CarPlay CarPlay adapter to convert to wireless CarPlay?

[rsonnens]

I just finished my review on the CarlinKit 5.0.

Nice review but I’d add two CarPlay features that are not support by this (and other WiFi adapters.)

1) map turn directions can not display on the drivers instrament cluster for cars that support this. Subaru Outback 2020 and newer are examples. Works fine when phone is wired.

2) maps mirrored onto the driver instrament cluster when navigating is not supported for cars that support this. This includes Polestar, some BMWs and some Volvos. This works when wired

These both are CarPlay features since at least iOS13. I can verify that both do not work with Carlinkit but worked wired.

 

[BleedingMe]

1) map turn directions can not display on the drivers instrament cluster for cars that support this. Subaru Outback 2020 and newer are examples. Works fine when phone is wired.

2) maps mirrored onto the driver instrament cluster when navigating is not supported for cars that support this. This includes Polestar, some BMWs and some Volvos. This works when wired

Did you try Sync Mode? My car does not support a secondary video stream via instrument cluster. So I can't test that...

 

[Mr. Heckles]

These are both 5.0, so why is one cheaper than the other, and both sold by Carlinkit

CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter,New Upgrade,Online Update,Two Channel Connection, Plug & Plug, for Cars with OEM Wired CarPlay & Android Auto(2016-2023) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C49Y1F6...=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_lstpd_AR0E4YZKCWSKH7ZQ2B4N

CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless CarPlay Adapter Converts Wired CarPlay to Wireless/Wired Android Auto to Wireless CPC200-2air Wireless Android Auto Adapter Plug & Play Auto Connect No Delay Online Update https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3X8LTJ...=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_lstpd_AR0E4YZKCWSKH7ZQ2B4N

 

[BleedingMe]

First is sold by Carlinke, second by Carlinkit Brand Store. I am not even trying to understand Chinese sales networks...

 

[mecutler]

These are both 5.0, so why is one cheaper than the other, and both sold by Carlinkit

CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter,New Upgrade,Online Update,Two Channel Connection, Plug & Plug, for Cars with OEM Wired CarPlay & Android Auto(2016-2023) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C49Y1F6...=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_lstpd_AR0E4YZKCWSKH7ZQ2B4N

CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless CarPlay Adapter Converts Wired CarPlay to Wireless/Wired Android Auto to Wireless CPC200-2air Wireless Android Auto Adapter Plug & Play Auto Connect No Delay Online Update https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3X8LTJ...=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ud_lstpd_AR0E4YZKCWSKH7ZQ2B4N

They have different coupons. The price after coupon ends up the same either way.

 

[BleedingMe]

The web interface just prompted me to update from 2023.08.14.1923 to 2023.08.14.1924. Looks like a minor thing as they only faked the time to get the update in.

 

[Cu5co]

Upgraded to 2023.05. Boot time seems much faster than before, background mode works as expected, but location freezes still occur randomly. I'll try turning GPS off in the interface, but that means it's back to the phone which usually sits in my pocket. Will see how that works.

With GPS off, which GPS will it be used, the car GPS or Phone GPS ?

 

[BleedingMe]

Phone only.

 

[Cu5co]

I bought a CarlinkKit 3.0 and when connected with Carplay, the contacts list is empty on the dashboard of the car, nigher last calls or outgoing calls are shown.
Any idea why?
And by the way, which is the best Carplay wireless converter on the market?

 

[AZhappyjack]

And by the way, which is the best Carplay wireless converter on the market?

That is a very subjective topic. None of the CarLinkIt devices worked for me beyond the first couple of days... they would get really hot and just refuse to work (v3 and v4).

I got a generic one (mine is branded "YEHUA"), and it seems to work great... and cheaper than the CarLinkIt devices... of course, some love the CarLinkIt devices and report no issues. YMMV.

Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iPhone, YEHUA 5.8GHz Wireless CarPlay Dongle for Factory Wired CarPlay Cars

 

[Kris404]

Phone only.

They should really rename this setting to 'Use Car GPS'

 

[rsonnens]

Did you try Sync Mode? My car does not support a secondary video stream via instrument cluster. So I can't test that...

It’s a known issue. Sync mode also has no effect. Happens On all version, and across other manufacturer, of the wireless CarPlay devises.

 

[BleedingMe]

So it looks like they do not support secondary and tertiary rich displays.

 

[xfusejc]

Hi all!

I was one of the early adopters of CarPlay2Air and had one of the first generation devices. Recently I wanted to buy a second device, as the original can get pretty laggy and be somewhat unreliable (doesn't always connect, etc.), presumably because it had a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi chip.

Anyhow, I didn't want to spend a lot of money and saw this adapter on AliExpress for $24.77 (the EKIY Wired to Wireless CarPlay Adapter). Got it within a week and WOW, this is probably the best adapter I've used. It's very quick to connect, has 5GHz Wi-Fi so it instantly responds and it has connected every single time.

Only downsides I can see is that it appears to only support maybe one device at a time, which isn't really a problem for my application, and firmware updates can only be done by taking it out of the car, plugging it into power, and connecting to its internal wi-fi network.

For reference, I drive a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan with the entertainment package.

I searched the thread and couldn't find any references to it, so I figured I'd post and see if anybody else had positive experiences with it. Very happy with it so far, and will likely buy another for my wife's car.

I got something similar recently also on AliExpress and I’m loving how seamlessly it connects with also no lag. I have a Mazda CX-5 Signature, which is top of their line, that includes CarPlay and even a wireless charging mat to so easily enable a wireless CarPlay connection, but that would make sense. Instead, wired CarPlay. The adapter came up when I was looking for something else, as I didn’t realize it would be that easy. But lo and behold, 20 bucks and 11 days later, wireless CarPlay that connects within 10 seconds of starting the car and stays connected without dropping any signal for audio or video. Set-up process was a breeze as well, connect it to the USB, connect to the Bluetooth, and allow CarPlay to happen when a pop-up appeared, that was it. Very impressed with both price and function.

Looks identical to the one you posted down to the CarPlay logo, so these are all probably coming from the same warehouse. Either way, I’m pleased.

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

a.aliexpress.com

 

[mecutler]

I got something similar recently also on AliExpress and I’m loving how seamlessly it connects with also no lag. I have a Mazda CX-5 Signature, which is top of their line, that includes CarPlay and even a wireless charging mat to so easily enable a wireless CarPlay connection, but that would make sense. Instead, wired CarPlay. The adapter came up when I was looking for something else, as I didn’t realize it would be that easy. But lo and behold, 20 bucks and 11 days later, wireless CarPlay that connects within 10 seconds of starting the car and stays connected without dropping any signal for audio or video. Set-up process was a breeze as well, connect it to the USB, connect to the Bluetooth, and allow CarPlay to happen when a pop-up appeared, that was it. Very impressed with both price and function.

Looks identical to the one you posted down to the CarPlay logo, so these are all probably coming from the same warehouse. Either way, I’m pleased.

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

a.aliexpress.com

I've tried several new generations of wireless Carplay devices trying to improve on the 35 second wireless Carplay start-up time on my 2019 Mazda MX-5 (Miata). Do you know the version number of the Mazda entertainment system firmware you are running? I know that newer versions exist than what I am using (70.00.352), and I have wondered if a newer version is what I need to get a better start-up time.

 

[c47v3770]

I got something similar recently also on AliExpress and I’m loving how seamlessly it connects with also no lag. I have a Mazda CX-5 Signature, which is top of their line, that includes CarPlay and even a wireless charging mat to so easily enable a wireless CarPlay connection, but that would make sense. Instead, wired CarPlay. The adapter came up when I was looking for something else, as I didn’t realize it would be that easy. But lo and behold, 20 bucks and 11 days later, wireless CarPlay that connects within 10 seconds of starting the car and stays connected without dropping any signal for audio or video. Set-up process was a breeze as well, connect it to the USB, connect to the Bluetooth, and allow CarPlay to happen when a pop-up appeared, that was it. Very impressed with both price and function.

Looks identical to the one you posted down to the CarPlay logo, so these are all probably coming from the same warehouse. Either way, I’m pleased.

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

$21.33 63％ Off | Mini Carplay&Auto Box Dongle Wired To Wireless For Audi BMW Mercedes Toyota Mazda Nissan BMW Suzuki Subaru Kia Ford Opel Skoda

a.aliexpress.com

What year is your CX-5? Curious if it has the older infotainment like my 2017 3..

 

[xfusejc]

What year is your CX-5? Curious if it has the older infotainment like my 2017 3..

It’s 2022, so it has the newer system. With my previous older CX-5 that ran the old version of the Mazda Infotainment, I could actually enable wireless CarPlay through the car directly. I made the mistake of updating it once thinking it would improve it and it just removed that option altogether 💀 my next Mazda in 3 years will have it for sure, since Mazda has been introducing wireless CarPlay on their CX 30/50/90 series.

 

[xfusejc]

I've tried several new generations of wireless Carplay devices trying to improve on the 35 second wireless Carplay start-up time on my 2019 Mazda MX-5 (Miata). Do you know the version number of the Mazda entertainment system firmware you are running? I know that newer versions exist than what I am using (70.00.352), and I have wondered if a newer version is what I need to get a better start-up time.

Mine runs something else altogether. The 70.00 is what I had in my previous model.

^ you have this version, I assume?

They’re running this one nowadays:

As to your question, it’s never been the fastest system boot up across the cars I’ve owned, but this newer version is faster to do so by far than my previous model, and using this adapter, as soon as I press OK to get rid of the initial disclaimer pop up when the car turns on, the wireless CarPlay kicks in. 3-5 seconds at most.

 

[c47v3770]

It’s 2022, so it has the newer system. With my previous older CX-5 that ran the old version of the Mazda Infotainment, I could actually enable wireless CarPlay through the car directly. I made the mistake of updating it once thinking it would improve it and it just removed that option altogether 💀 my next Mazda in 3 years will have it for sure, since Mazda has been introducing wireless CarPlay on their CX 30/50/90 series.

Ah, that explains the faster boot up time. The older infotainment takes a good 20-30 seconds for the Carlinkit to boot up.

Man, I want a 4th gen 3 but prices are wild right for the equivalent of a fully loaded 2017.

 

[htomi]

I have the original CarPlay2Air, but I can't recall which firmware it's currently running. It worked flawlessly without any problems until the iOS 17 update. However, now it freezes every 5-10 minutes. Could you please let me know the latest stable firmware that's compatible with iOS 17.02 for a Mazda 3 from 2017? Thanks!

 

[ChoPraTs]

I have the original CarPlay2Air, but I can't recall which firmware it's currently running. It worked flawlessly without any problems until the iOS 17 update. However, now it freezes every 5-10 minutes. Could you please let me know the latest stable firmware that's compatible with iOS 17.02 for a Mazda 3 from 2017? Thanks!

I had similar problems few days ago with my Mazda 3 from 2019 and a new iPhone 15 Pro Max that came with iOS 17.0.2 installed. The CarPlay screen seemed frozen and I couldn't use the Mazda's control wheel in Carplay but I noticed it worked in the Mazda menu.

In my case, I noticed that Google Maps or Waze were causing the malfunction. Everything was working fine if I closed those apps on my iPhone or used Apple Maps, then I could use the control wheel again.

Not sure why, but all problems disappeared automatically the next day. I did not update the firmware.

Try to restart your phone, update all apps and plug and unplug the CPlay2Air dongle a few times. Maybe it will help.

In my case, the day I was having problems I was restoring a backup from iCloud in the new iPhone and although I could already use the phone and apps already installed, the restoring was not finished yet when I needed to use Carplay. Maybe, that was also part of the problem.

 

[htomi]

I had similar problems few days ago with my Mazda 3 from 2019 and a new iPhone 15 Pro Max that came with iOS 17.0.2 installed. The CarPlay screen seemed frozen and I couldn't use the Mazda's control wheel in Carplay but I noticed it worked in the Mazda menu.

In my case, I noticed that Google Maps or Waze were causing the malfunction. Everything was working fine if I closed those apps on my iPhone or used Apple Maps, then I could use the control wheel again.

Not sure why, but all problems disappeared automatically the next day. I did not update the firmware.

Try to restart your phone, update all apps and plug and unplug the CPlay2Air dongle a few times. Maybe it will help.

In my case, the day I was having problems I was restoring a backup from iCloud in the new iPhone and although I could already use the phone and apps already installed, the restoring was not finished yet when I needed to use Carplay. Maybe, that was also part of the problem.

Thanks for the info! I have an iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 17.02 installed, and all my apps are up to date. However, regardless of the application I use, CarPlay freezes after 5-10 minutes of usage. I've tried disconnecting the dongle several times, but there have been no changes.

 

[vccowan]

Thanks for the info! I have an iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 17.02 installed, and all my apps are up to date. However, regardless of the application I use, CarPlay freezes after 5-10 minutes of usage. I've tried disconnecting the dongle several times, but there have been no changes.

Is it extremely hot in your car? I believe I get problems due to heat sometimes.

 

[htomi]

Is it extremely hot in your car? I believe I get problems due to heat sometimes.

No. I live in a cold-ish part of the world, where it's rarely warmer than 24 degrees Celsius (mid summer). It's a software/firmware problem. It worked perfectly on my phone before iOS 17. Also, I haven't changed anything on the CarPlay2Air dongle and on my phone except for the iOS update.

 

[crina64]

Hi everyone. I hope you can help me solve my problem.
I purchased a Carlinkit 5 A2A adapter to avoid having to connect the phone to the USB port all the time and use Android Auto. Even though I followed the instructions (all in all simple) and paired the Android smartphone with the Carlinkit, nothing appears on the aftermarket head unit and Android Auto doesn't start. Some of you have had the same problems. Before returning it to the supplier I would like to do all possible tests.
Of course, with the wired connection, Android Auto works perfectly