If your car radio is Android, you can turn it into Android Auto with this application

To have Android Auto in the car, the most common thing is to buy a vehicle compatible with this system, although there is another way to obtain its advantages: build a car stereo with android auto. What is the price for you? No problem: if you have a “normal” Android car radio and you have access to the Play Store, there is an app that brings Android Auto to your vehicle.

Connecting the mobile to the car is ideal for answering calls hands-free and listening to them through the vehicle’s speakers. And, if it has a system adapted to the smartphone, mobile applications can be used in the car console, with the enormous advantages that this entails. In general, options such as Android Auto tend to make the car or car stereo more expensive. That you don’t want to spend so much? There are models with “generic” Android that will not only work for you.

Headunit Reloaded turns your Android car stereo into Android Auto

Android car radios offer functions similar to those included in Android Auto, but without the limitations imposed by this system: in general, allow the installation of any software, is allowed by Google in vehicles because it is not. Of course, a “normal” radio’s interface is usually not as secure or as useful as Auto’s.

The difference between buying an Android car radio and one that already includes Android Auto as standard is a price difference that is usually around 200 dollars. And there is an Android app able to turn any device with this system into a working Android Auto (whether or not it is a car radio). Its name is Headunit Reloaded, a little marvel that we never tire of recommending.

There are two versions of Headunit Reloaded: a free one, which serves as a trial, and a paid version at 4.89 dollars. Ideally, install the free first to make sure it works well in your car. If so, the paid version will surely meet your needs, whether you want to use Android Auto wired or wireless.

You need to install the Headunit Reloaded app on your Android radio. Once you have it, the pairing process begins:

• Open Android Auto on your mobile. The easiest way to find it is to go to phone settings and type in “Android Auto”. Click on the result with this name.
• Once in the Android Auto menu, scroll down to the version number. Press several times and accept developer settings activation.

• With Android Auto Developer Settings active, click the top three menu dots and choose “Start the main unit server“.
• Activate the option to share the Internet on your mobile.
• Find your phone’s hotspot Wi-Fi network from the radio and connect to it. Make sure you don’t have too many apps to update, they can consume all your data (using Android Auto shouldn’t be overspending).
• Open Headunit Reloaded on the radio and accept the necessary permissions for it to work.
• Click on WiFi icon and you will see Android Auto home screen jump to mobile.
• Configure Android Auto and you will have its screen on the car radio. You can use it as if the system were integrated into your vehicle: its operation is identical.

when you get out of the car you have to remember to disable the hotspot on your mobile and stop the server on Android Auto. And after downloading, repeat the process: share the internet, connect the radio to the mobile, open Headunit Reloaded and click on the WiFi icon.

Besides WiFi, you can also connect the mobile to the radio by USB cable. Skip the hotspot step and start the Android Auto server, connect the two devices via USB cable and start browsing by clicking the respective Headunit Reloaded icon. The result should be the same.