launched in 2015 in Heidelberg and has grown to cover more than 300,000 customers across Germany.
- App-first design: sign-up, policy management, and claims can all be completed inside the app, without the paper forms or broker appointments still common at older insurers.
- Bilingual support: Getsafe runs its app and customer support in both German and English, which sets it apart in a market where most traditional insurers communicate only in German.
- Claims process: claims can be submitted entirely through the app and a built-in chatbot, without needing to call a service line or mail documents.
Getsafe’s model shows how a company can build trust in a heavily regulated industry without the branch network that older insurers rely on, targeting customers, including many expatriates, who want to manage insurance the same way they manage a bank account or a streaming subscription.
What Is Still Missing From the Digital Experience
Even with strong app adoption, German insurance has not fully left paper and phone calls behind.
- Personal advisors still close most motor sales. Around 70 percent of car insurance contracts in 2024 still involved a personal advisor, even when digital tools were part of the process.
- Claims reporting trails other digital services. Industry researchers have found that online claims reporting scores lower than website quality or online sales in customer experience studies.
- Complex claims still need a human. Both traditional insurers and challengers like Getsafe route more complicated claims, such as major property damage, to a human claims handler rather than resolving everything through the app.
- Trust in a new brand takes time. Digital-only insurers such as Getsafe are still smaller than century-old names like Allianz and HUK-COBURG, and building trust with older or more cautious customers remains a slower process than the technology itself.
Key Takeaways
- Digital signing is rising steadily: 22 percent of German insurance contracts were signed digitally in 2024, up from 18 percent in 2022.
- Motor insurance leads: 29 percent of motor contracts were signed digitally in 2024, the highest share of any category.
- Almost everyone has tried it once: 89 percent of Germans have bought at least one insurance policy online, according to Bitkom.
- Best overall digital experience: Allianz, which topped the 2025 industry ranking with a strong website and Meine Allianz app.
- Best telematics and crash features: HUK-COBURG’s Mein Auto app, with up to a 30 percent discount and built-in crash detection.
- Best app-first challenger: Getsafe, offering fully digital sign-up and claims in both German and English.
FAQs
Do German insurance apps let me file a claim without calling anyone?
Yes, apps such as Meine Allianz, Mein Auto, and Getsafe all support filing a claim directly through the app for many types of claims.
Is it normal to still talk to an advisor when buying German car insurance?
Yes, around 70 percent of motor insurance contracts in 2024 still involved a personal advisor, even when digital tools were used.
Can I use a German insurance app if I do not speak German?
It depends on the insurer, though Getsafe specifically offers full German and English support in its app.
Does using a telematics app always lower my car insurance price?
Not automatically, since a telematics discount such as HUK-COBURG’s usually depends on the driving behaviour actually recorded.
Are insurtech apps like Getsafe regulated the same way as traditional insurers?
Yes, Getsafe operates as a licensed insurance company in Germany, subject to the same regulatory oversight as older insurers.
Conclusion
German insurance apps and the shift toward digital policy management are real, but the shift is gradual rather than complete. Digital policy management now touches most German insurance customers in some form, from the 89 percent who have bought a policy online to the growing share who use Meine Allianz, HUK-COBURG’s Mein Auto, or a challenger app like Getsafe to manage an existing one. Traditional insurers still lean on personal advisors for complex sales, and online claims reporting remains one of the weaker links in the digital experience. Even so, the direction is clear, and each year brings a larger share of German insurance business into an app rather than a filing cabinet.
