Get A Cheap Bluetooth Car Kit
If you want to add Bluetooth capabilities to your car on the cheap, then getting a Bluetooth car kit is the best option. Im a really big fan of Kinivos Bluetooth car kit , which gets power from your cars cigarette lighter and connects to your stereo via the auxiliary jack.
The Kinivo has the ability to control music played from your phone, and you can control playback using the round control unit instead of your phone. The device also acts as a speakerphone during calls, thanks to a built-in microphone and using your cars speakers as the speakerphone.
If your cars stereo doesnt have an auxiliary jack, youre not completely out of luck. If you dont mind digging into your dashboard a bit, its possible that there are empty RCA plugs on the back of the stereo that you can plug an auxiliary cable to. You can also use an FM transmitter like this one from iClever , which you can connect your phone to over Bluetooth and then have your music beamed to your cars stereo over FM. The quality wont be the best, but its a decent option that I like using.
Forget Your Car As A Bluetooth Device
Just like any other Bluetooth device, such wireless headphones or speakers, your iPhone saves data on how to pair with your car the first time your connect it to your iPhone. If at any point that pairing process changes, your iPhone may not be able to make a clean connection to your car.
To fix this potential problem, well forget your car in the Settings app. So, the next time you attempt to pair your iPhone with your car, itll be as if the devices are connecting for the first time.
To forget your car as a Bluetooth device, open the Settings app Bluetooth. Look for your car in the list under My Devices and tap the information button to its right. Then, tap Forget This Device to forget your car on your iPhone.
Next, reconnect your iPhone and your car by tapping on the name of your car under the list of Other Devices. Complete the setup process to pair your iPhone to your car.
Wired Alternative: 35mm Auxiliary Cable
Maybe you’re not totally worried about having truly wireless audio in your car. That’s definitely understandable. Sometimes, simply plugging in a cable is easier to manage.
If you fall into this category, the cheapest and most direct alternative is a 3.5mm auxiliary cable. Effectively, it’s a cable with a male 3.5mm plug on both ends. One end plugs into the headphone jack on your smartphone and the other end is plugged into the auxiliary in on the car. Any audio you play from the phone will then play through the stereo.
The biggest disadvantage to this is that if you receive a call while the phone is plugged into the car stereo, the audio will play through the car’s speakers, but the audio input will still be the phone’s microphone. This means you must hold the phone near your mouth or remove the cable and enable speakerphone — neither of which are totally hands-free, making it unsafe and even illegal in some states.
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Which Type Of Bluetooth Car Kit Should You Get
None of these options are perfect.However, they do offer you a cheaper way to listen to your own music that isalso portable and hassle-free. You just need to choose the best option for youdepending on the type of car you have:
How To Add Bluetooth To Your Old Car
Posted by Bruce Valdeo | May 30 | guide |
Whether you have a car you dont want to part with, or you just dont want to upgrade to a new model only so you can play your own music, you can add Bluetooth audio to your car.
When you find out how to add Bluetooth to a car stereo, this small touch will make all the difference on those longer journeys-especially if youre not a fan of pop music or have young kids who need to listen to Baby Shark 24/7.
Sorry-its stuck in our head too now!
Read on to learn how to add a Bluetooth device to a car audio system. This blog explains the best way to go about this so you can enjoy your music, even if you have a non-Bluetooth car stereo.
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Our Speakerphone Pick: Avantree Ck11 Wireless Handsfree Visor Car Kit
The Avantree CK11 offers the crispest, clearest phone quality at an affordable price, with one-button access to the voice-control features on your phone.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $30.
If your main use for in-car Bluetooth is making and taking phone calls, a dedicated speakerphone offers better voice quality than aux-in kits or FM transmitters do. After testing three top-rated models, we recommend the Avantree CK11 Wireless Handsfree Visor Car Kit. Its the simplest to use while driving, thanks to straightforward controls that come the closest to feeling like a native Bluetooth setup. It pairs quickly and easily with your phone, and the CK11 delivers clear, crisp audio through its built-in speaker, all at a phenomenal price. Although it wasnt the loudest, fullest-sounding, or fanciest-looking model that we tested, it still offered the best combination of features, usability, and sound quality at a great price.
The Avantree CK11 slides onto your car visor with an attached clip, and it has only three controls to worry about: an on/off switch a mute button and a volume knob that doubles as a multifunction button to activate Siri or Google Assistant, or to end a call in progress. By contrast, the other speakerphones we tested include a range of unnecessary built-in voice commands, such as one that requires you to say Phone commands before actually accessing the voice command capabilities of Siri or Google Assistant.
Turn Bluetooth Off Then Back On
Turning Bluetooth off then back on will give your iPhone a chance to try again and make a clean connection. A minor software glitch may have occurred the first time you tried to connect your iPhone to a Bluetooth device, and turning Bluetooth off and back on may resolve that glitch.
To turn off Bluetooth on on your iPhone, open Control Center by swiping up from below the bottom of your iPhones display. Then, tap the circle containing the Bluetooth icon youll know Bluetooth is off when the icon is black inside of a gray circle .
To turn Bluetooth back on, tap the Bluetooth icon again. Youll know Bluetooth is back on when the icon is white inside of a blue circle .
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Sick Of Wires Dangling Around
Before you begin, please know that a car’s stereo is delicate electronics. Be gentle. 🙂 Proceed at your own risk!The first picture shows the old situation. A jack plug sticking out the front panel. The second shows a solution you can find on Ebay for around $2,-. This is a stick that’s powered off the USB-socket of your head unit. This device makes a bluetooth connection and plays everything you would hear on your phone through the jack cable. A fine solution, but not clean. Also, you have to change between the bluetooth-device and your USB-stick if you’d like to listen to that source.There is a better way.
Install A Bluetooth Car Kit
If there isn’t a Bluetooth adapter designed for your head unit, then a universal Bluetooth car kit is another easy, low-cost way to add Bluetooth connectivity to a car. Plenty of options are out there, so it’s important to understand the different choices available to you. The main types of Bluetooth car kits include:
- Speakerphones
- Music-streaming kits
- Combination units
Bluetooth speakerphones tend to be relatively simple devices that don’t interface with the car radio. You pair your cellphone to the speakerphone and then use it like a headset that you don’t wear in your ear. That makes the installation quick, but you miss out on a lot of neat Bluetooth features.
The two main features to look for in a Bluetooth car kit are hands-free calling and music streaming. A good Bluetooth car kit can turn down or mute your radio during calls, which is a useful safety feature. The ability to wirelessly stream music from your phone, including internet streaming radio services such as Pandora and Last.FM is also a welcome touch.
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Upgrade To A Bluetooth Car Stereo
The most expensive of the options, thisinvolves getting a new stereo for your car and finding someone to install it. Or,if its that time, just upgrading your car!
How does it work?
You change your stereo, and you get amodern, Bluetooth ready stereo in your car at all times. On the extreme end ofthe scale, you might even get a new carit depends how far you want to go. Somenew stereos a relatively cheap and can effectively be a minor upgrade. Othersmight involve a mechanic to install.
Price
Stereo prices vary, but you can expectto pay anywhere between $50 for a basic kit to $300+ for a decent stereo.
| Perfect fit for your car | Pricier, and can only be used with your model of car | |
| Bluetooth Car Stereo | You dont have to worry about anything elseyour car will have a new stereo | The most expensive option, will take longer to install and might involve you buying a new car |
How To Install Bluetooth In Any Car
Whether it has a tape deck, aux input, CD changer, or none of that, there’s a way to make wireless music work.
When it comes to used cars, I’m pretty open-minded. In the past four years, I’ve owned a Lincoln Town Car, Toyota 4Runner, Mazda 3, Mazda Miata, Acura CL Type-S, Lexus LS400, Honda S2000, and Porsche Boxster. I’m currently considering Toyota Centuries, BMW M3s, and Chevy Corvettes. No make or model is a dealbreaker. The only thing any car absolutely has to have is a way to play music directly from my phone.
Considering my 2006 Lincoln is the newest car I’ve ever owned, I’ve never had a car with Bluetooth or even an aux port from the factory. But in almost every used car, there’s a way to make Bluetooth connectivity work. It just depends on what era your car comes from, how much you care about audio quality, and what your budget is. Regardless, these are the best ways to do it, listed in order of my own personal preference.
Install a Bluetooth Receiver Into Your Stock Radio’s Hidden Aux Port
This is the easiest way to get consistent, reliable, hassle-free Bluetooth with very little investment. Especially if you own a car that’s too new for a tape deck but too old for a factory 3.5-mm auxiliary input, this might be your key.
Install an Aftermarket Radio BUY HERE
Use the Old Tape Deck Trick A pain, but workable for many cars. Aluratekamazon.comBuy Here
The Last Resort: FM Transmitters
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Connect Using Usb Playback
Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.
How To Use Bluetooth Adapter In Your Car
This is a video from telling youexactly how to install a Bluetooth car kit from TaoTronics! Though this videois a couple of years old, the principles still apply.
If you follow these basic steps, plusthe detailed instructions that come with your TaoTronics purchase, you will be able to quicklyplay your music on your car radio in just three steps.
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How To Add Bluetooth To Your Car
In-car technology is advancing more quickly than anyone imagined, and its also easier to upgrade an older car with cutting-edge features than its ever been. Numerous aftermarket companies allow motorists to benefit from useful connectivity and safety features without having to buy a new car. Bluetooth is a great example of this it has been around for years, and it used to be an expensive option offered solely on high-end cars, but it has become a cheap, easy upgrade on any vehicle regardless of its age or value.
Bluetooth can be used to make phone calls or to stream music directly from your smartphone, though some of the more basic systems are limited to calls. Either way, its a feature that significantly reduces distractions and allows the driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times. Thats why most states have laws that require hands-free calling while driving.
With this in mind, lets review the quick, affordable ways to add Bluetooth functionality to your vehicle.
Connect Your Iphone To Your Car Using A Lightning Cable
If you can connect your iPhone to your car via Bluetooth, most of the time you can also connect them using a Lightning cable . Though its frustrating that Bluetooth wont work, you can usually get all of the same functionality from a wired connection. If your car has Apple CarPlay, you wont lose any app integration by connecting your device to your car with a Lightning cable rather than connecting your iPhone to car Bluetooth.
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How To Set Up Bluetooth In Your Honda
Bluetooth wirelessly connects your mobile device to your Honda multimedia system allowing you to perform handsfree calls, music streaming, and turn-by-turn navigation. AutoNation Honda Thornton Road is here to help with a step-by-step guide on how to pair your mobile device to your new Honda multimedia system with Bluetooth.
For more information on your HandsFreeLink®, or how to pair your devices with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, please feel free to contact us to speak with a knowledgeable team member.
What Is Bluetooth Pairing
The process of setting up a Bluetooth network is referred to as “pairing” because the network consists of only one “pair” of devices. Although it is often possible to pair one device to multiple other devices, each connection is secure and unique.
To pair a cellphone to a car stereo, the phone and the head unit must be Bluetooth compatible.
Most car infotainment systems offer Bluetooth connectivity, which allows for seamless hands-free calling. This same functionality is also offered by both aftermarket and OEM Bluetooth car stereos, and you can add it into older systems with a hands-free car kit.
To use your cellphone for hands-free calling, you need:
- A Bluetooth-enabled cellphone.
- A Bluetooth-enabled infotainment system or car audio system.
- The PIN for your infotainment or audio system.
Additionally, it may be helpful to have a phone mount.
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What Are The Benefits Of Having A Bluetooth Car Stereo
Here, I will enlist some of the major benefits of having a Bluetooth car Stereo. Even if you dont have a Bluetooth car stereo, you can always the Bluetooth technology with the methods that I have just shared above.
Some of the benefits of having a Bluetooth technology in your car:
- With the latest technology, you will simply love Bluetooth features, with no more wires and adding mp4, etc.
- Hands-free calling. This will help to avoid accidents as drivers get indulge with the phone and this can cause a fatal accident.
- Stream Music.
- Get all the information of calls at your display.
- Play your favorite tracks from your mobile.
- No more DVD s for songs.
- Live stream using mobile internet.
- Dial a call directly from the stereo screen and even receive all calls.
Turn Your Iphone Off Then Back On
Our first troubleshooting step when trying to connect an iPhone to car Bluetooth is to turn your iPhone off, then back on. This will allow all of the programs that run the software on your iPhone to shut down so they can start fresh again when you turn your iPhone back on.
To turn off your iPhone, press down on the power button until the words slide to power off appear on your iPhones display. Then, swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.
Wait 30-60 seconds, then press and hold the power button once again until the Apple logo appears on the center of the screen.
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