If your car features Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a wireless adapter is a convenient way to get setup and on the road quickly.
These dongles are essentially plugged in 24/7 and allow you to connect to your car via CarPlay or Auto wirelessly using Bluetooth. This means your phone’s charging port is left free, and once it’s set up, the adaptor connects your phone and car automatically.
There are a few brands on the market, so in the interest of saving you hours of searching, we’ve found some of the best wireless adapters for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
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What is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are programs that allow you to use your phone’s interface instead of the one provided by your car’s built-in dashboard display. These programs essentially screencast your phone’s display into your car’s screen, which is convenient and easy to use.
The inconvenience with these programs though, is that you need to plug your phone in to your car to use them, which can get irritating and cause extra wear and tear on your phone’s charging port. It’s also not super helpful if your phone is broken or an older model that doesn’t always connect reliably via a cable.
This is where wireless adapters come in. These adapters plug directly into your car and are also, more often than not, plug-and-play. This means that once you plug it in and get through the initial setup, the adapter will then automatically stay connected to whichever device they’re paired with.
Most dongles are compatible with around 600 different car models, but it’s worth checking to make sure your car is on the list.
Best Wireless Apple CarPlay Adapters
If you have an iPhone, you’ll want to make sure you get an adapter that supports Apple CarPlay. The leader in this space is Ottocast because of its simple setup and low latency, but there are plenty of other brands around, too.
Here are some of our favourites:
- Anytrox Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iPhone – $79.99
- LXJTHT Wireless Apple CarPlay Dongle Adapter – $53.39
- Quad Lock Wireless Adaptor for Apple CarPlay – $139.95
- Ottocast Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iPhone – now $98.02 (down from $119.35)
- Ottocast U2Air Pro Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iphone – $129
Best Wireless Android Auto Adapters
If you have an Android phone, you’ll need to make sure that any wireless adapter you buy can support Android Auto. Ottocast is also a popular pick for Android, as well as Motorola.
Here are our top picks:
- AAWireless Wireless Android Auto Dongle – $139.99
- Anytrox Android Auto Wireless Car Adapter – $79.99
- LXJADAP Wireless Android Auto Adapter – $63.98
- Motorola MA1 Wireless Android Auto Car Adapter – now $119 (down from $159)
- Ottocast A2Air Wireless Android Auto Adapter – $99.99
Best 2-in-1 Wireless Adapters
If more than one person drives your car and you use different types of phones, getting a two-in-one wireless adapter that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is your best bet.
Here is what you can get:
- Autobox 2air Wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay Adapter – now $69.95 (down from $89.95)
- CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter – now $132.99 (down from $150.99)
- LXJADAP Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter – $59.98
- Ottocast MX Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter with AirPlay – $129
Image credit: AAWireless/Ottocast/Motorola/Anytrox/CarlinKit