My favorite Android Auto wireless adapter just got its biggest upgrade ever - and iOS users will love it

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The AAWireless Two Plus costs $65, and supports some Android and iOS wireless connectivity.
• There's inactive a multifunctional pairing fastener for seamlessly instrumentality switching.
• If you're an Android user, opt for the cheaper $55 model.

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Dozens of tech products marque their mode onto my reviewer's table each year, but lone a prime fewer negociate to person capable staying powerfulness to stay my mundane carry. Last year's AAWireless Two was 1 of those rarities, and it someway conscionable got amended successful 2 ways.

For one, AAWireless has launched the much-anticipated successor to the wireless Android Auto adapter, named the Two Plus. While it's designed the aforesaid arsenic the erstwhile model, meaning it's inactive a plug-and-play affair, you tin present usage the instrumentality to tally Apple's CarPlay operating strategy wirelessly. So, alternatively of having to ligament your iPhone to an older conveyance to tally the iOS-based platform, you tin simply brace it to the dongle.

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The full process, including the quality to power betwixt Android Auto and CarPlay with the property of a button, works magically. For families with antithetic telephone brands, tech enthusiasts who curse by the duo-phone lifestyle, and users who conscionable privation a reliable, functional, and reasonably priced wireless car adapter, this is the 1 I've settled connected -- and urge you bash the same. Here's why.

If you've work my reappraisal of past year's AAWireless Two, past it shouldn't travel arsenic a astonishment that I inactive usage it successful my car (a Mazda CX-5) each day. Since mounting up the adapter past October, which progressive plugging the instrumentality into my car's USB-A port, long-pressing the multifunctional fastener to initiate Bluetooth pairing, and confirming the pairing from my phone, the AAWireless Two has lived successful my halfway console passim the seasons.

The lone friction came erstwhile I was reviewing a caller iPhone and recovered myself tapping into CarPlay much often than Android Auto, which required a wired transportation since my Mazda didn't enactment wireless.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

That was until a period ago, erstwhile I replaced the AAWireless Two with the Two Plus, eliminating the request to excavation retired a USB-C cablegram and conflict to plug it into my telephone during the dark, end-of-year days. Now, I simply commencement the motor of my car, hold for 5 to 8 seconds for the dongle to respond and my telephone to pair, and voilà: wireless automotive bundle goodness.

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While I tin lone attest to the consistency and reliability of the wireless pairing with my 2023 CX-5, I besides utilized the dongle connected a play roadworthy travel precocious with an older 2019 Audi Q5. Except for the 1 time, erstwhile long-pressing the multifunctional fastener didn't punctual immoderate pairing indicator (a pulsing airy ringing surrounding the button), I didn't person immoderate issues connecting my iPhone oregon Android to the car. Your mileage whitethorn vary. 

I've really recovered that the AAWireless Two Plus often works overtime, arsenic it volition inactive clasp a section Wi-Fi transportation adjacent aft you crook disconnected your car and locomotion away. The idle authorities lasts for lone a fewer seconds, truthful it's thing to interest about. However, I often announcement the "pairing successful process" notification and second-guess whether I powered disconnected my car. 

Both the AAWireless Two and Two Plus stock a akin app interface with customizable settings.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

I'll adhd that the Bluetooth transportation is beardown capable to trigger my Spotify playlist (set to autoplay erstwhile paired with a car) adjacent erstwhile I'm inactive wrong the location and person lone started the conveyance to lukewarm it up. My lone qualm with this behaviour is that podcasts oregon different audio shows whitethorn commencement playing up without you realizing it.

To marque the astir of your AAWireless Two Plus, you'll privation to dial into the companion app. Within settings, you tin marque finer adjustments, specified arsenic adjusting the DPI, enabling split-screen modes, and mounting a pairing precedence concatenation for aggregate connected devices. 

Also: Your Apple CarPlay is getting a large upgrade: 3 features I'm utilizing connected iOS 26 close now

This setup is adjuvant if you participate the car with a spouse oregon household member. For example, the adapter ever pairs to my Android telephone first, but automatically switches to my iPhone if the Android isn't present.

Like the erstwhile model, you tin inactive entree diagnostic and troubleshooting tools from the mobile app, including the enactment to toggle pass-through mode for information transfer, hole audio stutters, disable TTS descend for routing navigation audio, and more.

ZDNET's buying advice

Ultimately, the AAWireless Two Plus does what it's advertised to do, and it does it well. I inactive highly urge the older (and present cheaper) AAWireless Two for Android-only users, arsenic it does astir everything the same, but for not supporting Apple CarPlay. However, for iPhone users oregon those looking to power operating systems, the Two Plus is the caller champion option.

At $65, the AAWireless Two Plus isn't needfully the cheapest car adapter. A speedy Amazon hunt reveals listings that hover astir the $40-$50 range, with reviews that amusement promise. But I uncertainty those options person the aforesaid functionality, bundle support, and in-app tools arsenic the AAWireless, which is wherefore it's the adapter I'll beryllium recommending to astir radical going into the caller year.