What Is Apple Carplay How Do I Know If My Car Has Carplay
Apple CarPlay was introduced in 2013 and integrates apps directly into the display already built into your car. If you have an iPhone 5 or newer, Apple CarPlay allows you to make calls, use Maps as a GPS, listen to music, and much more in your car. Best of all, you can do it hands free.
Check out this article to learn more about Apple CarPlay and to see all the vehicles which are compatible with CarPlay.
Play Music Using Android Auto And Apple Carplay
A growing number of cars support Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto functionality. These allow you to connect your phone to your car’s head unit to conveniently access music, navigation, messaging, and more.
Not every car supports them, but if your car does, you should definitely take advantage of these features. Slick interfaces, as well as voice integration with Google Assistant and Siri, make them a joy to use. We’ve covered how to get started with Android Auto as well as how Apple CarPlay works.
Even if your car’s infotainment unit doesn’t support it, you can use Google Assistant driving mode, which is similar to Android Auto, right on your phone’s display. Combined with Bluetooth or a USB cable for audio, this setup offers nearly the same experience as having Android Auto on your head unit. CarPlay has no equivalent for this, unfortunately.
Some cars from 2020 and newer also support wireless Android Auto and CarPlay, allowing you to use these features without connecting a cable.
Cons For Changing Your Head Unit
As mentioned, the big disadvantage with buying a new head unit is that it can be much more complicated to install. If you are unsure of how electric wires work or not willing to disassemble your car to mount a new head unit, this is out of the question for you.
It will also destroy that original feeling, as most old cars didnt have a 6-screen in the dash from the beginning. If you are the one who loves your original dash, this might not be for you. On top of that, its not to say that it will be more expensive to get a new head unit. On the other hand, you get much more than you would get from a transmitter.
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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:
Choose The Bluetooth Device To Pair
If your phone successfully finds your car’s hands-free calling system, it shows up in the list of available devices. In this case, the Toyota Camry’s hands-free calling system is called “hands-free” on the list.
After selecting the device, enter a passkey or passphrase to pair the devices. Each car comes with a preset passkey, which you can typically find in the user manual. If you don’t have the manual, set a passkey from your infotainment system’s phone settings menu. And if that doesn’t work, your local dealer may be able to provide you with the original passkey.
Many Bluetooth devices use “1234,””1111,” and other simple passkeys by default.
If you entered the correct passkey, your phone will pair with the hands-free calling system in your car.
If it doesn’t, repeat the steps you already took and make sure that you put the correct passkey in. Since it’s possible to change the default passkey, the default might not work in some pre-owned vehicles. In that case, pair your phone again after changing the passkey to something else.
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What To Look For
Car compatibility: The most important thing is that you need to make sure the Bluetooth receiver will work with your car. Most cars will have a 3.5mm AUX input. If your car doesnt have a USB port, some Bluetooth receivers will require you to purchase an inexpensive USB charger that plugs into the cars 12-volt DC outlet .
Charging ports: Many of today’s Bluetooth receivers come equipped with one or more extra USB ports. This is ideal for people who want to stream music and charge their smartphone while they drive. These extra ports typically increase the cost of the receiver, however.
Size and extra features: Finally, you want to make sure the Bluetooth receiver works best for you. They come in all different shapes and sizes and you might not want a bulky Bluetooth receiver to take up vital dashboard space. Also, some options come with various features, like a built-in radio transmitter or a built-in voice assistant , that you may or may not want.
My Iphone Is Not Connecting To Car Bluetooth What Should I Do
If your iPhone is not connecting to car Bluetooth, theres probably a connectivity issue thats preventing your iPhone from pairing with you car. However, we cant completely rule out the possibility a hardware issue.
Theres a small antenna inside your iPhone which helps it pair with other Bluetooth devices. This antenna also helps your iPhone connect to Wi-Fi networks, so if your iPhone has had trouble connecting to Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi lately, then it may have a hardware problem.
Follow the steps below to figure why your iPhone wont connect to car Bluetooth!
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How To Install Bluetooth Audio In Your Car
New cars now typically come with Bluetooth audio capability, but if your older wheels don’t have it, don’t fret. You can install it yourself and start streaming music sooner than you might think.
Bluetooth audio is common in new cars, but if your ride is a few years old you might not be able to stream audio through the radio. Other options exist: Your car may have an auxiliary input that connects any audio source via a 3.5-mm minijack older cars might even take a cassette adapter. But both of these solutions add clutter to the interior. Here’s a cheap way to put wireless audio in any car without adding unsightly cords or even changing the appearance of the factory audio system.
Bluetooth To Auxiliary Adapters
If your car doesnt have Bluetooth, but has an auxiliary jack, you can still add Bluetooth functionality to it by using a Bluetooth headphone adapter. These devices are designed to let you turn any set of headphones into a Bluetooth-enabled pair, but they work just as well directly connected to your car instead.
The only real downside is that they require a USB power source if you need them to keep going for longer than their batteries will last. On the plus side, when you get out of your car at the end of the trip, you can simply plug in your headphones and be on your way.
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Pump The Internet Into Your Car
Paul Bradbury / Getty Images
Some infotainment systems and head units come with built-in support for Pandora, Spotify, and other streaming apps. Without pre-downloaded content, however, you’ll need wireless data to use them. As long as you’re comfortable using data, you can broadcast any audio content from the internet through your car speakers.
One alternative is to use a mobile hotspot instead, but for that, your head unit needs to be Wi-Fi-compatible or work with some other kind of hotspot protocol.
Get A Bluetooth Adapter With An Fm Transmitter
One of the best ways to add Bluetooth to your vehicle is by getting an FM transmitter. It comes in handy when your cars radio doesnt have an auxiliary input. The FM transmitter broadcasts audio over an open FM radio frequency, but you have to tune your stereo to the right frequency so that you can hear the audio.
You can find a myriad of FM transmitters on the market, but you should ensure that you settle for recent models because they have excellent audio quality and strong signals. These transmitters rely on Bluetooth connectivity therefore, your vehicle wont have wires hanging around, which is an advantage for you. The transmitters could be:
- 12V-powered, or
Their price ranges also vary accordingly, you should set a budget to get the item that matches up to your spending limits.
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Connecting To A Modern Cars Bluetooth
If youve got one of those newfangled cars with Bluetooth built in, how do you actually connect to it? The good news is that, if youve ever used any Bluetooth device, the process is essentially identical:
- Refer to your cars manual on how to enable Bluetooth pairing mode and follow the instructions.
- Open your phones Bluetooth settings and look for your cars name in the list of available Bluetooth devices. Tap it to start pairing.
- Your cars infotainment display will most likely show a passcode. When prompted on the phone, enter that code.
- The car and phone should now be paired.
- You may have to choose whether calls, media or both are handled by the cars system.
Thats really all there is to it. Some cars have special phone compatibilities, such as Apple Carplay, but in general its no different from any other Bluetooth connection.
Sydney Butler is a social scientist and technology fanatic who tries to understand how people and technology coexist. He has two decades of experience as a freelance computer technician and more than a decade as a technologies researcher and instructor. Sydney has been a professional technology writer for more than five years and covers topics such as VR, Gaming, Cyber security and Transhumanism. Read Sydney’s Full Bio
Making The Dongle Smaller
The dongle is pretty damn small, but the 3.5mm connector takes most of the height of the dongle.
Since we’re not using it, removing it is very easy.
Just heat the surface mount pads with a soldering iron while using some metallic tool to pry the connector at the same time you heat the pad. Repeat for each pad until the connector pops out.
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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.
Add An Fm Transmitter
While the Bluetooth receivers mentioned above transmit audio through a car’s AUX port, FM transmitters send audio to a radio frequency. Just connect your smartphone to the FM transmitter via Bluetooth, then tune your car’s stereo to the same frequency as the FM transmitter.
FM transmitters may not be for everyone. Poor quality FM transmitters will produce poor audio quality through your car’s speakers. It may be worth spending a little extra to make sure you get a quality FM transmitter. Quality FM transmitters should have:
- Built-in power supply — FM transmitters usually plug directly into your car’s 12V socket or USB port.
- Extra ports — since an FM transmitter would use up one of your power supply ports, finding one with included ports is a great feature that allows you to charge your phone at the same time.
- Integrated phone functionality — the best FM transmitters allow you to answer calls, skip tracks, and extend the usability of your phone.
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Get A Bluetooth Cassette Adapter
I drive an OLD car and I recently discovered a product that shocked me by its very existence: A cassette adapter with bluetooth connectivity. What a crazy marriage of old and new tech. The sound quality leaves something to be desired but it still brings me joy ?
Michael Richardson @ Stir Trek May 1, 2019
If your old car doesnt have an aux-in jack, but it features a cassette player, you can get a Bluetooth cassette adapter for your listening needs. Intriguingly, this type of unit doesnt demand much you only need to insert it into the stereo slot like you would a regular cassette.
Some models of Bluetooth cassette adapters also allow you to make and receive calls wirelessly because they have built-in microphones. Keep in mind that the condition of your tape head determines the quality of the audio.
Look For Aftermarket Audio Units
Alternatively, you can get an aftermarket stereo system to help you stream music and enjoy hands-free calling in your old car. You should make this replacement when you want to have a wide range of audio functionality, but you may need to review the basics of adding Bluetooth in your car.
Luckily, a majority of these devices include easy-to-follow instructions, but you could also get an expert to make the installations. Aftermarket products function like original parts. However, you have to watch out for the price ranges because you will find different products on the market. Besides, you have to get an audio unit whose color and design matches your cars stock setup.
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Verify That Your Phone Has Bluetooth And Turn It On
Pairing a phone to a car audio system varies depending on the phone and the infotainment or audio system’s setup. Most of these steps translate in one way or another regardless of what type of phone you have and the car you drive. The first step, in any case, is to make sure that you have the right tools.
The first step to pairing a phone with a car stereo is to verify that your phone has Bluetooth.
Turn on your phone, if it’s turned off, and verify that you have Bluetooth. The Bluetooth symbol looks like a capital B overlaid with an X. If you’re familiar with runes, it’s a bind rune made up of “hagall” and “bjarkan,” owing to the Scandinavian origin of the technology. If you see this symbol anywhere in your phone’s status area or the menus, your phone probably has Bluetooth.
While going through the menus, make a note of where the “make phone discoverable” and “search for devices” options are. You’ll need those in a little while. Most phones remain discoverable for a couple of minutes, though, so you don’t have to activate that yet.
If your head unit or phone doesn’t have Bluetooth, there are other ways to get Bluetooth in your car.
Our Fm Transmitter Pick: Gogroove Flexsmart X2
Although it works for voice calls, this FM transmitter is best suited to music streaming. You can see which station youre tuned to and easily find a new one.
Buying Options
May be out of stock
An FM transmitter takes your phones Bluetooth audio and transmits it over FM-radio frequencies to your cars radio tuner, so it works with any stereo. After going hands-on with seven of the highest-rated FM transmitters we found, were confident that GOgrooves FlexSmart X2 is the best because it sounds as good as or better than the competition when tuned to the same stations. In fact, the FlexSmart X2 sounded better than other FM transmitters, and it was comparable in sound quality to our aux-in pick.
The FlexSmarts FM transmitter performed relatively well in the strength and clarity of its signal when compared with an aux-in transmitter or a native Bluetooth system. It streamed music with practically no interference, providing the best audio fidelity of any of the FM units we testedalmost as good as a direct aux-in connection, with a slightly stronger midrange and slightly less focus on the highs. This surprised us, considering the usually poor quality of FM transmitters. As long as you find a good, clear frequency, youll be impressed with the results.
The FlexSmart X2 sounded better than other FM transmitters, and it was comparable in sound quality to our aux-in pick.
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How To Use Bluetooth For Car Audio In An Old Or New Car
We show you the best products for each
Bluetooth is an almost universal short-range communications technology found in everything from smartphones to coffee makers. The latest version of the technology is incredibly power-efficient, can transfer significant amounts of data and has little perceptible lag. So its no surprise that newer models of vehicles now have Bluetooth built in.
The thing is, what can you do if your car doesnt have Bluetooth for car audio? Even if it does, how do you even use it?
For Reliability: Play Music Using An Auxiliary Cord
Most modern cars feature a 3.5mm auxiliary jack, either on the stereo unit or underneath it. This allows you to plug in a cable from your device’s headphone port directly into your stereo. From there, simply play any audio on your phone that you’d like to hear through your car.
Auxiliary audio will sound clearer than both the cassette and FM transmitter options. Of course, this won’t work if your device doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. But if both your car and phone have a stereo jack, it’s a simple way to play audio without any fuss, as long as you don’t mind a wire.
If you don’t have an auxiliary cord yet, Anker’s auxiliary audio cable should serve you well. Just remember that playing music through an AUX cord is not a “smart” method, so you’ll have to change the track and make similar changes on your device. You can’t use the controls on your car stereo or steering wheel with an auxiliary cord.
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