Just got this for my 2020 Audi A5 to use with my Samsung S23 Ultra. Setup was quick, boot time isn't longer than it was using wired connection. Maps and texts work the same. No issues so far
Great review. Tried a bunch of wireless Carplay adapters recently and I found this the best all-round performer. Imagine if Carlinkit used a modern CPU rather than one from 2006!
Its work does not depend too much on the processing power of the CPU. Our CPU has many advantages, such as low power consumption, dual USB, and high reliability.
Works well with both Android and iPhone BUT... there is no way to easily switch between AA and CarPlay or choose the device I want to connect to at startup time. You have to turn off BT and WiFi on the device you don't want to connect. That's kind of a showstopper for me - part of getting this was to allow multiple family members to easily use the infotainment system, and having to go through the extra steps just discourages them.
Multiple device connections has yet to be done well on these things. The closest way is adapters that support auto connect off, that way you can toggle which device it connects to rather than have it auto connect. Sadly you may still have to remove BT connections that have already connected. It’s ideally suited for when one device enters the car and requires switching. That way there is no BT pairing fights going on
I just connected it to my car (2018 CX-5), it took a while to set it up. It was stuck in connecting mode (blue light), I had to unplug the Carlinkit then plug my phone to the car to get the CarPlay then unplug it and tried connecting the Carlinkit again, this time it worked - Carlinkit is connected to my CarPlay. Now I have wireless CarPlay! Yay! 😁 Thanks. 🩶
Can you pair multiple devices and then select which one to connect to when you start the car? Like if I and my wife are both in the car, can we select which of our phones to connect with?
There’s no menu on the 5.0 to select connected devices like there was on the 4.0. You just get a black screen on the 5.0. Multi user support on these adapters is really well overlooked. Not many if any support a menu to select connected devices and there are some physical switch adapters but these are slowly being discontinued and harder to find these days.
No splash screen is a plus! Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but there's a niche scenario I'm in where I want no splash screen. I already have an AAWireless (for Android Auto) which works exceptionally and I share a car with my girlfriend. The AAWireless can be left connected (as it has no splash screen) but her current CarPlay adapter has a splash screen, which connects to the car before my AAWireless does. This means that if we have both adaptors connected and she's not in the car, then I get to look at her splash screen, while it all works OK for her. This is because a splash screen sends a "CarPlay" signal, where is with no splash screen there is no carplay or AndroidAuto signal, meaning the car believes no wire CarPlay or AndroidAuto devices are connected - preferred for my scenario. Additionally, seeing CarPlay being connected when your phone isn't in the car is weird.
It’s not that much different. If it works for you and you are happy with its speed, and you don’t need Android Auto support, then there isn’t much need to upgrade.
Works great, very fast connection, but doesn't charge through passthrough. My phone is getting very hot and the capacity is decreasing. The factory system I am connecting to is Ford Sync 3.4 and has its own navigation. What is wrong? Thanks for the ideas.
Most CarPlay usb ports have 5W max charging power. It has to power the adapter also, so if you use passthrough to charge your phone it’s going to be much less than 5W, meaning your phone will trickle charge at speeds that may be ok for light use but if using CarPlay, music and navigation at the same time it will get hot and not hold out build its charge.
thanks a lot for your effort, hope to see an updated review after updating to the latest firmware specially for the 5.8Ghz connection . does it make any help or the situation is the same (speed/boottime/lag/audio call quality) ?
I’ve just received my Carlink 5.0 and I noticed the skip feature no longer works with CarPlay steering wheel controls. I have an aftermarket pioneer radio and when it’s plugged in with the cord it works perfectly, is there any way to fix this?
As in next and previous track? That should work so if it doesn’t that’s likely a compatibility issue with your pioneer and wheel controls. You can try running different modes from the up config menu and see how you get on there but I don’t know what else to suggest other than filing the issue with support and hope they offer a fix in a future update.
That’s from engine/key start to seeing CarPlay on screen. This time will seem less if you have it connected, unlock the car and by time you’ve sat down it will appear much less as the adapter has already powered up when unlocking the car.
Hi, when it connects it never connects directly to the carplay menu I always have to hit the carplay icon on the car screen, is there any solution to go to the direct carplay menu?
Hi. So my wife and I both have iPhones. How can we switch between both phones if we are both in the car? How do I turn off auto connect and where do I choose the device when I turn that off? On the car screen or a phone screen?
They don’t make these Dongles switch between phones that easy. This particular one has the ability to turn auto connections off You can get to this either via the Settings menu on the Dongle’s home screen or by going to the IP config menu after connecting to CarPlay and switching it off there. Then when it comes to toggling which phone to connect to you simply tap it from the list, on the Dongle’s home screen.
The speed difference is almost double 16s for 2Air and 30s for the mini. So if that’s important and you’re only using it for CarPlay then go 2Air but it’s around 2x the cost of the mini
I have a stupid question: on my (brand new and first car that supports CarPlay) Rav4 hybrid, my phone talks fine to the car. Why would I want one of these?
They are just to convert wired CarPlay to wireless CarPlay, so no need to plug it in to use CarPlay. If you don’t want to use CarPlay and are happy to use audio over Bluetooth instead then there is no need. It’s purely a CarPlay thing really.
Hi Anthony Great reviews as ever, I actually moved from Ottocast u2 air to the Carlinkit 5.0. Most of the settings make sense but there are a few which despite trawling the internet I can’t figure out. Do you know what the high speed connection setting does? I’m using it on CarPlay btw.
Thanks for watching. This setting is new to me. I assume it’s likely a setting for the dongle to switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz band, 5GHz band will offer a fast bandwidth wireless connection but at the sacrifice of a short signal range. I’ll have to update to see this setting and try it one day.
In the review you wrote "Just remember it will not convert CarPlay only systems into running Android Auto and vice versa, for that you’re better off sticking with an older generation of adapter instead.". I have Iphone (just switched over from android), my car supports carplay+AA (jeep renegade uconnect 7") but when using carplay the screen has some useless black bars on the sides. So was guessing if converting from AA to carplay would get rid of those black bars like in native AA or if you have any suggestion about that. I am also considering 3-in-1 boxes but should be quite cheap and have a good wireless carplay experience. Overall, if I can give you some advice on your precious work, I would say the site is somewhat dispersive, you should have less categories of hardware reviewed, and another advice is to always present the table with the best contenders in the market, in each video always the same tables updated. Just my thoughts, keep up the good work !
Thanks for watching and the feedback. For your situation. If you use a wire for CarPlay, does it also still show black bars? If it doesn’t then it’s a compatibility issue with the adapter not sending the correct video radio for this car’s display resolution, hence the boarders on the sides. If it does show this on wired mode then this is how it is. Thanks for the feedback. When you say less categories on my site, do you mean Carplaylife.com? If so I have been thinking of reworking this, but it’s a daunting task going back to arranging content as far back as 2015! 😞 As for the table, this is always evolving so having this presenting somewhere live would be my goal but I feel other sites will just pinch all my hard work with a screen grab and I lose all the views. Having the info concise to the part in the videos at least keep it somewhat contained and secure whilst keeping peeps informed.
What would your recommendation be for a CarPlay adapter between this brand & the quad lock wireless adapter? I’ve seen mixed reviews on both. What would be the best way to go? I want reliability.
The quad lock adapter is a rebrand of the 4.0. If you don’t have Android auto in the car and you wish to use it on a CarPlay only system then the 5.0 won’t work this way you’ll have to get quad lock or 4.0. If you have CarPlay and wish to just make it wireless CarPlay then the 5.0 is a bit faster.
OK, I bought this adapter. Everything works perfectly. But! The album cover and track title are not displayed on the car's multimedia system. It just says "Music" on dashboard screen. BTW no such problem with Carlinkit 3.0, but I already gave it to a friend :-) There is a solution? Renault Megane 4, R-Link 2.
I guess you’ve played with the IP config area and the various modes within that? The 5.0 is working differently to previous models so it might be extra compatibility for other vehicles has killed this functionality in yours 🤷🏻♂️
Apologies if i missed it in the video, you mentioned using android and iPhone, what about 2 iPhones? I remember on another (4.0 version?) You can have a screen that shows previously connected phones to pick from. Essentially if me and the other half are both in the car, if im driving i can pick my phone, if she's driving she can pick her phone, without having to go through Bluetooth on the phone etc (essentially just tap the right phone on the cars display on startup)
So the adapter did have this and it showed very briefly before going into CarPlay, but, I did an update and now it’s black screen during this moment and I can’t seem to see how to change that in the IP config menu. There’s no option. So for two iPhones you would have to manage this on the phones themselves by disconnecting BT on the one you don’t want to connect to. Saying that though there is an automatic connect option. Maybe if that’s off you might see the screen again. I’ll try and find the time to get this and update you when I have.
@@CarPlayLife Thank you for the reply! 🤞 Turning off auto connect gives the option as it's something that could make life way easier for our use case. Thank you for the quality videos, and follow up with things like this! Really appreciate it!!
hi in my volkswagen, the radio has the option for carplay but its factory locked i need a code but its to expensive. Will the carlinkit work if i dont already have carplay installed in my car ?
Can you skip to the next song or play previous song using the steering control button’s a lot of dongles only allow you to pause,play, and answer phone calls from the steering wheel but no skip forward or backward control from the steering wheel?
It depends what you have on the wheel. But in my experience, every 20+ adapter I’ve tried allows skipping tracks back and forth. Sometimes wheel controls will not work until the car is properly started for the wheel to send signals to the stereo.
Hi, I have this product and a 2019 Honda HRV (which has CarPlay). When I connect it, I’m able to establish the Bluetooth connection between Carlinkit and my phone, but it never shows up on my car’s screen. Any idea what could be causing this? I checked the product page, and it shows my car as compatible.
Hi. I saw your review. I have Carlinkit 5.0. I have a black screen problem. When I change from reverse to drive or park, a black screen appears for a few dozen seconds to a minute. Have you encountered such a problem?
This sounds more like a compatibility issue with the adapter and your car system. There’s no real fix other than submitting a ticket to their support team and hope a future update fixes it. You could try the different modes in the config menu but I’m not 100% sure it will fix it worth a try.
@@CarPlayLife Thank you for your answer. I wrote to support and received the Beta version but it does not fix the problem and I went back to the previous version. I asked for help again but for several days there was no answer.
Hi I have a Peugeot 208 72 plate with CarPlay, could you recommend the best adapter for my car or brand please. Plugging in every time is a pain in the arse
Sorry I can’t recommend an adapter without trying it in the specific car itself. The 5.0 would be a good start. Buy from Amazon for easy returns if it doesn’t work in your car.
our use case is one car with multiple iphone users, so on 3.0 i disabled auto connect and manually select the one i want to connect to which i am ok with? how does it work on the 5.0 since you said there is no menu? is 3.0 or 5.0 better if you have multiple users?
The experience is the same. The same menu is still there for CarPlay. With its auto connect option. There is no menu for AAuto. 5,0 is just slightly faster in processor so it gets you in a little quicker. If you’re on 3.0 and it works for you there’s no significant reason to upgrade IMO.
Hello from Canada. Thank you for detailed review. I use iphone and had a question does it allow to enable hotspot if one is connected to Carlinkkit 5.0 ?
Thanks for the review. Great review I must say. Can you please how do you switch between android auto and carplay? My wife has an apple and I got an android but, not able to switch between. Thanks in advance. I am using on 2020 outlander.
Thanks for watching. Switching platforms isn’t the best on these adapters. No one has done it perfect. This adapter does have a menu to toggle which device to connect to. You just have to make sure auto connect is switched off. This allows you time to select the device you wish to connect to. But there is a chance the other device has connected over BT and that locks the other device out from connecting.
Hey man thanks for all the info, much appreciated. Do you think this will work on a Ford Bronco Sport 2023? Or should i look for an older one that it 100% works with just to be safe? Thanks again!
If anything, newer models should be more compatible with newer vehicles. Not the other way around. Especially when it’s a 2023 vehicle. So I would give this one a go.
Thanks for the video. I want to use the native android part in it but I have iPhone. Do you know if I can use iPhone or mercedes touchpad to move around and input?
You won’t run Android auto from an iPhone, it’s either iPhone to CarPlay or Android to Android Auto. It should allow control with the dial/knob. I’m not sure about touch pads. If it works for CarPlay, it should be similar to that.
My vw Tiguan has a dead touchscreen and I’ve been unable to use CarPlay since I got a new phone because the screen requires consent to pair. Do you think this would bypass that? Are you able to test a phone that has not been paired to your car, or to unpair your phone in order to test it?
It’s going to behave as if you’ve connected a phone via wire. So if it needs permission by pressing something on the display, when plugging this in, it might likely do the same by asking the same prompt before the dongle is to be recognised. So it’s unlikely it will solve you’ve issue but you could buy from Amazon and send it back if it doesn’t work.
Did they fix the issues where the device would disconnect when hitting road bumps?? The connection port was very poorly made and had a lot of play causing constant disconnections
Could you tell me which one does better on the Android system, 4.0 or 5.0? which one has the fastest boot, which one has the lowest latency? Thanks for the videos!
5.0 is faster by 9seconds in my test when booting into android. But you must have Android auto on your car system. If your car system only has CarPlay you’re limited to 4.0. Latency is roughly the same, but can be tweaked in the config
hi anthony.im looking at wireless apple carplay is this garlin 5 going work with my jvc head it’s carplay already used wires normally but they seem to wear out then lose apple carplay .usually get new cable goodmans last one
It’s not really necessary. You lose wire passthrough on the 4.0 and the 4.0 is a little faster into CarPlay from boot than the 5.0 in my experience. If you were using it for Android Auto, the 5.0 does have some advantages in speed there.
I have this model. I cannot connect to the bluetooth. I tried everything. Tried other friends phones, none of them worked. Did all of the settings through wifi, still cant connect. I cannot update the firmware with my android but i managed to update it with an iphone, still does not work after update. What should i do?
If you’re not seeing the BT profile from the adapter it isn’t booting up or being powered, or the update bricked it and it’s not fully booting up to transmit the BT connection. However if you can connect to it via WiFi it is running. Maybe try an older rollback firmware or if it’s in your return window send it back
My SUV only has Apple Carplay. I am looking for something that will work for Android Auto, even though my car does not have Android Auto installed. Any suggestions or help? Thanks
So they don’t or might not show a menu interface to tell you it’s working. But the adapter should light up red once plugged in. Next go to iPhone and in settings > Bluetooth look for Autokit to appear. If it doesn’t turn BT off at the top switch and back on again and wait a few seconds. Once you tap it accept all the prompts to connect and then the system should show up CarPlay
Hi I’m doubting between the Carlinkit 5.0 and the U2Air Pro. I own an MG4. Input lag, the possibility to pair my wife’s phone as well and boot up time are the most important for me. Which one would you recommend?
What is the carlinkit 5.0 like compared to a quad lock? I purchased a quad lock one a couple of weeks ago and it has been awful, always disconnecting I’m looking at the carlinkit 5.0 but I do a lot of long driving so just wondering what it’s like using maps and taking calls on long journeys?
I’ve never heard of it. Sounds like a copycat rebrand if you’re asking. Edit. Just checked and it’s likely a rebrand of the Ottocast max. CarlinKit rarely OEMs their adapter tech.
Hello good morning. I have a question, I have an old Android screen, and they recommended that I buy CarPlay CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA and download the autokit app and it would work. My question is, this version of CarPlay CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA is old, will it be possible for Carlinkit 5.0 to work in the same way with the autokit app on my old Android screen?
No the 5.0 works entirely differently. It will not work with an app. You’ll need the one they suggested. I reviewed it here ua-cam.com/video/s7DaSaKFaEM/v-deo.htmlsi=Lgk4fWZFwHUBZ9KT
I’m considering getting an adapter. Not sure if I should go for the 5.0 or the 3.0 mini… I have a 2016 Golf GTE. Is this one very big in the car? Which one should I consider? And is it possible to switch from the CarPlay to radio on the car without unplugging it?😅
The 3.0 mini is about 1/4 smaller than the 5.0. Speed wise the 5.0 is 10s faster to connect. Switching is just like when using wired CarPlay. So press radio and you’re in the radio. Press CarPlay you’re in CarPlay. It doesn’t take it over. Your golf needs wired CarPlay also.
Hello , using the 5.0 since its launch, the GPS option ON means it takes GPS from Mobile or Car? in both modes I can see my "gps icon" in my iphone ON when I start navigation so It doesn't make sense..
GPS on should mean it uses gps passthrough from the car antenna. Actually testing this is a bit tricky. A quick way is to rotate the phone and if the maps moves on screen it’s using the phone gps/compass orientation than the car. But I’ve found that this can be also a hit n miss test to accurately test gps passthrough. I’m still trying to find a more solid test.
Can we use it for Audi a3 2014 model ??? If yes then we just need to plug in with car adapter and need to connect with Bluetooth. After that automatically Audi default screw will change jnto car play mode ???
My unit didn’t give me a pop up prompt on my iPhone 13 when I connected it by Bluetooth. I updated it and now it just flashes blue once I connect by Bluetooth. HELP!!!
@@CarPlayLife I tried it a few times and still the same thing. My car may not be compatible. I’m putting it in a 2012 Nissan Maxima. I try to contact/email them before I send it back. Frustrating. Lol. Thanks for responding. That means a lot. I will definitely sub.
This adapter will not do video streaming. You need an AI box for that. Carbridge requires a jailbroken device or similar which I don’t trust personally.
Hello, can i use this with an aftermarket android head unit which doesn't have Android Auto/CarPlay built-in? Also, can i use Carlinkit AI box with same head unit (I have heard that radio must have Android auto built in)? Thank you very much.
Yes you need either CarPlay or Android auto already on your system (depending which adapter type you choose). For Android head units you need something like these from this playlist ua-cam.com/play/PLysOHeJ5BkMj-ov6_61XEGpj9AbbM0QYM.html&feature=shared
I'm trying to understand if this plays is own "Carlinkit CarPlay" interface, or would use my cars built-in/native "CarPlay" (ie ford bronco) screen. Or is there any adapter that doesn't change my screen?
All wireless CarPlay adapters ‘fool’ your wired CarPlay system into thinking an iPhone is connected. So it’s emulating a connected iPhone that is receiving the CarPlay ‘display/audio and touch input feed’ from your iPhone and it displays this onto your CarPlay display. There are two ways (or code) how this is done (or emulated) AFAIK - CarlinKit and everyone else that shares the same what I call ‘fullscreen UI’ code. So to answer your question isn’t so straightforward… Yes it’s using your native CarPlay to communicate, but it’s being emulated to act wirelessly by the adapter so your phone can communicate with it. Remember, CarPlay is just video stream from your phone. You’re not interacting with software on the car system itself, all the work is being done on your iPhone and this is just being ‘cast’ to the display over a series of CarPlay protocols that the display knows how to display it whilst also sending and receiving touch input to and from the display and your phone. To use wireless CarPlay natively, you would need your car system to have this hardware built in. Hope this helps.
@@CarPlayLife Are there any security concerns with using these dongles? Is everything still encrypted? Or are they able to see your info and stream/copy it to wherever they please?
Hi, i just bought the Carlinkit 5.0 adaptor. I have an aftermarket 13" headunit running Android 13. I can use CP on the headunit using any iPhone. I have a Huawei Mate 20x which runs Harmoney OS and it does not work with AA. I bought this adaptor so my phone would work. However, even after I connect to the adaptor, the AA on the headunit does not detects it. Any ideas?
In my experience, these wireless adapters are not that reliable on android OS aftermarket systems. This adapter will only work with AA connections, it can't do CP to AA or AA to CP. For that you'll need the 4.0 which works differently to how the 5.0 works. Hope this helps.
I’m not sure about Sony HU. I hear they can be a bit picky on what works on them. Buy it from Amazon and you’ll get easy returns if it doesn’t work with it.
I too have a discover pro golf so your tests are very applicable to me. Ideally I’d want a system that can handle wired CarPlay pass through. Does this carlinkit 5.0 support this or you familar with a device that does this? I’d be interested to know if it’s possible to just plug in a phone into a wireless CarPlay kit and have a wired CarPlay experience. How would it work when plugging in before the booting process has finished. How would it behave if you’re already booted into wireless CarPlay?
If you’ve already booted into wireless CarPlay and you connect the cable it will stay on wireless mode. You would have to disconnect the adapter with it connected to a cable via the usb port for it to boot into wired mode.
I purchased this yesterday , to be honest in only one hour the device was disconnect twice from my iphone 14 Pro , I updated the software still testing so far so good but I will comme back with an update , I hope the update fixes the disconnecting issue , audio quality is fine I don't feel to be bad or something , I'am using on a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq facelift , do I have to change some settings or just leave it alone ? For example wifi band , transfer mode , category Thank you
Leave it as is. If it’s working to an acceptable level, leave it. You can try media delay at around 500 (you could try 300 but likely unstable) and this will speed it up a little a be more responsive to touch
Thank you for replying to the comments. I use Android and my car has wireless Carplay but wired Android auto. Would you recommend this over Carlinkit CPC200-a2a in terms of stability and latency? I also wonder if my car's own wireless Carplay will still work with this plugged in?
Hey, thanks for the review. Have you been able to test whether this dongle forwards navigation directions (i.e. the upcoming turn instructions) to the instrument cluster? The Ottocast U2 Air does this, but the CarlinKit 4.0 doesn't, at least with the Renault EasyLink infotainment system (all devices with newest firmware, of course). Music info and album art forwarding works on both dongles, but I'm specifically interested in nav guidance (when using Apple Maps).
@@CarPlayLife That's what I would have thought as well, but there are differences in behaviour - Ottocast U2 Air puts Apple Maps directions in the instruments, but CarlinKit doesn't. I decided to get the CarlinKit 5.0 anyway, and it turns out it doesn't support it either. It could probably be easily fixed via a firmware update, perhaps @neohu8856 could shed some light on this issue?
@@ahmedsadek9546 Finally checked this myself and no, neither CarlinKit 4.0 nor 5.0 support this feature in my car. So far, only the Ottocast U2 Air does, but then that dongle doesn't support GPS pass-through, which is very handy if the phone is in your pocket, and greatly reduces battery use as well.
For the 23-27seconds to connect to car play, is that only for the 1st time it has to connect or, Everytime you get in the car? I have a Audi a4 2016 with wired car play, wanted to make it wireless and watch UA-cam/Netflix will this work also
Every time. But it’s likely you VAG system will be like mind and turn on when you unlock the car. So the adapter turns on before you start the car meaning those seconds are shaved off and it’s only a few before you see CarPlay. As long as your phone it’s connecting to is nearby.
When You use wireless AA do incoming phone calls show on little display behind steering wheel? Do You see calls history on that display and can You for example disconnect using steering wheel button?
Hello! I just got a vehicle that seems to have both CarPlay and Android Auto, but the amount of dongles is outrageous. If you could suggest the all around best one, what would you say is number one currently? I have a 2021 Subaru WRX Premium which seems to have the option for both.
Subaru and Mitsubishi are known for being very picky with these adapters. So I can’t say which works without trying it on those vehicles myself. Maybe buy the CarlinKit 5.0 from Amazon so you can send it back easily if it doesn’t work.
@@Terminatorm101 hey there! I picked it up and it works great! Goes from blue tooth to CarPlay in less than twenty seconds. The only thing is that there is delay between the audio. So if you have in a UA-cam video or are on a call, there will be a noticeable 1-2 second delay. It’s not game changing in anyway and I 100% suggest picking one up. It’s never disconnected while driving or anything. The only time I’ve had issues is when it’s trying to connect to my home wifi and CarPlay at the same time after I’ve been in and out of the car lol. Highly suggest!
@@anonymoose2145 wow, glad to hear a positive feedback from an actual Subaru user! After some vids I was almost settled that a vire and a phone in a cupholder is no that bad of an option at all 😅 Usually my car is quite near the home wi-fi, so I believe there might be some issues until I disconnect my phone from it 🤔
The issue I am facing is that it wirelessly connects to carplay for the first time and even works perfectly but once I turn off the car and want to reconnect it, no matter what I do, it doesn’t work. It either keeps disconnecting with the bluetooth or it stucks on connecting. Tried upgrading the firmware aswell but the issue persists. Do you know what could be the issue here?
Try playing with startup delay in the IP config settings menu. It feels your car system isn’t ready for the connection so adding a bit of a delay will help and time the sync much better.
With drop outs, what's the recovery process there for CarPlay and AndroidAuto? Looking at getting this to use in a 10th Gen Honda Civic, it supports native AA and between me and my wife we have iPhone and Android devices that'll get used in that car. I don't think there are any other devices that do what this does.
If you have wireless CarPlay you don’t have a need for this adapter really. It needs a wired CarPlay connection to work. 5.0 will not convert to Android auto from a CarPlay only connection.
Will this version allow using Audi MMI native functions while using it with android auto? 4.0 version doesn't allow the simultaneous use of carplay and native Audi steering wheel media controls, calls history or voice control
If you’re thinking of using android with a CarPlay system then you don’t want to consider this dongle anyway. It won’t work like the way the 4.0 does. So avoid this altogether. Wheel controls, seems to work just fine and call history is handled via CarPlay anyway so that works and native voice control works in my VAG car so Audi should be the same.
I have been doing my research with the help of your videos in order to find the best option for me but there's a lot of info and options that is so confusing, could you tell me what's your best option for my case? the car is a Volkswagen Gol and supports AC and AA wired, I want to use them wireless, I'm a AC user but I would like to have the option to use AA too. I would like to know your opinion for both just AC and AC&AA adapters. So much thanks in advance!
If you also want AA then the best option is either 4.0 or 5.0 CarlinKit. There are other 2in1s out there but the autokit software these run are better overall for fixing and tweaking (should you need to).
That’s how these work. It needs WiFi to connect to the adapter. After that your mobile data connection is used to download/stream content/traffic data etc.
Will this device turn my non apple carplay android head unit into a fully working apple carplay head unit? Or this will only work if my headunit has already apple carplay?
I bought my car in 2014 so I do not have a factory wired CarPlay infotainment system. I am trying to get CarPlay installed in my car with a wireless adapter. Do you know if there is such an adapter that I can get for a non-factory wired CarPlay system?
Only the boxes that connect in-line with your system, meaning you’ll have to get around the dashboard to the back of the system to plug it in. I’ve not tried these myself but that’s one route. Retrofitting a newer CarPlay system might also work too. Otherwise aftermarket is another option or a standalone CarPlay display system
@@CarPlayLife unfortunately aftermarket won't work coz I don’t have a factory wired CarPlay system so none of the dongles out there now will not work. Sigh! And I don’t want a floating one, looks hideous.
Just got this for my 2020 Audi A5 to use with my Samsung S23 Ultra. Setup was quick, boot time isn't longer than it was using wired connection. Maps and texts work the same. No issues so far
Glad to hear it. Enjoy
Great review. Tried a bunch of wireless Carplay adapters recently and I found this the best all-round performer. Imagine if Carlinkit used a modern CPU rather than one from 2006!
Haha yes. Keeping costs low or profits high 🤷🏻♂️
Its work does not depend too much on the processing power of the CPU. Our CPU has many advantages, such as low power consumption, dual USB, and high reliability.
@@neohu8856 Yep but it is slow to boot. If it had a faster processor I am sure the boot time could be significantly improved.
@stevemhouse how are we talking for Carplay to boot?
@@neohu8856BS pal.
Works well with both Android and iPhone BUT... there is no way to easily switch between AA and CarPlay or choose the device I want to connect to at startup time. You have to turn off BT and WiFi on the device you don't want to connect. That's kind of a showstopper for me - part of getting this was to allow multiple family members to easily use the infotainment system, and having to go through the extra steps just discourages them.
Multiple device connections has yet to be done well on these things. The closest way is adapters that support auto connect off, that way you can toggle which device it connects to rather than have it auto connect.
Sadly you may still have to remove BT connections that have already connected.
It’s ideally suited for when one device enters the car and requires switching. That way there is no BT pairing fights going on
I am using it since a week n I must say its so tiny weightless and works awesome no delay etc
Awesome glad to hear it. For anyone reading this, what car make, model and year are you using it with? As it might help them decide.
@@CarPlayLife I am using on a suzuki ciaz 2018 model which has inbuilt system which supports both android and apple car play wired.
Is there any lag and delay ?
Thanks
the one who invent this is genius.
Yes. It works pretty smart these adapter.
I just connected it to my car (2018 CX-5), it took a while to set it up. It was stuck in connecting mode (blue light), I had to unplug the Carlinkit then plug my phone to the car to get the CarPlay then unplug it and tried connecting the Carlinkit again, this time it worked - Carlinkit is connected to my CarPlay. Now I have wireless CarPlay! Yay! 😁
Thanks. 🩶
Yay! Thanks for sharing and watching
Can you pair multiple devices and then select which one to connect to when you start the car? Like if I and my wife are both in the car, can we select which of our phones to connect with?
There’s no menu on the 5.0 to select connected devices like there was on the 4.0. You just get a black screen on the 5.0. Multi user support on these adapters is really well overlooked. Not many if any support a menu to select connected devices and there are some physical switch adapters but these are slowly being discontinued and harder to find these days.
Car Tank 300 + Carlinkit 5.0 works perfectly well no delay while changing tracks
Awesome!! 🙌🏻
No splash screen is a plus! Not sure if this has been pointed out before, but there's a niche scenario I'm in where I want no splash screen.
I already have an AAWireless (for Android Auto) which works exceptionally and I share a car with my girlfriend. The AAWireless can be left connected (as it has no splash screen) but her current CarPlay adapter has a splash screen, which connects to the car before my AAWireless does. This means that if we have both adaptors connected and she's not in the car, then I get to look at her splash screen, while it all works OK for her.
This is because a splash screen sends a "CarPlay" signal, where is with no splash screen there is no carplay or AndroidAuto signal, meaning the car believes no wire CarPlay or AndroidAuto devices are connected - preferred for my scenario.
Additionally, seeing CarPlay being connected when your phone isn't in the car is weird.
Thanks for sharing. There’s a number of adapters now adopting the ‘background mode’ setting which when off never shows a launch screen.
Hi, is worth to upgrade from Carlinkit 3.0 (latest firmware) to Carlinkit 5.0? I'm using it with CarPlay only. Thanks!
It’s not that much different. If it works for you and you are happy with its speed, and you don’t need Android Auto support, then there isn’t much need to upgrade.
I was just about to ask exactly the same thing, as my v3.0 keeps giving black screen and drop outs. Amazon selling this is £55 today. 🤔
Works great, very fast connection, but doesn't charge through passthrough. My phone is getting very hot and the capacity is decreasing. The factory system I am connecting to is Ford Sync 3.4 and has its own navigation. What is wrong? Thanks for the ideas.
Most CarPlay usb ports have 5W max charging power. It has to power the adapter also, so if you use passthrough to charge your phone it’s going to be much less than 5W, meaning your phone will trickle charge at speeds that may be ok for light use but if using CarPlay, music and navigation at the same time it will get hot and not hold out build its charge.
Does this support BMW cars as on their website there is no mention of any BMW car models? I can only see Audi and VW
I can’t really confirm as I’ve not tried any of these in a BMW
thanks a lot for your effort, hope to see an updated review after updating to the latest firmware specially for the 5.8Ghz connection . does it make any help or the situation is the same (speed/boottime/lag/audio call quality) ?
I’ll check this out when I can.
I’ve just received my Carlink 5.0 and I noticed the skip feature no longer works with CarPlay steering wheel controls. I have an aftermarket pioneer radio and when it’s plugged in with the cord it works perfectly, is there any way to fix this?
As in next and previous track? That should work so if it doesn’t that’s likely a compatibility issue with your pioneer and wheel controls. You can try running different modes from the up config menu and see how you get on there but I don’t know what else to suggest other than filing the issue with support and hope they offer a fix in a future update.
Hey the 27 seconds is the the start of the engine or when the vw media starts?
That’s from engine/key start to seeing CarPlay on screen. This time will seem less if you have it connected, unlock the car and by time you’ve sat down it will appear much less as the adapter has already powered up when unlocking the car.
My car only has carplay but I have an android phone. What wireless adapter should I get?
CarlinKit 4.0
Is it slow only the first time or every time? Please answer me soon, thanks!
Slow to connect? You only have to pair it once and it will auto connect after. So it should be quicker next time you boot it up
Hi, when it connects it never connects directly to the carplay menu I always have to hit the carplay icon on the car screen, is there any solution to go to the direct carplay menu?
Try the IP config menu for an option called force start. Turn that on.
Re. the bootup, do you have to manually pair the phone every time, or just the first?
Just the first time. After that it’s automatic.
Hi. So my wife and I both have iPhones. How can we switch between both phones if we are both in the car? How do I turn off auto connect and where do I choose the device when I turn that off? On the car screen or a phone screen?
They don’t make these Dongles switch between phones that easy. This particular one has the ability to turn auto connections off
You can get to this either via the Settings menu on the Dongle’s home screen or by going to the IP config menu after connecting to CarPlay and switching it off there. Then when it comes to toggling which phone to connect to you simply tap it from the list, on the Dongle’s home screen.
@@CarPlayLife Damn this really sucks, thought it would be as easy as turning off bluetooth on one device and using the other.
How would you compare this to the CarlinKit 3.0 Mini? Is the improvements listed here worth choosing this over the mini? I don't have either just yet
The speed difference is almost double 16s for 2Air and 30s for the mini. So if that’s important and you’re only using it for CarPlay then go 2Air but it’s around 2x the cost of the mini
I have a stupid question: on my (brand new and first car that supports CarPlay) Rav4 hybrid, my phone talks fine to the car. Why would I want one of these?
They are just to convert wired CarPlay to wireless CarPlay, so no need to plug it in to use CarPlay. If you don’t want to use CarPlay and are happy to use audio over Bluetooth instead then there is no need. It’s purely a CarPlay thing really.
You said "...there is no wired passthrough on this adapter". Can you tell us a good recent model that _does_ have wired passthrough?
CarlinKit 4.0 or Quadlock CarPlay adapter (same thing as 4.0) has usb passthrough.
@@CarPlayLifeThanks! I have an android unit with no carplay and want to plug in instead of wireless
Really good review and the video. Thank you. I have ordered one for my Toyata Fortuner
Glad it was helpful! And I hope you enjoy it
After one year, how do you rate this device? Is it still the wireless carplay leader?
I’m still using it in mine. Currently replaced it with the Cuarko I reviewed on Friday atm to compare its long term use.
Comparing with the Ottocast U2 Air Pro which one do you recommended ?
Thank for your reply in advance :)
I prefer the 5.0 as it has GPS pass through and a better config system to tailor the experience.
Hi Anthony
Great reviews as ever, I actually moved from Ottocast u2 air to the Carlinkit 5.0. Most of the settings make sense but there are a few which despite trawling the internet I can’t figure out. Do you know what the high speed connection setting does? I’m using it on CarPlay btw.
Thanks for watching.
This setting is new to me. I assume it’s likely a setting for the dongle to switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz band, 5GHz band will offer a fast bandwidth wireless connection but at the sacrifice of a short signal range.
I’ll have to update to see this setting and try it one day.
In the review you wrote "Just remember it will not convert CarPlay only systems into running Android Auto and vice versa, for that you’re better off sticking with an older generation of adapter instead.". I have Iphone (just switched over from android), my car supports carplay+AA (jeep renegade uconnect 7") but when using carplay the screen has some useless black bars on the sides. So was guessing if converting from AA to carplay would get rid of those black bars like in native AA or if you have any suggestion about that. I am also considering 3-in-1 boxes but should be quite cheap and have a good wireless carplay experience. Overall, if I can give you some advice on your precious work, I would say the site is somewhat dispersive, you should have less categories of hardware reviewed, and another advice is to always present the table with the best contenders in the market, in each video always the same tables updated. Just my thoughts, keep up the good work !
Thanks for watching and the feedback.
For your situation. If you use a wire for CarPlay, does it also still show black bars? If it doesn’t then it’s a compatibility issue with the adapter not sending the correct video radio for this car’s display resolution, hence the boarders on the sides. If it does show this on wired mode then this is how it is.
Thanks for the feedback. When you say less categories on my site, do you mean Carplaylife.com? If so I have been thinking of reworking this, but it’s a daunting task going back to arranging content as far back as 2015! 😞
As for the table, this is always evolving so having this presenting somewhere live would be my goal but I feel other sites will just pinch all my hard work with a screen grab and I lose all the views. Having the info concise to the part in the videos at least keep it somewhat contained and secure whilst keeping peeps informed.
What would your recommendation be for a CarPlay adapter between this brand & the quad lock wireless adapter? I’ve seen mixed reviews on both. What would be the best way to go? I want reliability.
The quad lock adapter is a rebrand of the 4.0. If you don’t have Android auto in the car and you wish to use it on a CarPlay only system then the 5.0 won’t work this way you’ll have to get quad lock or 4.0. If you have CarPlay and wish to just make it wireless CarPlay then the 5.0 is a bit faster.
Thanks for the review. I'm driving a 2023 Nissan frontier using Android. Do you have a recommendation for me? I'm waiting to play UA-cam/Netflix .
I can’t say what’s compatible but sounds like you need an AI Box if you want video from those apps. Try a CarlinKit TBox plus or ottocast Picasou 2
OK, I bought this adapter. Everything works perfectly. But! The album cover and track title are not displayed on the car's multimedia system. It just says "Music" on dashboard screen. BTW no such problem with Carlinkit 3.0, but I already gave it to a friend :-)
There is a solution?
Renault Megane 4, R-Link 2.
I guess you’ve played with the IP config area and the various modes within that? The 5.0 is working differently to previous models so it might be extra compatibility for other vehicles has killed this functionality in yours 🤷🏻♂️
@@CarPlayLifeI hasten to inform you that the problem has been fixed in the latest firmware update.
Apologies if i missed it in the video, you mentioned using android and iPhone, what about 2 iPhones? I remember on another (4.0 version?) You can have a screen that shows previously connected phones to pick from. Essentially if me and the other
half are both in the car, if im driving i can pick my phone, if she's driving she can pick her phone, without having to go through Bluetooth on the phone etc (essentially just tap the right phone on the cars display on startup)
So the adapter did have this and it showed very briefly before going into CarPlay, but, I did an update and now it’s black screen during this moment and I can’t seem to see how to change that in the IP config menu. There’s no option.
So for two iPhones you would have to manage this on the phones themselves by disconnecting BT on the one you don’t want to connect to.
Saying that though there is an automatic connect option. Maybe if that’s off you might see the screen again. I’ll try and find the time to get this and update you when I have.
@@CarPlayLife Thank you for the reply!
🤞 Turning off auto connect gives the option as it's something that could make life way easier for our use case.
Thank you for the quality videos, and follow up with things like this! Really appreciate it!!
I know this video is several months old but will this allow connection of android phone with car head unit that has carplay only?
hi in my volkswagen, the radio has the option for carplay but its factory locked i need a code but its to expensive. Will the carlinkit work if i dont already have carplay installed in my car ?
No I don’t think it works that way. You’ll need CarPlay functional and selectable in order for this adapter to work
Can you skip to the next song or play previous song using the steering control button’s a lot of dongles only allow you to pause,play, and answer phone calls from the steering wheel but no skip forward or backward control from the steering wheel?
It depends what you have on the wheel. But in my experience, every 20+ adapter I’ve tried allows skipping tracks back and forth. Sometimes wheel controls will not work until the car is properly started for the wheel to send signals to the stereo.
Hi, I have this product and a 2019 Honda HRV (which has CarPlay). When I connect it, I’m able to establish the Bluetooth connection between Carlinkit and my phone, but it never shows up on my car’s screen. Any idea what could be causing this? I checked the product page, and it shows my car as compatible.
Are you connected to its WiFi after the BT connection. If not try and manually select it.
Hi. I saw your review. I have Carlinkit 5.0. I have a black screen problem. When I change from reverse to drive or park, a black screen appears for a few dozen seconds to a minute. Have you encountered such a problem?
This sounds more like a compatibility issue with the adapter and your car system. There’s no real fix other than submitting a ticket to their support team and hope a future update fixes it. You could try the different modes in the config menu but I’m not 100% sure it will fix it worth a try.
@@CarPlayLife Thank you for your answer. I wrote to support and received the Beta version but it does not fix the problem and I went back to the previous version. I asked for help again but for several days there was no answer.
Hi I have a Peugeot 208 72 plate with CarPlay, could you recommend the best adapter for my car or brand please. Plugging in every time is a pain in the arse
Sorry I can’t recommend an adapter without trying it in the specific car itself. The 5.0 would be a good start. Buy from Amazon for easy returns if it doesn’t work in your car.
our use case is one car with multiple iphone users, so on 3.0 i disabled auto connect and manually select the one i want to connect to which i am ok with? how does it work on the 5.0 since you said there is no menu? is 3.0 or 5.0 better if you have multiple users?
The experience is the same. The same menu is still there for CarPlay. With its auto connect option. There is no menu for AAuto. 5,0 is just slightly faster in processor so it gets you in a little quicker. If you’re on 3.0 and it works for you there’s no significant reason to upgrade IMO.
You need to have the Apple CarPlay on the car to buy this ?
Yes you do.
Hello from Canada. Thank you for detailed review. I use iphone and had a question does it allow to enable hotspot if one is connected to Carlinkkit 5.0 ?
Your phone is connected wirelessly to the adapter over WiFi so enabling hotspot would break that connection. It’s one or the other
Thanks for the review. Great review I must say. Can you please how do you switch between android auto and carplay? My wife has an apple and I got an android but, not able to switch between. Thanks in advance. I am using on 2020 outlander.
Thanks for watching.
Switching platforms isn’t the best on these adapters. No one has done it perfect. This adapter does have a menu to toggle which device to connect to. You just have to make sure auto connect is switched off. This allows you time to select the device you wish to connect to. But there is a chance the other device has connected over BT and that locks the other device out from connecting.
Hello, what happens if two iPhones that are linked go in the same car?
It’s a coin toss which one connects to it first. It will stop the other once the first connection is made.
Hey man thanks for all the info, much appreciated. Do you think this will work on a Ford Bronco Sport 2023? Or should i look for an older one that it 100% works with just to be safe? Thanks again!
If anything, newer models should be more compatible with newer vehicles. Not the other way around. Especially when it’s a 2023 vehicle. So I would give this one a go.
Thanks for the video. I want to use the native android part in it but I have iPhone. Do you know if I can use iPhone or mercedes touchpad to move around and input?
You won’t run Android auto from an iPhone, it’s either iPhone to CarPlay or Android to Android Auto.
It should allow control with the dial/knob. I’m not sure about touch pads. If it works for CarPlay, it should be similar to that.
My vw Tiguan has a dead touchscreen and I’ve been unable to use CarPlay since I got a new phone because the screen requires consent to pair. Do you think this would bypass that? Are you able to test a phone that has not been paired to your car, or to unpair your phone in order to test it?
It’s going to behave as if you’ve connected a phone via wire. So if it needs permission by pressing something on the display, when plugging this in, it might likely do the same by asking the same prompt before the dongle is to be recognised. So it’s unlikely it will solve you’ve issue but you could buy from Amazon and send it back if it doesn’t work.
Did they fix the issues where the device would disconnect when hitting road bumps?? The connection port was very poorly made and had a lot of play causing constant disconnections
I’m not sure. I still only have their earlier made adapters.
same here with a 5.0 , try another cable, some cables are more complicated to put in.
Hows the phone battery drain ??
Can this be left connected with car when not driving?
Yes no problem. Unless modified, the usb port it is connected to should power off after a time.
Could you tell me which one does better on the Android system, 4.0 or 5.0? which one has the fastest boot, which one has the lowest latency? Thanks for the videos!
5.0 is faster by 9seconds in my test when booting into android. But you must have Android auto on your car system. If your car system only has CarPlay you’re limited to 4.0. Latency is roughly the same, but can be tweaked in the config
Does this have an audio deley like when phose is paired through BT to car?
Yes it does and it will be worse than BT. This is how they all work. WiFi is slower than BT for audio delay.
hi anthony.im looking at wireless apple carplay is this garlin 5 going work with my jvc head it’s carplay already used wires normally but they seem to wear out then lose apple carplay .usually get new cable goodmans last one
I’m not sure about JVC. You can only try. Buy from Amazon for easier returns
@@CarPlayLife yes it arrived works great .
Awesome. Glad it’s working great for you.
I have the car link 4.0 at the moment should I upgrade to the 5.0 and I’m using Apple CarPlay. thank you
It’s not really necessary. You lose wire passthrough on the 4.0 and the 4.0 is a little faster into CarPlay from boot than the 5.0 in my experience. If you were using it for Android Auto, the 5.0 does have some advantages in speed there.
I’ve herd this is the only wireless adapter that works with a Sony Xav Ax 3005 which I have. Is this true?
Hi, sorry I don’t have any Sony aftermarket stereo to test that theory. Buy off Amazon for easy returns of it doesn’t work.
@ that’s a good idea! Never thought of that. Thanks!
I bought this a couple of years ago but can’t find the cable that came with it. What cable do I need?
One that does both data and power. USB c to whatever port you’re connecting to it.
I have this model. I cannot connect to the bluetooth. I tried everything. Tried other friends phones, none of them worked. Did all of the settings through wifi, still cant connect. I cannot update the firmware with my android but i managed to update it with an iphone, still does not work after update. What should i do?
If you’re not seeing the BT profile from the adapter it isn’t booting up or being powered, or the update bricked it and it’s not fully booting up to transmit the BT connection. However if you can connect to it via WiFi it is running. Maybe try an older rollback firmware or if it’s in your return window send it back
My SUV only has Apple Carplay. I am looking for something that will work for Android Auto, even though my car does not have Android Auto installed. Any suggestions or help? Thanks
Try a CarlinKit 4.0 (not 5.0, this one works differently for AAuto), or try an AI Box instead
I also have a VW and it didn't work, I know you explained it in the video, but it isn't clear to me what to do to fix it. Could you please explain it?
So they don’t or might not show a menu interface to tell you it’s working. But the adapter should light up red once plugged in. Next go to iPhone and in settings > Bluetooth look for Autokit to appear. If it doesn’t turn BT off at the top switch and back on again and wait a few seconds. Once you tap it accept all the prompts to connect and then the system should show up CarPlay
But there is no prompt showing up. (Im on a different account)
There is no prompt. You have to connect to BT first. If you don’t see it come up then there are problems.
Hi I’m doubting between the Carlinkit 5.0 and the U2Air Pro. I own an MG4. Input lag, the possibility to pair my wife’s phone as well and boot up time are the most important for me. Which one would you recommend?
5.0 if multi-user support is a requirement, and Air Pro if speed is more important, but the 5.0 has more offerings, so I'd go 5.0 if it was me..
@@CarPlayLife thanks man! It’s arriving today. Keep up the good work and happy holidays!
@@gabe89nlhow is it? which ones better?
What is the carlinkit 5.0 like compared to a quad lock? I purchased a quad lock one a couple of weeks ago and it has been awful, always disconnecting
I’m looking at the carlinkit 5.0 but I do a lot of long driving so just wondering what it’s like using maps and taking calls on long journeys?
Quad Lock is the same as a CarlinKit 4.0. 5.0 is just a little bit faster but no Android auto on CarPlay only system like you can on 4.0.
@@CarPlayLifethanks for replying, what CarPlay adapter would you recommend for long drives using Google maps?
Just a question: is the product pairr-max legit or equivalent to CarlinKit5.0?
I’ve never heard of it. Sounds like a copycat rebrand if you’re asking.
Edit. Just checked and it’s likely a rebrand of the Ottocast max.
CarlinKit rarely OEMs their adapter tech.
Hello good morning. I have a question, I have an old Android screen, and they recommended that I buy CarPlay CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA and download the autokit app and it would work. My question is, this version of CarPlay CarlinKit CPC200-CCPA is old, will it be possible for Carlinkit 5.0 to work in the same way with the autokit app on my old Android screen?
No the 5.0 works entirely differently. It will not work with an app. You’ll need the one they suggested. I reviewed it here ua-cam.com/video/s7DaSaKFaEM/v-deo.htmlsi=Lgk4fWZFwHUBZ9KT
I didn't manage to connect to my VW ID6 to get Android auto. My car supports only Carplay. Is there any solution? Thanks
Try the Ottocast u2-x pro ua-cam.com/video/nZHFpZEvuVU/v-deo.htmlsi=ly_zoVl4zB58Uamg
I’m considering getting an adapter. Not sure if I should go for the 5.0 or the 3.0 mini… I have a 2016 Golf GTE. Is this one very big in the car? Which one should I consider?
And is it possible to switch from the CarPlay to radio on the car without unplugging it?😅
The 3.0 mini is about 1/4 smaller than the 5.0. Speed wise the 5.0 is 10s faster to connect. Switching is just like when using wired CarPlay. So press radio and you’re in the radio. Press CarPlay you’re in CarPlay. It doesn’t take it over. Your golf needs wired CarPlay also.
Hello, can i use it to connect my android phone with my car screen that support carplay only??
Not the 5.0 you’ll need a 4.0 for that purpose. The 5.0 doesn’t convert but the 4.0 will do.
Does it do screen mirroring? All I need from one of these boxes is to mirror my phone screen to my vehicle's large infotainment.
No you need a 3in1 adapter or AI box for mirroring. Something that had an android is to run a mirroring app on to your CarPlay display.
Hello , using the 5.0 since its launch, the GPS option ON means it takes GPS from Mobile or Car? in both modes I can see my "gps icon" in my iphone ON when I start navigation so It doesn't make sense..
GPS on should mean it uses gps passthrough from the car antenna. Actually testing this is a bit tricky. A quick way is to rotate the phone and if the maps moves on screen it’s using the phone gps/compass orientation than the car. But I’ve found that this can be also a hit n miss test to accurately test gps passthrough. I’m still trying to find a more solid test.
Can we use it for Audi a3 2014 model ???
If yes then we just need to plug in with car adapter and need to connect with Bluetooth. After that automatically Audi default screw will change jnto car play mode ???
2014 is unlikely to have wired CarPlay? You’ll need that for this to work
My unit didn’t give me a pop up prompt on my iPhone 13 when I connected it by Bluetooth. I updated it and now it just flashes blue once I connect by Bluetooth. HELP!!!
Remove/forget the BT profile on your phone and forget the wifi network also, and start again
@@CarPlayLife ok I’m trying now. Thanks.
@@CarPlayLife I tried it a few times and still the same thing. My car may not be compatible. I’m putting it in a 2012 Nissan Maxima. I try to contact/email them before I send it back. Frustrating. Lol. Thanks for responding. That means a lot. I will definitely sub.
Hello. How do we watch youtube, nertflix on carlinkit 5, is the carbridge option good?
This adapter will not do video streaming. You need an AI box for that.
Carbridge requires a jailbroken device or similar which I don’t trust personally.
I have a 2018 audi a4 and i have a nob to control my carplay. it is not touchscreen. would this device still work?
If it works like this wired, it will work the same wireless.
Any recommendations for a wireless dongle for a pioneer wired carplay head unit? Thanks
CarlinKit 3/4/5 or ottocast air/air pro seem to work fine on my pioneer 93DAB
Will this play youtube and Netflix videos on screen of car?
No you need an AI box or Android OS based adapter for that - ua-cam.com/video/HDy-AC_MFv0/v-deo.html
Hello, can i use this with an aftermarket android head unit which doesn't have Android Auto/CarPlay built-in? Also, can i use Carlinkit AI box with same head unit (I have heard that radio must have Android auto built in)? Thank you very much.
Yes you need either CarPlay or Android auto already on your system (depending which adapter type you choose). For Android head units you need something like these from this playlist ua-cam.com/play/PLysOHeJ5BkMj-ov6_61XEGpj9AbbM0QYM.html&feature=shared
I'm trying to understand if this plays is own "Carlinkit CarPlay" interface, or would use my cars built-in/native "CarPlay" (ie ford bronco) screen. Or is there any adapter that doesn't change my screen?
All wireless CarPlay adapters ‘fool’ your wired CarPlay system into thinking an iPhone is connected.
So it’s emulating a connected iPhone that is receiving the CarPlay ‘display/audio and touch input feed’ from your iPhone and it displays this onto your CarPlay display.
There are two ways (or code) how this is done (or emulated) AFAIK - CarlinKit and everyone else that shares the same what I call ‘fullscreen UI’ code.
So to answer your question isn’t so straightforward…
Yes it’s using your native CarPlay to communicate, but it’s being emulated to act wirelessly by the adapter so your phone can communicate with it.
Remember, CarPlay is just video stream from your phone. You’re not interacting with software on the car system itself, all the work is being done on your iPhone and this is just being ‘cast’ to the display over a series of CarPlay protocols that the display knows how to display it whilst also sending and receiving touch input to and from the display and your phone.
To use wireless CarPlay natively, you would need your car system to have this hardware built in.
Hope this helps.
@@CarPlayLife Are there any security concerns with using these dongles? Is everything still encrypted? Or are they able to see your info and stream/copy it to wherever they please?
Hi, i just bought the Carlinkit 5.0 adaptor. I have an aftermarket 13" headunit running Android 13. I can use CP on the headunit using any iPhone. I have a Huawei Mate 20x which runs Harmoney OS and it does not work with AA. I bought this adaptor so my phone would work. However, even after I connect to the adaptor, the AA on the headunit does not detects it. Any ideas?
In my experience, these wireless adapters are not that reliable on android OS aftermarket systems. This adapter will only work with AA connections, it can't do CP to AA or AA to CP. For that you'll need the 4.0 which works differently to how the 5.0 works. Hope this helps.
Does Carlinkit 5.0 work with aftermarket stereo Sony XAV-AX5500 which has wired Apple Carplay and Android Auto ?
I’m not sure about Sony HU. I hear they can be a bit picky on what works on them. Buy it from Amazon and you’ll get easy returns if it doesn’t work with it.
I too have a discover pro golf so your tests are very applicable to me. Ideally I’d want a system that can handle wired CarPlay pass through. Does this carlinkit 5.0 support this or you familar with a device that does this? I’d be interested to know if it’s possible to just plug in a phone into a wireless CarPlay kit and have a wired CarPlay experience. How would it work when plugging in before the booting process has finished. How would it behave if you’re already booted into wireless CarPlay?
If you’ve already booted into wireless CarPlay and you connect the cable it will stay on wireless mode. You would have to disconnect the adapter with it connected to a cable via the usb port for it to boot into wired mode.
My car doesn't support Android Auto, only Apple CarPlay. Can I use this product to connect Android Auto wirelessly?
You need the 4.0 for that scenario. The 5.0 wouldn’t work this way.
Hi,
Will it work on any infotainment which doesnt have a wired car play ? Mine is 2016 car with no car play options
No, you need a CarPlay wired system for these adapters
I purchased this yesterday , to be honest in only one hour the device was disconnect twice from my iphone 14 Pro , I updated the software still testing so far so good but I will comme back with an update , I hope the update fixes the disconnecting issue , audio quality is fine I don't feel to be bad or something , I'am using on a 2020 Hyundai Ioniq facelift , do I have to change some settings or just leave it alone ? For example wifi band , transfer mode , category
Thank you
Leave it as is. If it’s working to an acceptable level, leave it. You can try media delay at around 500 (you could try 300 but likely unstable) and this will speed it up a little a be more responsive to touch
Thank you for replying to the comments. I use Android and my car has wireless Carplay but wired Android auto. Would you recommend this over Carlinkit CPC200-a2a in terms of stability and latency? I also wonder if my car's own wireless Carplay will still work with this plugged in?
I assume you want to connect to an android for Android auto wirelessly?
@@CarPlayLife Yes.
I think the A2A will be similar to the 5.0, maybe see what's cheapest and from a place like amazon so you have easier returns should it not work.
Hey, thanks for the review. Have you been able to test whether this dongle forwards navigation directions (i.e. the upcoming turn instructions) to the instrument cluster? The Ottocast U2 Air does this, but the CarlinKit 4.0 doesn't, at least with the Renault EasyLink infotainment system (all devices with newest firmware, of course). Music info and album art forwarding works on both dongles, but I'm specifically interested in nav guidance (when using Apple Maps).
I wish I had a car that does this to tell you 🤣
Usually, I thought if it does it over wired CarPlay. It should also do it over wireless.
Hey! Have you got any answer? I'm having the same concern :)
@@CarPlayLife That's what I would have thought as well, but there are differences in behaviour - Ottocast U2 Air puts Apple Maps directions in the instruments, but CarlinKit doesn't. I decided to get the CarlinKit 5.0 anyway, and it turns out it doesn't support it either. It could probably be easily fixed via a firmware update, perhaps @neohu8856 could shed some light on this issue?
@@ahmedsadek9546 Finally checked this myself and no, neither CarlinKit 4.0 nor 5.0 support this feature in my car. So far, only the Ottocast U2 Air does, but then that dongle doesn't support GPS pass-through, which is very handy if the phone is in your pocket, and greatly reduces battery use as well.
So to clarify this not requires car to have android auto build in ?
It does need android auto built in if you need it for wireless android auto.
Does the the usb pass though mean I can charge my phone to it as well?
Yes albeit slowly
For the 23-27seconds to connect to car play, is that only for the 1st time it has to connect or, Everytime you get in the car?
I have a Audi a4 2016 with wired car play, wanted to make it wireless and watch UA-cam/Netflix will this work also
Every time. But it’s likely you VAG system will be like mind and turn on when you unlock the car. So the adapter turns on before you start the car meaning those seconds are shaved off and it’s only a few before you see CarPlay. As long as your phone it’s connecting to is nearby.
When You use wireless AA do incoming phone calls show on little display behind steering wheel? Do You see calls history on that display and can You for example disconnect using steering wheel button?
It should mirror exactly how it works when plugged in wired for android auto, just with the adapter it happens wirelessly
Hello! I just got a vehicle that seems to have both CarPlay and Android Auto, but the amount of dongles is outrageous. If you could suggest the all around best one, what would you say is number one currently?
I have a 2021 Subaru WRX Premium which seems to have the option for both.
Subaru and Mitsubishi are known for being very picky with these adapters. So I can’t say which works without trying it on those vehicles myself.
Maybe buy the CarlinKit 5.0 from Amazon so you can send it back easily if it doesn’t work.
@@CarPlayLife thanks so much ❤️
@@anonymoose2145 , how is your luck with Subaru + CarlinKit 5.0, is it any good (if you happen to try it out)?
@@Terminatorm101 hey there! I picked it up and it works great! Goes from blue tooth to CarPlay in less than twenty seconds. The only thing is that there is delay between the audio. So if you have in a UA-cam video or are on a call, there will be a noticeable 1-2 second delay. It’s not game changing in anyway and I 100% suggest picking one up. It’s never disconnected while driving or anything. The only time I’ve had issues is when it’s trying to connect to my home wifi and CarPlay at the same time after I’ve been in and out of the car lol. Highly suggest!
@@anonymoose2145 wow, glad to hear a positive feedback from an actual Subaru user! After some vids I was almost settled that a vire and a phone in a cupholder is no that bad of an option at all 😅
Usually my car is quite near the home wi-fi, so I believe there might be some issues until I disconnect my phone from it 🤔
The issue I am facing is that it wirelessly connects to carplay for the first time and even works perfectly but once I turn off the car and want to reconnect it, no matter what I do, it doesn’t work. It either keeps disconnecting with the bluetooth or it stucks on connecting. Tried upgrading the firmware aswell but the issue persists. Do you know what could be the issue here?
Try playing with startup delay in the IP config settings menu. It feels your car system isn’t ready for the connection so adding a bit of a delay will help and time the sync much better.
Does it support multiple user? Or reconnection/pairing is required.?
Yes it does. just as long as you have auto connection turned off it shows the menu of devices.
With drop outs, what's the recovery process there for CarPlay and AndroidAuto? Looking at getting this to use in a 10th Gen Honda Civic, it supports native AA and between me and my wife we have iPhone and Android devices that'll get used in that car. I don't think there are any other devices that do what this does.
Usually the adapter and mobile will reconnect if it were to loose connection.
Thanks for the review.. Does it support UA-cam on apple car play?
No you need an AI box or 3in1 for that
@@CarPlayLife What is the name of the iOS app to use UA-cam?
Does this work in a wireless car with wireless apple carplay
If you have wireless CarPlay you don’t have a need for this adapter really. It needs a wired CarPlay connection to work. 5.0 will not convert to Android auto from a CarPlay only connection.
Hello. Does it work in single android multimedia without carplay?
it wont work without wired carplay, you'll need an adapter for android OS headunits where an app can be installed on it
Great review!! 👍👍My car comes with carplay and option to mirrow to my phone. With that do I need a Carlinkit?
If you wanna do that wirelessly then yes 👍🏻
Will this version allow using Audi MMI native functions while using it with android auto? 4.0 version doesn't allow the simultaneous use of carplay and native Audi steering wheel media controls, calls history or voice control
If you’re thinking of using android with a CarPlay system then you don’t want to consider this dongle anyway. It won’t work like the way the 4.0 does. So avoid this altogether.
Wheel controls, seems to work just fine and call history is handled via CarPlay anyway so that works and native voice control works in my VAG car so Audi should be the same.
I have been doing my research with the help of your videos in order to find the best option for me but there's a lot of info and options that is so confusing, could you tell me what's your best option for my case? the car is a Volkswagen Gol and supports AC and AA wired, I want to use them wireless, I'm a AC user but I would like to have the option to use AA too. I would like to know your opinion for both just AC and AC&AA adapters. So much thanks in advance!
If you also want AA then the best option is either 4.0 or 5.0 CarlinKit. There are other 2in1s out there but the autokit software these run are better overall for fixing and tweaking (should you need to).
@@CarPlayLife Thank you so much for your comments!
When I connect to WiFi, the phone's internet connection goes out. Is there a solution? phone huawei p30 pro
That’s how these work. It needs WiFi to connect to the adapter. After that your mobile data connection is used to download/stream content/traffic data etc.
And do you need to buy app-connect for it to work?
No you don’t need to buy or install anything
Does the Carlin 5.0 work with Alpine or Pioneer head units as well ?
Yes they have worked on my alpine and pioneers
Will this device turn my non apple carplay android head unit into a fully working apple carplay head unit? Or this will only work if my headunit has already apple carplay?
The latter. You need CarPlay or Android auto for this one
I bought my car in 2014 so I do not have a factory wired CarPlay infotainment system. I am trying to get CarPlay installed in my car with a wireless adapter. Do you know if there is such an adapter that I can get for a non-factory wired CarPlay system?
Only the boxes that connect in-line with your system, meaning you’ll have to get around the dashboard to the back of the system to plug it in. I’ve not tried these myself but that’s one route. Retrofitting a newer CarPlay system might also work too. Otherwise aftermarket is another option or a standalone CarPlay display system
@@CarPlayLife unfortunately aftermarket won't work coz I don’t have a factory wired CarPlay system so none of the dongles out there now will not work. Sigh! And I don’t want a floating one, looks hideous.