Developer turns a wired Android Auto head unit into a wireless one

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Although Android Auto is one of the most used software for modern car head units (alongside Apple’s CarPlay), it has a lot of shortcomings. One of the biggest ones being that most Android Auto-powered head units don’t have the ability to connect to your device wirelessly. This is set to change, but in order to get wireless capabilities, consumers would have to upgrade their cars or their head units, and probably their phones too. This kind of upgrade is out of most people’s budget—and that’s the main reason why XDA Recognized Developer Emil Borconi is working on a workaround.

The whole concept is pretty simple: plug in an auxiliary Android-powered device—it could be an old Android TV stick or a spare throwaway phone—and a basic companion app will allow you to use it as a WiFi receiver for the head unit. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it does work. His project is currently in the proof-of-concept stage, but once it’s finished it could prove to be immensely useful for existing Android Auto users.

If you’re interested in this development, be sure to check out the thread on our forums below. Check out the video to see the current progress of this project.

Proof-of-concept Wireless Android Auto Receiver