ZDNET’s key takeaways
There are several ways to install Android Auto in an older car.
You can purchase an external display or use an old device.
Using an old device is the most affordable option.
It’s essentially standard these days to get into a car and expect to see some kind of infotainment screen. As part of that, Android Auto has is usually par for the course in most cars made within the last decade and a half — enough that if you have an older car, you might feel left out.
Sure, you can use your car’s Bluetooth or aux connection, but Android Auto offers an always-on display you can safely glance at while on the road (phones can be considerably more distracting).
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There’s good news: It’s fairly easy to add Android Auto to an older vehicle.
You’ll need some sort of display (a wireless screen, tablet, or old phone), a phone to host it (your current phone works), and a Bluetooth connection to link the screen to your car. For that, you can use an adapter if you only have an aux connection and no Bluetooth.
The easiest way: Mounting a wireless screen
The easiest way to add Android Auto to any car is to purchase a wireless screen. You can buy an entire head unit with Android Auto, which is a screen that replaces your existing stereo, but that’s fairly involved and can get expensive. Instead, with the wireless screen method, you’re essentially buying a display with Android Auto on it to mount on top of your dashboard.
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Prices vary depending on the size, but you can get a 7-inch screen that connects via Bluetooth to your car for under $50, and reviews are generally pretty good. One of the biggest advantages of adding Android Auto to your car this way is that it requires no wiring outside of plugging into a power source like a cigarette lighter. Your display will sit on your car’s dashboard and function just like an original screen.
But there’s a cheaper method, as long as you have an old phone or tablet sitting around.
The under-$20 way: Using an old phone as a display
I recently explored adding Android Auto to an old phone and using it as a distraction-free music, call, and text hub while I work. It gave me a surprising productivity boost by keeping my phone in my pocket, and it helped give an old device new life. I realized that it would also be possible to use this as an actual Android Auto screen if I didn’t already have one (as long as the car has Bluetooth).
The process here is pretty straightforward. Start by taking an old phone or tablet and installing either the Headunit Revived, which is currently $4, or the Headunit Reloaded app, which is currently $5 (I went with the former). This turns your old device into a head unit or receiver for Android Auto, taking the place of what would usually be a car screen. Install a free corresponding app, Wi-Fi Helper, on your current device and go through these setup steps.
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I tried to find a friend or family member with a car old enough to have no screen so I could fully test this workaround, but my search turned up nothing. I was able to test out the functionality of this trick, though, by switching my car’s Bluetooth connection to my old device with Headunit Revived installed. Since I already had the connection established from my in-home test, I didn’t need to set up Android Auto again, but you will need to do that your first time.
I tried my new Android Auto workaround on a drive today, and while it definitely wasn’t as snappy as my built-in connection, it got the job done. This way won’t have a dedicated power supply like installing a screen — it could, but I’m assuming you’re charging your main device in the car — but it’s definitely doable.
The biggest advantage of this method is affordability. Considering all you need to buy is a $4 or $5 app and maybe a $9 mount for your old device, the total cost stays under $20.
Artie Beaty
Contributing Writer
Artie Beaty is a freelance writer, based just outside Charlotte, with a passion for smart home tech and tech news. He has a bachelor’s in journalism from UNC Charlotte and has been writing for over 15 years. On the weekends you’ll find him leading haunted ghost tours of uptown Charlotte.
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