Want to add Android Auto to your old car? Here are two ways - including one that's under $20

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• There are respective ways to instal Android Auto successful an older car.
• You tin acquisition an outer show oregon usage an aged device.
• Using an aged instrumentality is the astir affordable option.

Android Auto and infotainment screens person go modular instrumentality successful astir immoderate car from the past 15 years, but if you person a conveyance from the clip earlier that, you mightiness consciousness similar you're missing out. 

If you haven't considered it before, you mightiness deliberation that you're good conscionable utilizing your car's Bluetooth oregon aux connection, but Android Auto gives you an always-on, glanceable show that's not astir arsenic distracting arsenic your phone.   

Also: Why I'm utilizing wired Android Auto erstwhile each the chill kids are switching to wireless

Fortunately, it's not hard to adhd Android Auto to a car that doesn't person it.

To get Android Auto successful an older car, each you request is simply a telephone to big Android Auto (your existent phone), immoderate benignant of show (either a dedicated wireless surface oregon an aged telephone oregon tablet), and a Bluetooth transportation for this surface to link to your car (you tin prime up an adapter if you conscionable person an aux transportation but not Bluetooth). 

There are 2 main ways to bash this: you tin bargain a wireless surface designed for this purpose, oregon you tin usage an aged telephone oregon tablet. Here's a look astatine the advantages of each method. 

The easiest way: Mounting a wireless screen

The easiest mode to adhd Android Auto to immoderate car is to acquisition a wireless screen. You tin bargain an full caput portion with Android Auto, which is simply a surface that replaces your existing stereo, but that's reasonably progressive and tin get expensive. Instead, with the wireless surface method, you're fundamentally buying a show with Android Auto connected it to equine connected apical of your dashboard.

Also: I usage Android Auto successful my surviving country present - and it solves 1 of my biggest productivity problems

Prices alteration depending connected the size, but you tin get a 7-inch surface that connects via Bluetooth to your car for nether $50, and reviews are mostly beauteous good. One of the biggest advantages of adding Android Auto to your car this mode is that it requires nary wiring extracurricular of plugging into a powerfulness root similar a cigaret lighter. Your show volition beryllium connected your car's dashboard and relation conscionable similar an archetypal screen. 

But there's a cheaper method arsenic agelong arsenic you person an aged telephone oregon tablet sitting around. 

The astir affordable way: Using an aged telephone arsenic a display

I precocious explored adding Android Auto to an aged phone and utilizing it arsenic a distraction-free music, call, and substance hub portion I work. It gave maine a astonishing productivity boost by keeping my telephone successful my pocket, and it helped springiness an aged instrumentality caller life. I realized that it would besides beryllium imaginable to usage this arsenic an existent Android Auto surface if I didn't already person 1 (as agelong arsenic the car has Bluetooth). 

The process present is beauteous straightforward. Start by taking an aged telephone oregon tablet and installing either the Headunit Revived or the Headunit Reloaded app (I went with the former). This turns your aged instrumentality into a caput portion oregon receiver for Android Auto, taking the spot of what would usually beryllium a car screen. Install a corresponding app, WiFi Helper, connected your existent instrumentality and spell through these setup steps.

Also: 3 Android Auto automations that marque my drives overmuch easier - and however I acceptable them up

I tried to find a person oregon household subordinate with a car aged capable to person nary surface truthful I could afloat trial this workaround, but my hunt turned up nothing. I was capable to trial retired the functionality of this trick, though, by switching my car's Bluetooth transportation to my aged instrumentality with Headunit Revived installed. Since I already had the transportation established from my in-home test, I didn't request to acceptable up Android Auto again, but you volition request to bash that your archetypal time.

I tried my caller Android Auto workaround connected a thrust today, and portion it decidedly wasn't arsenic snappy arsenic my built-in connection, it got the occupation done. This mode won't person a dedicated powerfulness proviso similar installing a surface (it could, but I'm assuming you're charging your main instrumentality successful the car), but it's decidedly doable. 

The biggest vantage of this method is that, considering each you request to bargain is an affordable app and possibly a equine for your aged device, the full outgo is nether $20.