Android Auto remains the easiest and safest way to get your Android apps in the car. How you get Android Auto into your car, or better yet, how you experience it, may vary depending on the accessories you use to enhance the compatibility or create what you’re looking for. The good news is that there are adapters, dongles, and even full-on displays that can help you get there.
Expand Android Auto — or just bring it in for a debut
Cut the cord
The Motorola MA1 is made for those situations where you already have Android Auto and want to go wireless. This dongle can make that possible, and with a simple setup you should be able to use the platform wirelessly from your phone. The double-sided adhesive it comes with isn’t great for sticking it to the dash, so you may have to improvise.
Truly wireless
This crowdfunded device is now available to everyone and works with virtually any vehicle, as well as Android phones running version 9 or later. It’s a small unit, so easy to store and pretty easy to set up whether your car came with Android Auto or you’re using an aftermarket head unit. The included app should also be helpful.
Pair it
This one is probably better for you if your car already has Android Auto compatibility, as aftermarket head units may not integrate as smoothly. You’ll need to be running Android 11 or later for this to work, but if you do, you can get wireless access to charge your phone the way you want for free.
Car and driver Intellidash
A full screen
If your car is old or just missed the Android Auto train, the Intellidash is a way to customize your ride afterwards. With a 7-inch IPS display, you don’t always need to connect your phone to it to use the platform. You do get the cables you need to make sure the device connects to a power source and route audio from your car stereo.
eject
Quite versatile for a small black box, the Ottocast U2-X could be your ticket to converting a wired Android Auto connection to a wireless one. You will need a vehicle that is already compatible with the platform, although BMW and Mitsubishi are considered incompatible, so keep that in mind before trying this out.
New kid in the neighborhood
New and not so well known, this TNVTEC adapter gives you wireless access to Android Auto with little fuss. It works best with factory Android Auto, so it’s hard to say how it might fare with aftermarket units. Certain cars, even if they have the platform built in, won’t play nice with this thing either.
You have what you need on the go
Even if you think this world of Android Auto gizmos is a little murky, the results will probably show you otherwise. It doesn’t matter to just have Android Auto in the car; when it’s wireless, it feels all the more liberating.
The Motorola MA1 is perhaps the most famous for its familiarity with the brand. Like other adapters on this list, once you set it up, you kind of forget it, which is very much the point. But if you want an app to help you, the AAWireless obliges with a support level that not all devices like this have.
Cars without built-in compatibility with Android Auto are not completely left out when you can bring an entire screen to the dashboard with the Intellidash. Whether you go wireless or just use the platform, for starters you have options to change the way you use it while driving.
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