Wireless Android Auto has been around for a few years now, and while Android 11 added universal support on mobile, compatibility in cars remains extremely limited. If your car doesn’t support wireless Android Autoyou will always have to use a small USB gadget to achieve it.
In recent years, USB dongles have proliferated that connect to the car and simulate being a mobile, and then connect to the mobile and simulate being a car. In practice, they act as a bridge between the car and the mobile to use Android Auto wirelessly. We tell you what the best options are today.
Motorola MA1
There are more and more wireless Android Auto dongles, but today there is only one endorsed by Google, the Motorola MA1. The concept is similar to the rest of the alternatives: it connects to the car’s USB and pretends to be a mobile with Android Auto, while connecting to your mobile with Wi-Fi.
Its main advantage is that it is very easy to configure (you connect it to the car’s USB, you connect to it via Bluetooth with your mobile and that’s it). The invention works, although it has the drawback that the cable is fixed and does not make it easy for you to connect to it from different mobiles like other alternatives. Please note that this dongle need your mobile support Android Auto wirelesswhich is normal with Android 11 or higher or certain Samsung phones from Android 9.
The Motorola MA1 is not sold globally and has become a highly coveted gadget and there is no shortage of resellers on eBay, so it’s pretty hard to get one. If you’re interested, you can track it down on the official Motorola Sound website and maybe you can get your hands on one, hopefully an import one.
Carsify
From the bowels of Kickstarter comes another alternative to have wireless Android in the car, although it doesn’t support it: Carsify. In the shape of a box, it connects to the car and simulates being a mobile while retransmits data from Android Auto wirelessly to the mobile via Wi-Fi.
Carsify is similar to the Motorola MA1, although it has the advantage that it is compatible with phones with previous versions of Android: Android 5.0 for some terminals and Android 9.0 or higher for most. Its main advantage is the magic button with which you can easily switch between different mobiles to take control of the car’s Android Auto.
Carsify is officially in the pre-purchase phase on Kickstarter and can be purchased directly on their website for a official price of 89 dollarsSame as the Motorola MA1, though shipping can take months.
AAWireless
A similar option to Carsify is AAWireless, which actually launched a year earlier on Kickstarter. Again, it’s a little box that will take care of act as a bridge between the car and the mobileso you can use Android Auto wirelessly, even if your car doesn’t support it.
It is one of the more minimalist options Well, it only has the USB port and a hole to reset it and nothing else. It pairs with the mobile via Bluetooth and then connects directly via USB, with a support application with which you can, for example, update the firmware. It requires you to use it with a mobile with Android 9 or higher.
AAWireless is in the submission phase on Indiegogo, where can be purchased for $85, a little cheaper than the two previous alternatives. It ships worldwide, although it may take time to arrive.
CarPC
If Android Auto falls short, CarPC is a slightly different option that, in fact, does not use your mobile. Basically it’s like an Android TV Box, but with Android Auto: that is, it has an entire Android in its small USB body and when connected to the car it projects it, as long as the car supports Android Auto or Apple Car Play.
That is, when you connect it, what you will see on the car screen will be a normal Android, without the limitations of Android Auto. In its small body it hides a quad or eight core processor, up to 4 GB of RAM, a microphone and even support for SIM and microSD.
CarPC is available in three versions: Lite, Basic and Pro and, being more complex, it is also more expensive than previous dongles. The most basic version costs $119, the next $129, and the most expensive $149.
