By using this type of application, you can access services such as Google Maps, Spotify, Waze, WhatsApp, Google Podcasts… All of this from the car screen to control some of the essential applications while driving, whether for entertainment or to get help to get to your destination, as well as giving the option to make a phone call or answer a message.
If you were not aware of all these possibilities, perhaps you should consider this alternative, while those who have always connected their smartphone to the vehicle screen with a cable have within their reach a method to do without the cable. The main advantage What you gain from this is the comfortsince you will have nothing to get in your way while driving; a cable can get tangled in the gear lever, thus causing problems when driving.
How to connect an Android phone to the car without a cable
Android phones use Android Auto to establish the connection with the car. They all come with this feature. application installed by default even though it doesn’t appear in your phone’s app drawer. This is because it is directly integrated into the system and is accessed through the settings, as well as to activate the wireless connection with the mobile.
Compatible models: cars and mobile phones
When connecting your mobile phone to your car wirelessly, compatibility is very important, just as it is when establishing a connection between any other devices. The problem is that the list of cars with a screen and that allow the use of Android Auto is very long, since practically all of them have a screen. Models from 2016 includes it except in exceptional cases. In the case of Android phones, things change radically, since they must comply with a series of requirements to connect wirelessly and consists of the following:
- Android 11 or later.
- Car compatible with Bluetooth or WiFi.
- The mobile phone must support the 5 GHz WiFi standard.
Steps to link Android Auto
Before establishing the connection, you must enable the wireless mode of Android Auto, since It does not come activated by default. This doesn’t mean that you can automatically connect any smartphone, as we’ve already talked about compatibility between devices. Follow these steps and you won’t have any problems during the process:
- Open Android Auto on your phone.
- Scroll down until you find the System or Version option and tap on it several times.
- Tap on the 3 dots in the upper right area.
- Activate Android Auto wirelessly.
Android Auto wireless mode is now activated, so now you need to connect your phone to the car as follows:
- Access Android Auto on your car screen.
- Connect your mobile via Bluetooth or WiFi if you are sharing Internet.
- Authorize the connection.
How to connect non-compatible mobiles
Wireless mode compatibility between cars and phones is limited, but users have managed to find workarounds that work perfectly. There are several of them, such as using an old phone as an Android Auto monitor, although our favorite is through the Motorola MA1 adapter which serves as a wireless adapter to connect mobile and car.
Has a price of 69.99 euros and it is the safest, easiest and most official way to get your mobile connected to your car without cables to access Maps, Spotify… The procedure is as simple as pairing your smartphone with the adapter, which must be connected to the car using the USB cable that it comes with. Don’t worry, it’s a simple Short cable that does not interfere not even close to driving.
Connect an iPhone to the car wirelessly
The process for connecting an iPhone to the car without a cable does not differ much from the Android instructions. main difference is that you are going to use CarPlay to establish the connection between the mobile and the vehicle, but nothing else remarkable. It does not involve great difficulty, although make sure beforehand that Siri is activated.
Compatible models: cars and mobile phones
Apple has an official list on its website with the More than 800 cars that are compatible with CarPlaybut it does not specify at any time which ones work wirelessly. As for smartphones, the intelligent driving application is available for all iPhone 5 and above with iOS version 7.1 or higher, so virtually any model is compatible with your car and CarPlay.
Steps to link Apple CarPlay
Connecting an iPhone to a car may seem more complicated than it actually is. If your car allows wireless connection to the phone, the easiest trick is to connect the iPhone to the vehicle’s USB port with the cable. Don’t worry, plug it back in and the next time that you reconnect it a notice will appear that you can complete the connection wirelessly.
This is as easy as that when your car allows both wireless and wired CarPlay, but there are cars that only allow wireless connection. In this case, you need to put your car in Bluetooth mode and check that WiFi is active on your iPhone. Then, just tap on the CarPlay icon and enable the Auto-connect option. Go to Settings, select General, and in CarPlay choose your car to establish the connection.
How to connect an unsupported iPhone
It’s unlikely that you have an iPhone that isn’t compatible with CarPlay, considering that everyone can use the app from the iPhone 5 onwards, and we honestly don’t recommend having a phone that old…
That said, the only drawback you may encounter is that the car is not compatible with either CarPlay or wireless connectivity. Luckily, as with Android phones, there is also a adapter to wirelessly connect your iPhone to any car and on Amazon you can find them for less than 40 euros.