Carlinkit 3.0 vs 2.0 Wireless CarPlay Dongle Speed Test | Carlinkit U2W 3.0 Review

[@technickr]

Thank you for clearing my questions and showing details about the difference of the dongles.

[@clfehr08]

I have two Carlinkit dongles. One is clearly the older firmware and one the updated firmware. Both are very stable with rare crashes. I drive about an hour a day, and get a crash less than weekly. Drove 2,000 miles this summer without a single crash from my 3.0 dongle 🤷🏼‍♂️. Also, paid about £60 from AliExpress.

[@CarPlayLife]

That’s great! I am sure the crashing is also system, app, heat or connection signal based. Than just the dongle alone.

[@thiagodv86]

Can you share the link where you purchased Carlinkit 3.0 on Aliexpress? Thanks!

[@thiagodv86]

I'm from Brazil by the way...

[@NotaRandomYTuser]

Thanks you for the review. I love the fact that the option of "background mode" was added as it is much cleaner and discreet than the prompt screen and that retain the factory look of our infotainment system. We purchased 2 Carlinkit in the last 3 months. They already came with the red interface. However the Carlinkit support is absolutely nonexistent, they never replied to any of my queries, before and after purchase, despite my follow up. I take the liberty of pasting my questions below, this community might know some of the answers: We have 2 carlinkit on each of our cars and we have some questions that would help us using the device better: • How many iPhones can be paired? • Is there a way to set up a device priority. For example, if two paired iPhones are in the car, can we choose which one to connect first. • Is the adapter connects to the wrong phone and launch Carplay, how can we easily go back to the devices selection screen? • Would that process still be possible under "background mode"? Thanks!

[@CarPlayLife]

From my experience: 1. At least two but there looks to be room for more. I don’t know if this panel scrolls, if it doesn’t there’s room for around four - if it can support that 2. Not that I know off. It’s a nice feature request for the makers of this software - if they are listening. 3. It’s not easy. You’re only way is to either pull the dongle out and reinsert it to reboot it to get to the boot menu. Or cancel CarPlay on the device in the settings menu and it will roll back to the boot menu after a few seconds. 4. Probably not as you are basically hiding the boot menu that allows you to select connecting devices. These dongles are not great at coping with multiple devices. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@NotaRandomYTuser]

Thanks you very much for you comprehensive reply. This was how I assumed the dongle would behave. It is scary how there is no support from Carlinkit. However, when you buy from them, they are so quick to get in touch on WhatsApp… weird.

[@BenjaminNeammanee]

Thanks for the review, didn't know I have the 3.0 until your video. Bought this since May

[@CarPlayLife]

It’s been out for a while. I just wanted to cover it before I start reviewing the Carlinkit Mini dongle.

[@tomwilson8940]

Just got a Carlinkit 3.0 and am using it with a Pioneer head unit in my Renault Clio! It is working great, pairs quickly with my iPhone 12 and have not had any drop outs. Thanks for your review!

[@CarPlayLife]

You’re welcome. Glad you’re enjoying the dongle.

[@bellas3101]

I have a pioneer head unit and just bought the car link head unit but can’t figure out how to set it up. Any tips?

[@CarPlayLife]

@@bellas3101 read the manual and follow the install guide. The pioneer has to have wired CarPlay if you are not seeing anything come up on screen.

[@iamdenislara]

Thank you for the video. We are getting closer and closer to cable speeds! One day

[@kabilzy]

Thanks for video. Just FYI for those considering buying... I have new 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. This device performs extremely well and beats the startup times shown here by half if not better, often between 6-10 seconds after the "Starting CarPlay" notification in MBUX. Also as an FYI, the only thing that really bugged me was having to "see" the AutoKit UI screen while connecting. I wanted an experience like a Mercedes I demoed that had built-in Wireless CarPlay, where all you see is the "Starting CarPlay" wait graphic. But then I discovered the "Background Mode" setting in Carlinkit and voila. Now the experience is identical to a Mercedes with built-in Wireless CarPlay. If the makers of this device could just get a better Chinese to English translator... lol.

[@CarPlayLife]

Glad to hear you’re enjoying it. Thanks for sharing the tips and info and thanks for watching.

[@KostasMariorakis]

Hi William, same car - quick questions. Whenever I start the engine (after the car is parked for a long time) the carlinkkit does not always switch on/boot up (red light and then green is not coming up - I also get a message Hardware error:BT). Its not always the case , as when i go in and out the car in a period of 30 mins it does boot. I have it connected in the center console where we connect the phone for factory Apple Carplay. Also do i need to connect both to MBUX and Carlinkit with bluetooth or just to Carlinkkit? Thanks

[@thebammer4832]

I have that Carlink. It was a bit to sync at first (I say it was user error) but now that it's linked, its super fast and connects within 10 seconds. I had my phone in my pocket and it still linked up to my radio.... I highly recommend it

[@CarPlayLife]

Yup the 3.0 is great still to this day.

[@captnrb]

I have unit installed on 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited with nav radio head. Upon start up sometimes the radio says “recovery mode” and after 15 seconds it reboots radio and nav possibly with another shut down and reboot. I have the latest software in both the vehicle and the 3.0 dongle. Also, when using voice for directions in Waze, the radio does not come back on. Any suggestions?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like a compatibility issue with your system. Only suggestions I have is to play with the IP menu settings and look at the compatibility modes along with delay. Reach out to their support team for more help with this.

[@DanZimmerli]

I enjoy my 3.0. Thanks for this video.

[@RemigiuszSzczerbak]

Is it still working great after 3 months? No problems?

[@HCG]

What Wi-Fi testing software do you use? I've been looking for one with a simple, clean interface like that.

[@CarPlayLife]

I use a desktop app InSSIDer to monitor WiFi signals. I then put them in a spread sheet and it’s a screenshot of that I show. But it is still a clean interface.

[@huseyinkaya8056]

I have carlinkit 2.0 sometime lose connection so 3.0 Same or not

[@CarPlayLife]

Might be the same. The software is different on the 3.0 over 2.0

[@drof2th]

Hi, thanks! I have a super dumb question though. I have a one year old Kenwood radio in my car and I have to plug my iPhone in to use Car Play. Does this type of dongle allow my to connect my phone wirelessly to use Car Play from the phone? Thank you!

[@CarPlayLife]

Hi. Yes, that’s what this is mainly for.

[@rashedalam2272]

Hey Anthony, what’s the fastest CarPlay dongle at the moment? I have carlinkit 3.0 but it takes 40secs to over a minute. Thanks

[@CarPlayLife]

I’d go with either U2-Air kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ7YpmSnZsd-p68, TNVTEC/Zetzeade AutoBox kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6moeZSVYtqmfas, or ATOTO AD3WCP kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3fKnmhpjdmSpqM

[@rashedalam2272]

@@CarPlayLife thanks mate. I think in your Zetzeade AutoBox updated review you said that the updated version is not as fast as the old one. So, should I get the old version?

[@CarPlayLife]

if you can get the very early one I would, otherwise, I think the 'old version is pretty much the same as most others that run the same software. The really early model was totally different and I think they have stopped making that one now for some unknown reason.

[@Brubri1234]

First of all, thanks for the review. Today I got my first Carlinkit dongle... And I have a big doubt that I hope you can help me with. Basically, I bought it from another website (called carlinkitcarplay, I hope it wont be considered as spam, since my comment got deleted twice), and there the dongle is advertised as "2.0/3.0" version, because according to them _"3.0 is just the code name of a software update version. Currently 2.0 and 3.0 are exactly the same"_ even though this video demonstrates that there's another actual difference, which is the faster Wi-Fi speed. The images they use to advertise the dongle seem to represent the 2.0 version (with the Carlinkit logo like the one on the left at 0:14), but now that I got it I see that it actually looks like the 3.0 version (with the Carlinkit logo upside down, compared to the other dongle). Also, I noticed that it already has the new red UI already out of the box, and I'm almost sure that I didn't download any software update. Is this a confirmation that I actually have the 3.0 version? If not, is there any way to know for sure which version of this dongle I got?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like that site wasn’t official but they are reselling the same dongle. By the sounds of it you have the 3.0 dongle. If you want to confirm what’s inside download a free program called inssider to check its WiFi bandwidth. Plug it into a wall adapter and give it a few minutes to boot up. Then load up the program and wait for something like MENU(and a number) to come up. Click it and check to see if it has a 866mbps max data rate. Hope this helps.

[@Brubri1234]

@@CarPlayLife Thank you for the reply. :) I followed the steps you gave me, but I'm still a bit confused by the result: after I boot up the program and then I plug the carlinkit to the wall (I used an "old" 5V 1A iPhone charger), in the SSID list appears one that's called "MAZDAA8" (I have a Mazda 2, so I guess this name makes sense), and if I look at the network details it actually says that it's Wi-Fi 5, as you say in this video, but the max transmission rate is "only" 433.3 Mbps... Do you know what does that mean?

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Brubri1234 so there was a small line of dongles manufactured with WiFi 5 but with one antenna, meaning half the 866mbps speed. My demo sample of the Ottocast had this spec, yet one they shipped again from Amazon has WiFi 5 and 866mbps. So I feel like there was a chipset going around with one antenna than two for half speed before they got updated. Perhaps these were sold to third party sellers like where you got yours from. Just a speculation but it seems possible.

[@Brubri1234]

@@CarPlayLife This sounds possible to me… If this is the reason, that’s just my usual bad luck. :’) Anyway, looking at the bright side of this, I'm glad that (as I understood) it's actually still the 3.0 version (because of Wi-Fi 5, am I right?), and so I still have a higher transmission speed than the 2.0 version, even with a single antenna. At the end, the dongle works just fine, so I’ll most likely forget about this.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Brubri1234 yes. Look at it as a 2.5 :) you’re just missing another antenna so the bandwidth is halved yet I don’t think you’ll notice that much difference. Most of the speed gain is in the new autokit menu which you have over the other 2.0 dongle

[@mawan210]

Hi.. Can i use carlinkit 3.0 to my CRV TURBO 2017? Currently the original headunit does not have car play feature. Thx

[@CarPlayLife]

You need a carplay system for these dongles to work with it. So it wouldn't work for you.

[@buzzbusbee7032]

Hi! I have a 2018 Volvo XC90 and have been using the Carlinkit 2.0 with no issues for last 1+ years. Recently, my battery died and after having Volvo replace it, the dongle no longer connects. I event bought the 3.0 carlinkit and it's the same. I plug it in, the red light on the dongle comes on and stays on...that's it. No setup/pairing screen ever comes up. I can do CarPlay via hardwire just fine, but for some reason, 2.0 and 3.0 dongles dont prompt anything now when connected, Any guess on what to do?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like your system has gone into an original state where it doesn’t like the dongle. I would go through your systems settings menus to see if anything is on/off that shouldn’t be for these dongles to do their job. Also remove all CarPlay, wifi and BT profiles related to the dongles and start fresh. Alternatively, could the dealer have updated the software on the system, now making it incompatible?

[@srock77]

Relatively sophisticated user. Honda Passport 2019. The 3.0 unit wont reliably auto connect. Have tried resetting to factory settings, forgetting and repairing bluetooth, forgetting and re setting wireless making sure I am on latest build. It will hang at connecting screen (bluetooth shows conned and wireless shows connected. If I unplug and replug it will often start up. It will then work for the day even when shut down for a few hours and then not start up the following day. Out of ideas. Any help appreciated

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like general compatibility with this system and particular dongle. It sounds like you’ve done all that I’d suggest, other than playing with the IP settings menu on the dongle from your connected phone and try messing with compatibility modes and delay to make it work more harmoniously with your CarPlay system.

[@daveskerrett0]

How does the CarlinKit 2021 mini compare with the CarlinKit 3, and do they work OK with a UK Nissan

[@CarPlayLife]

The mini is just a cheaper version of the 3.0 version. The advantage of 3.0 over mini is the USB A port for manual upgrading. The mini is forced to only get its updates I’ve the air only. Some day the mini has better audio but I am yet to test my review sample. Hopefully I will soon.

[@daveskerrett0]

@@CarPlayLife just got the carlinkit 2021 mini from Amazon, works great with Nissan Qashqai, never bought anything so easy to set up, with current deal, it only cost £88 including next day delivery

[@Vcr770]

Do u have any delay issue using that dongle when listening to the music or when watching videos? I am using other brand dongle and it kinda has 3 seconds delay when i want to skip to the next song. And it also has sound delay when i watch videos while connected to the carplay. I am looking for a dongle that has less delay now..

[@CarPlayLife]

Wireless CarPlay carries an audio delay of around 2seconds due to how there is generally lag over WiFi. You can’t really get around it. some dongles buffer the video first to play it in sync in its own player. The way for no lag is to play it directly on the dongle. Such as an android os dongle (AI Box).

[@mfrancis706]

\\\New Subscriber/// Great video's... Question: Can I use the usb slot on this dongle to play other media and will this dongle allow my passengers to watch that media while the car is driving? Martin from London.

[@CarPlayLife]

Hi Martin, thanks for watching and subscribing. For any media playback. Specifically video. You will need an android OS box. Such as any of these from my playlist here 👉🏻 kzbin.info/aero/PLysOHeJ5BkMh2B1Rn4O0nk1ZSbJ2ufr-Y

[@shwavybul8200]

I have a Infiniti g37 2009 and I don’t have and USB ports would it work it if I plug it into the older ports . The old cars you need a adapter if I use the adapter and plug in the Carlin into the charger adapter would it work??plz

[@CarPlayLife]

No you need to plug these into an existing carplay USB port in the car.

[@Bored00m]

pretty sure this device messed up my system. I had issues with the Carlinkit 3.0 as it wouldn't auto connect. I returned it to amazon, and continued using my wired iphone connection instead, for carplay. It wouldnt work and I almost immedietly started receiving a never-ending popup saying "device not supported" on my touchscreen. I reset everything, cleared personal data, rebooted system, cleared all devices, bluetooth etc, and i still get the pop-up. even when NOTHING is plugged in. VERY FRUSTRATING! any help/info is greatly appreciated!

[@CarPlayLife]

What vehicle make and model is this in? If it continues with wired it feels like the system or maybe iOS update has caused this. Make sure you’re update on your iPhone. Reboot it maybe. Check or replace iPhone cable that is being sued. The dongle can’t write to the system it’s plugged into. So I highly doubt it has caused this issue to the system itself. If you can factory reset it maybe that might help but as last resort.

[@Bored00m]

@@CarPlayLife 2020 Chrysler 300. I will try a new cable but its still giving that error pop-up with nothing even plugged in. no cable at all. wired carplay was working perfectly fine for over a year until using the carlinkit, so I cant help but feel it was the cause. I will probably have to bring it to the dealership.

[@Bored00m]

also ios is updated. i have tried two iphones and 3 authentic lightning cables. reset everything and the pop up still persists and carplay not working. not happy

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Bored00m sorry to head that. I think only a dealer will be able to shed light on what has happened and hopefully fix it.

[@SyntheticSpy]

Hi. I know this is an older video, but it seems you're still answering questions so I wanted to know if you could help clarify something for me. When I look for the 3.0 dongle there seems to be several versions of it. There's one that looks the same as this one, but also one that has a carbon fiber design. Do you know what the difference between these two is?

[@CarPlayLife]

I think it’s the same but with a different case to refresh the lineup. I’m not sure if it has anything different inside. There is a blue carbon version. That’s the 4.0 which IS different to the 3.0.

[@SyntheticSpy]

@@CarPlayLife I’m also looking at the 4, just wanted to understand the different models a bit better. Thanks a ton for the reply too. That was ridiculously fast. Definitely got a sub from me

[@CarPlayLife]

Thank you. Sadly I didn’t get the carbon version for review, but I assumed it’s just a case design change. The 4.0 adds android auto support, an upgrade Autokit UI, and passthrough wired support for both. But 4.0 has poorer WiFi specs so if you’re just using it for wireless CarPlay the 3.0 might be better.

[@bigjdk1964]

Hi my daughter has a 2015 vauxhall corsa do you need carplay already installed in her car stereo for the carlink to work??.so the carlink dongle will work with a iPhone thanks

[@CarPlayLife]

Yes it needs wired CarPlay for these dongles

[@velichkodrumev5523]

I’m ordering the same dongle for my Octavia 3 with alpine head unit like your Alpine x902d, but I want to ask you when you plug in the dongle Can you use the usb stick on the dongle to play music via usb flash drive, while is connected to the port for CarPlay

[@CarPlayLife]

Hi. Unfortunately this USB port is for very low power use and updating only. It doesn’t pass through data for media playback on the system sadly.

[@zo0mi]

Hi i have the 3.0 dongle using it with 11 pro max on Seat Ateca FR 2021, everything is working except of any music app, it always crash once i try to play music while using it. Note: my car supports USB type C so i bought a type C to type C cable. I hope you can advise with a solution for this, thanks in advance.

[@CarPlayLife]

Has this only just recently happened? Was it working fine before? This sounds like the latest iOS 15 bug. Have you updated to the latest iOS 15? Maybe keep an eye out for a future update that might fix this from Apple.

[@zo0mi]

@@CarPlayLife Thanks for replying i just bought my carlinkit a couple of days ago and its doing it since then, knowing that my iphone is on IOS15 and i also tried the dongle on two other cars using my phone and it worked well, i really dont know either its a software update needed for my car or is the power supply from my car’s USB is not suppling the dongle with sufficient power, any advise.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@zo0mi it could be either of those things. If it works just fine in other cars it’s highly likely then that the dongle doesn’t like your car system. Maybe see if there is a newer firmware update available for the system. You could try a better usb cable. Other than that is to try newer updates to the dongle itself or dive into the IP based settings menu and try different settings such as compatibility and delay.

[@XellosMetallium]

Which car dongle do you recommmend for the new rav4? I did not opt to pay $2k for their navigation + CarPlay.

[@CarPlayLife]

Does it have CarPlay though? these dongles will need that for them to work.

[@XellosMetallium]

@@CarPlayLife it's a 2015 rav4 with aftermarket px6 android 9. I got the head unit back when carplay was a new thing and they do have carplay but it''s sold separate as a usb adapter. Today Dasaita sells android head unit with carplay built in.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@XellosMetallium My review of the CarLinkit CPCA dongle might work for this situation, I should have it out on my channel in a few weeks.

[@XellosMetallium]

@@CarPlayLife ordered the CCPA model. Can't way to try it.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@XellosMetallium awesome. Just reviewed it this week.

[@krobson17]

I have issues where mine will crash after about 10 minutes of use with Waze. Any idea? I’ve been working on getting it updated but it’s a whole process if you haven’t kept up on the uodates. I wish the manufacture would bundle all updates together so you don’t have to go through and upgrade to each subsequent update. Makes it very time consuming to keep it up to date.

[@CarPlayLife]

Is it just Waze or have you tired alternative apps to see if it’s not just Waze crashing it?

[@RevvyK2]

Drove to Florida 22 hours straight with the Car play mini and it didn't crash once =D but I have the mini white one that says its "2.0" from amazon but the boot screen shows the 3.0 design... so I'm confused lolz

[@CarPlayLife]

That’s great news. That’s one extensive test and good to know. I’m sure all dongles sold today now carry the newer ‘3.0’ autokit menu. Maybe they just didn’t update their marketing/images. Sounds like a positive experience though. Thanks for sharing. 🙏🏻😊

[@travis4523]

Thanks for the review. Any idea if the carlinkit 3.0 works with the iphone 13 pro in a 2018 chevrolet impala? And if not can you make a recommendation on a dongle that might?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry I can’t say. Best Buy from Amazon so you have easy returns.

[@travisgilbert652]

I’m trying to decide between the Carlinkit 3.0 and the Ottocast U2 as those seem to be your most highly recommended? Any recommendations for one over the other? Also, is there one that’s better for having multiple phones paired to it (mine and my wife’s will both be paired at different times) and how does it choose which phone takes preference when both are present?

[@CarPlayLife]

What car is this dongle going in to?

[@travisgilbert652]

@@CarPlayLife 2018 VW Atlas

[@CarPlayLife]

@@travisgilbert652 I would try Ottocast U2-Now. I spoke with someone who had an Audi. The CarlinKit 3.0 didn’t work but the Ottocast did. Very odd but for that reason and Audi being in the same group as VW I would try Ottocast first. From Amazon for east returns. Both allow multiple phones. Albeit with poor UI to switch between them, but it’s possible.

[@travisgilbert652]

@@CarPlayLife the Ottocast doesn’t seem to work. It paired with my phone at first but wouldn’t load CarPlay. After unplugging and retrying multiple times, I’ve received BT error and wifi error. :(

[@CarPlayLife]

@@travisgilbert652 wow both errors. That doesn’t sound good. You could see if you can update it. But if you can’t get into CarPlay long enough you might not be able to do it over the air. So only via wall plug method. Or send it back and try the CarLinkit 3.0 but normally that’s less supportive. But worth a shot. It could be total opposite for your car model

[@stalak]

Hi. How long does standard smartphone baterry hold on using android auto and maps via bt ? As i have only one usb port and no wireless charging.

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry I don’t use android long enough in the car to know this. Maybe someone else can help

[@glennbot4992]

Is it possible to play MP3 music on a usb flash drive plugged it into the back of the Carlinkkit dongle? (or any other brand of Dongle)

[@CarPlayLife]

Not with this dongle. You’ll have to look at android os or hybrid android/CarPlay dongles like the MMB+

[@andrewward4246]

How does the 3.0 sound? I have dismissed all wireless CarPlay adapters previously because of poor sound quality.

[@CarPlayLife]

I’m probably the wrong person to ask. They all sounded totally fine to me. Not had a bad sounding dongle. But all this is coming from an Alpine app.

[@HCG]

I have the 2.0 that came with the updated red UI and firmware, and the sound quality is better than Bluetooth. For reference, I have a 2021 Mazda3 with an upgraded sound system. The difference is noticeable. You have to make sure the sound quality is set to "DVD" in the Carlinkit menu, though. "CD" quality sounds pretty bad.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@HCG Thanks for sharing

[@planb2504]

Can this dongle find and connect to another phone not iphone? I got android phone Samsung here.

[@CarPlayLife]

You’ll need an android os ai box for that. As well as a wired CarPlay stereo.

[@NickNow]

Do you need a custom head unit? I have a stock one in my 2018 Accord, but I really want wireless CarPlay

[@CarPlayLife]

It is designed mostly for factory CarPlay systems, however it does work with aftermarket too. Another Honda accord specifically can be a little picky with what dongle works with it, but as long as you get it from Amazon you have the luxury of easy returns if it doesn’t work

[@uguruzun3695]

Hi. I have carlinkit 3.0. A few weeks before I gave a attention like this ; “Accessory Not Supported.This accessory is not used by this device not supported”. I have 12 pro max ios 15.1. Please help me. My device is updated last version but dont connection. :(( Also I tryed another phone and ios version but not work :(

[@CarPlayLife]

You might have to roll the update back to a previous version.

[@uguruzun3695]

@@CarPlayLife Which device ? Iphone or carlinkit ? How back roll the update to back ? 🤦🏻‍♂️ I had a lot of questions sorry about that 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry, I meant the Carlinkit dongle could be rolled back. Check my video on this here, its the same method for this dongle also kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKqafa2CjLd1q68

[@uguruzun3695]

@@CarPlayLife Well is it download file same both ?

[@CarPlayLife]

If you are trying it on the 3.0 dongle with the red UI you will need the Autokit rollback firmware.

[@jdswdew]

How does it manage multiple phones in the car? For instance, if my wife and I both are linked to this how does it choose which one to display when we both get in the car?

[@CarPlayLife]

There is a boot menu with your devices list once they have both been paired. You can tap and select the phone you want quickly before it connects or in settings you can not have it auto select a phone and you choose it manually.

[@jdswdew]

@@CarPlayLife Awesome, thank you!

[@CarPlayLife]

No problem 😌

[@RemigiuszSzczerbak]

How durable are Carlinkit products in general? I read some reviews on Amazon saying that it stops working after a month or so. Question is: it's because of car firmware updates that breaks compatibility or carlinkit is overheating and getting broken.

[@CarPlayLife]

I would say a bit of both. A lot of reviews can be user error. People think updating will improve delays or speed of boot (it won’t). And these updates can tip the balance of compatibility against what was working. TLDR: don’t update if everything works. I’ve never had a dongle over reviewed fail only without me doing something to it. Mainly it’s been an update that breaks them. A lot think these dongles offer any car system CarPlay. Poor marketing and sales images do this.

[@dianemccorkle8007]

I bought one in September 2021 and it died over New Years, as in "it's dead Jim" and trying to get it supported by the manufacturer just had them saying I should go to the seller, and the seller saying I should go through Amazon even though it was months ago, Amazon stepped up and did a replacement, but the run around I got from MFR and Seller was very frustrating.

[@SYN862]

This dongle works with aftermarket headunit? My car is a mk5 golf gti, i change the oem radio for a pioneer with wired carplay, can i use this dongle to make it wireless?

[@CarPlayLife]

Yea it will as long as the pioneer has wired CarPlay

[@anarkan191]

Thank you Anthony for the putting together the one and only most comprehensive and technically relevant and informative review of the carlinkit 3.0 vs 2.0 which is precisely what I was after and made me decide to upgrade from 2.0 to 3.0 as my 2.0 although semi stable every once in while crashes and drops out to a black screen forcing me to keep pulling the usb cable and reinsert the usb cable back in my vehicle golf R 2016 MIB II head unit. Here is me hoping that the 3.0 will have a some what better stability than the 2.0. Having said that I know how to upgrade its firmware but Can you please elaborate on how to downgrade a firmware if needs be. Finally is there a way that either the 2.0 or 3.0 can be factory reset I could not for the life of me find any information anywhere on how to do this. So I can wipe my the profiles on my 2.0 so I can give that to someone els to use. Thanks again for an epic job mate. No thrills or crazy irrelevant cinematic just relevant useful information which is precisely what I was after to make my upgrade decision. Respect ✊ Subbed

[@CarPlayLife]

Thank you so much 🙏🏻😊 There is no way to factory reset, other than to roll back the firmware. The process is exactly the same as my video here kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKqafa2CjLd1q68 selecting one of the rollback firmwares here. You could just remove the profiles (boot up and tap and hold on each profile to allow the option to delete it). Hope this helps and thanks again for watching and the sub. Respect returned ✊🏻

[@vincentscully9786]

Hi I have a 2.0 and am having some issues that I cant resolve it connects and then disconnects after a minute or so then reconnects for 2 mins and then disconnects again and then is stock in a connecting loop. Seller on Ali express does not want to know. Anything you can advise?

[@CarPlayLife]

This could be a number of things, from no getting enough power, delay timing, to incompatibility with your system. Try it on another CarPlay enabled car to see if it’s not your system that it doesn’t like. Try a different iPhone. Make sure you’re iPhone is updated. Then try updating it, or rolling it back to a more stable firmware. See my guide on this channel on how to do that. If you can get into CarPlay for a short while. Try messing with the delay timings. See if that helps. Make sure your car doesn’t have any WiFi or BT pairing with other devices. Remove all profiles other than the dongle. Try removing it too and adding it fresh again. Reboot iPhone can help also.

[@iangrinter2211]

Anthony, thanks for your reviews, I have a dongle calles LESS WIRE, it works great but it is hopeless with phone conversations, does this apply to all dongles you review as I haven't seen any information regarding that, that I can see

[@CarPlayLife]

Unfortunately this is the way for many, but I think it is more at the system level than the dongle as some of the same dongles in another vehicle may not have any significant delay. The way these dongles work for CarPlay calling is over Wi-Fi, which has a longer latency than Bluetooth. This is the delay in calling that many experience. To reduce the lag would be to use a dongle with faster wifi5 speed so it is more rapid. Dongles with wifi5 are latest CarLinkit 3.0 or mini dongle, CPlay2air update with shiny case, Ottocast U2-Now.

[@iangrinter2211]

Anthony , thanks for your reply, I was thinking of sending it back but after your comments I will keep it as I am getting a new 2022 Hyundai and see if it works better

[@Bored00m]

I purchased this on amazon. I set it up and it works fine with slight delay when switching songs. my only issue is it wont reconnect after leaving and reentering my vehicle. i have to unplug the dongle and reinsert it for it to work again. Is there a fix for this? about to return it

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like compatibility with your system. Before you return you can try the IP config menu (192.168.50.2 from your iPhone once connected to it) and add some value to the delay setting. See if that helps.

[@Bored00m]

@@CarPlayLife I will give this a try in the morning. what delay value do you suggest? thank you for your help

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Bored00m I think it’s in milliseconds so 1 second delay will be 1000. So try that first. If that improves you can start to dial it back to 500 and see if that works still. Otherwise go up in 500s. Restarting the dongle each time to make sure the settings are being applied and used. The delay might give your system time to sort itself out before the dongle kicks in and pairs with your system/iPhone.

[@lydialumanauw9848]

I bought Carlinkit 3.0 from Amazn two weeks back. Unfortunately I have returned it because it didn’t work even though I followed all given instructions. Could you please suggest me which dongel should I buy for my Lexus CT200h year 2020 and I use Apple 13pro. Thanks in advance, mate 😊

[@CarPlayLife]

Does your Lexus have a CarPlay system?

[@floydthorne6444]

Can this unit be used on the new Honda Gold Wings that take advantage of CarPlay but requires that the cell phone be plugged into a USB cable.

[@CarPlayLife]

It could work. Yes. Easy returns with Amazon should it not work.

[@GarethBolton]

Hi, Would you know why my car link 3.0 keeps disconnecting and reconnecting every 30 seconds or so? It’s so annoying. I’ve tried a new cable, made it compatible and also using iOS 15. Thanks!

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like it is more to do with your system that it is being plugged into. To be sure try and use the dongle in another CarPlay car to see if it behaves the same. That way you can rule out if it is the car or dongle that’s at fault

[@alenbaltic]

Hi mate, quick question what do you think of the new ottocast U2-NOW dongle it’s seems very fast.

[@CarPlayLife]

It’s great! Just like this one. Just a different case around it. :)

[@dewaynepierce5502]

So do I need CarPlay in my car for this to work?

[@CarPlayLife]

Yes you do

[@pharaohphoenix6194]

When people say there is a background mode, does that mean it will completely avoid the red pairing screen? As in, I will be on my car’s main screen like normal, then when it connects in the background, it will jump to CarPlay, avoiding the red pairing screen?

[@CarPlayLife]

That’s right but the timing will be rough Roy the same with or without this boot menu showing up. You’ll also see it the first time to be able to pair with it

[@kashmolamunther8323]

I have one but I when i turn off the car the device stay light up ! How i can turn off ?

[@CarPlayLife]

Some cars continue to run power from the USB port. But some will turn off after a certain period. Try locking and leaving the car for a few minutes and leave the dongle visible from the window and return to the car looking through the window to see if the light remains on. If so the issue is with your car and not the dongle. A dealer might be able to help either change how it’s powered or there might be a setting in the car system settings to disable power when ignition is off.

[@kashmolamunther8323]

You are right.. after a while turns off

[@icaremisole1628]

Hi there, I bought this for my Cadillac CT6, it worked on the car but my phone wouldn't connect since it's an android. Sadly, I had to return it since, I am not an Iphone user. So I was wondering if you know a similar system for Android auto which will work with Cadillac Cue infotainment .. Not the stand alone nor the one for android based car radio. Thanks

[@CarPlayLife]

Sounds like you need wireless Android Auto dongle? There aren’t many out. Google AAWireless for one such product. FYI wireless AA needs Android 11 OS

[@DMVTONE]

How can I add KZbin or Netflix to the screen?

[@CarPlayLife]

You can’t with this dongle. Look at my android OS dongle reviews

[@suiton20]

If you’re radio operates on android os it’s very likely that someone has created a root to the unit to do such things and should be searchable on xda or car forums

[@iaztek3471]

Can this be used in 2017 sienna

[@CarPlayLife]

No idea. Ask them or buy from Amazon for easy returns if it doesn’t work.

[@edmondvilvert5274]

Can this work on my 2016 Lexus Rx350

[@CarPlayLife]

Possibly. As long as it has wired CarPlay.

[@airjordantr]

Isnt There a device that can run at least 1 week without any crash? 1 to 2 hour isnt enough. Are there cooling problems or software issues of these adapters?

[@CarPlayLife]

I think it’s a bit of both unfortunately 😔

[@name99YT]

I bought mine specifically because in LA summer no matter where I tried to put my iPhone when connected by a cable, it would overheat from sunshine and shut down. Carlinkit has its issues, but I have never found it to generate problematic amounts of heat, and it has never shut down because of overheating from the sun. (Meanwhile phone is in my pocket away from sun, and it also does not overheat.) Maybe I have been very lucky, but all I can say is that heat has not been an issue for me.

[@marcducati]

Bought one for 2015 Kia carens and it does not work. I get a media error message when I plug it in.

[@CarPlayLife]

And the system has wired CarPlay?

[@marcducati]

@@CarPlayLife I plugged the carlink 3 into the usb of the car and it starts reading as iPod and then after 20 secs gives a media error. It is wireless and I tried plugging the phone on the other side of the dongle with usb but nothings

[@CarPlayLife]

@@marcducati this is the same USB port that you use for wired CarPlay?

[@marcducati]

@@CarPlayLife the car doesn’t have CarPlay. It connects the phone via usb and or Bluetooth for phone and music but does not have CarPlay. My understanding was that carlink offered just that, to run car play on radios not equipped

[@CarPlayLife]

@@marcducati This is a common misunderstanding. This is why I was carefully asking you these questions, bringing up 'wired carplay'. No dongle can turn a non-CarPlay system into a CarPlay one. It just isn't how these dongles work. They need to be connected to a system that allows wired CarPlay, and it just makes them operate wirelessly. If you can send it back I would return it, as it just will not work with your system.

[@luisasanchez011]

Would this kit work with a 2016 Ford F150 with sync 3. Thank you

[@CarPlayLife]

It's possible. With Amazon you have easy returns should it not work.

[@dagmac9308]

Which is the best CarPlay wireless adapter. The most complete and fastest. And able to KZbin and Netflix. Using iPhone 12?

[@CarPlayLife]

For video streaming from those apps you need an android os box. ApplePie Mini is the best I have used so far of those. It has come caveats. So be sure to check out my review.

[@nourilo5487]

hi i have a question would it work on a samsung phone and i have a peugeot 508 original navigation system would it work on that?

[@CarPlayLife]

This dongle is for CarPlay only. So it won’t work with an android phone.

[@nourilo5487]

@@CarPlayLife ah oké thanks for respond

[@tuhin94]

Am I right in saying v2.0 and v3.0 use the same hardware? If so, can you update 2.0 to run the same firmware as 3.0? Just trying to understand the differences here. Online listings on their official website and stores like Amazon interchange images for 2.0 and 3.0, so I want to make sure I get the right item.

[@CarPlayLife]

Yes and no. The CarPlay chipset is the same between them, but 3.0 has improved WiFi module for more max speed improved quality signal and strength. So along with the software change to U2W-Autokit in 3.0, 3.0 is the one to buy out of these two dongles. And no I do not think you can upgrade 2.0 to 3.0 software. All I can say is buying from my link will get you the right 3.0 dongle. Doing a search can possibly get you the wrong dongle as my link is from official CarLinkit seller, not the many imitators and copycats out there. Look for the red UI in any listing screenshots.

[@tuhin94]

@@CarPlayLife Awesome details. Thank you :-)

[@HCG]

@@CarPlayLife I bought the "v2" last year and it came with the red UI and latest firmware right out of the box. Maybe I got lucky and have the updated Wi-Fi module as well--I'll have to test it out with a network scanner.

[@davemorris6747]

I’ve recently bought the carlinkit 3.0 for my Honda. Just occasionally it skips for about a second. I know in a previous video you changed a setting from 300 to 500 I think. I’ve checked mine and it’s set on 1000. I’m using an iPhone 12 on IOS 15. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[@CarPlayLife]

You can try lower but that will reduce lag and increase chances of skipping. It’s worth playing about with it. Longer and shorter than your value and settle when it is doing it less or not at all.

[@davemorris6747]

@@CarPlayLife Thanks. I’ll have a play with the settings later.

[@alanr225]

Have a question, I’m upgrading to the 13 which comes with iOS 15. Will iOS 15 still work with car link it? 14.3 on my current iPhone works flawless. Hoping it works on iOS 15 though.

[@CarPlayLife]

All these videos recently have been using iOS15 beta. So all is good.

[@joshuagorm4252]

Has anyone tried the ViseeO Play2Air. I can not seem to find anything on them. Looks like a good dongle would love to see you review this one

[@CarPlayLife]

You’re in luck. My review of the Play2Air is coming this Friday 🙌🏻

[@SuperDave479]

My USB ports stay powered after the car is off. Would this run my battery down eventually if I left it plugged in? I feel like that would be a problem with the ones that have a full Android OS, but I don’t know about this kind.

[@danielbechter522]

It probably only stays on for a few more seconds/minutes or until you lock the car. I am quite sure that USB ports shut down eventually...

[@CarPlayLife]

What he said 👆🏻 It’s likely they do power off eventually. Try connecting your iPhone via cable to this port and have it sit on the dash under the front screen and make sure it’s charging, the get out the car, lock it, and see if the charging indicator turns off on the iPhone by looking through the window.

[@SuperDave479]

@@CarPlayLife Thank you, that’s good advice. I’ll try that.

[@suiton20]

Assuming the radio is off while the USB ports are still powered would consume anywhere from 2.5-7.5w depending on the usb amperage of .5-1.5 which most cars have. 5amps only for base models(if the car has one) and a mix of .5-1.5 for maxed out trims. Most car batteries have 12v 48amps. Usb is rated for 5v. That will give you anywhere from 76-230hrs(1 device) for you to grab your device if you don’t operate your car in that time frame. Most cars will shut off power the moment you open the driver side door. It’s very unlikely that your phone will kill the car battery if it happens to stay plugged in the car if the power is still running.

[@SuperDave479]

@@suiton20 So yeah, I tested it, and then after your comment I remembered I have a USB device called the Charger Doctor that tells you how many volts and amps are being pulled. So I tested it again with that. I plugged it in with the car off and locked the car with them visible on my dashboard with the screen timeout set to Never. It never stopped charging and it pulled just over 5W the whole time and 0.6A at first, but then went down to 0.35A after about 20 minutes. Right now I’m working at home most of the week due to COVID at my office so I might drive the car once a week for a short time. It sounds like I would be able to get away with leaving it plugged in once I go back to work 3 days on-site again, but that I should leave it unplugged under the current situation when I’m not driving it. Is that correct? Also, for other people reading this that drive 2015-current Challengers, you may want to note that it keeps charging. I have a 2016 SRT myself.

[@albertogarib2010]

Thanks for the review, does it work on any car console? Mitsubishi outlander 2022 has wireless apple car play but not Android, will this make it possible for my android phone to go wireless? Thanks again

[@CarPlayLife]

This will not work that way. You will need to pick up either an android os box that does wireless android auto or the Ottocast U2-X which does both wireless CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. However the U2-X mentions it’s isn’t compatible with Mitsubishi motors and I’m not sure if that’s the same with any android os box. If you are in an Amazon shopping region, I would get an android os box from there so you have easy returns if it doesn’t work for your vehicle setup.

[@BLACKDETH2312]

HI!!! I was using a clarion fx508 on my car and I have the carlinkit 2.0 and it woks good, but now i have the sony Xav ax8000 and I try to use the same dongle (carlinkit 2.0) doesn't work in this, do you recommend any other dongle for sony? Thansk!

[@CarPlayLife]

I hear the Sony can be a bit picky what it works with. You could try this Newer 3.0 CarLinkit or Ottocast U2-Now bot run the same chip and software however someone tried this in an Audi and the Ottocast worked and the 3.0/Plus didn’t boot up. Worth a try with easy returns via Amazon.

[@BLACKDETH2312]

@@CarPlayLife Thank you I'll try, and share my comments to know if it works

[@BenjaminNeammanee]

Not sure if it helps but I have the Sony XAV-AX200 and the Carlinkit 3.0 version works just fine

[@CarPlayLife]

@@BenjaminNeammanee That's great! thanks for sharing :)

[@BLACKDETH2312]

​@@BenjaminNeammanee I´ll try it thanks

[@drummertsprow]

I replaced my factory head unit (which didn't support apple car play) with an Alpine head unit which does support Apple car play, will CarLinkit 3.0 work?

[@CarPlayLife]

Works with my alpine. So it’s possible.

[@Leland189]

Did not work on my 2018 Honda Odyssey Touring. Tried everything.

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry to hear that. I hear Honda systems can be tricky to get these working on it.

[@LVIJAY75]

Hello, I need a small device w/o wire, like smaller USB drive size. Just plug in USB socket in car & play wirelessly Apple Car Play. No wires at all. Kindly guide. Thnx. Lalit @ India

[@CarPlayLife]

I hope to be reviewing something like this very soon on the channel. Subscribe to be notified when it goes live

[@BuySellHomesLI]

I have the 3.0 hooked up to a Dodge Durango 2019. I hear the voice but its asking me to give permissions to wifi but I cannot find how. Please help

[@CarPlayLife]

Does your dodge system have wired CarPlay enabled on it? If you plug in your iPhone directly to the CarPlay USB port, does it fire up CarPlay without any problem?

[@BuySellHomesLI]

@@CarPlayLife yes. When I plug my iPhone it works for any music app but not video.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@BuySellHomesLI for video you’ll need an AI Box for CarPlay instead of these wireless dongles.

[@BuySellHomesLI]

@@CarPlayLife Can you send me a link to one that you suggest that I purchase? Truly grateful thank you

[@gster109]

Am I able to plug it into a tablet ??

[@CarPlayLife]

No this one needs to connect to a stereo with CarPlay enabled.

[@arieorange]

Thanks for the review, i would like to buy one of the 3.0 model,

[@CarPlayLife]

Cool. I recommend you buy from Amazon for easy returns if it doesn’t work.

[@arieorange]

@@CarPlayLife hi bro, already bought from local marketplace here in Indonesia, and its works well, thanks again for the review

[@CarPlayLife]

@@arieorange Awesome! 🙌🏻 Glad it works for you

[@Zforpres]

Does the 3.0 crash like the 1.0

[@CarPlayLife]

I have had it crash randomly around 1-2 hours into continued use. It's ok for smaller, shorter trips, but for longer trips, it may overheat or receive a wifi fight with masts outside your car and disconnect your iPhone from the dongle - so at times it might not be the dongle's fault.

[@Zforpres]

@@CarPlayLife ok as long as its not bad sometimes my 1.0 crashes 3 times before i get to work and i live 10mins away

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Zforpres wow that’s pretty bad going.

[@phichitt]

I bought a Carlinkit 3.0 from aliexpress after checking with seller for compatibility. Long story short, my car doesn’t have factory carplay (guess I should bought the other version). My car is Geely Coolray which run by own QD Link application in HU via usb. It run pretty well with android phone like android auto but apparently only mirroring function work for iOS. How can I make this work, any clue to help ?? I don’t wanna waste it as it’s not cheap tho.

[@CarPlayLife]

Can you install Android APK apps on this HU? If you can’t then I don’t know what else you can do here. These dongles either need factory wired carplay or a HU running android that allows apps to be installed an an android specific dongle instead that talks to the running app.

[@phichitt]

@@CarPlayLife does 3.0 works with AutoKit APK ? If yes that's the only hope I can try :D

[@CarPlayLife]

@@phichitt Not this one. This is for CarPlay factory systems. You would need to look for one that specifically mentions that it can be used on an Android HU.

[@phichitt]

@@CarPlayLife gotcha!! Thanks for the help anyway.

[@pheakrith]

This bongo it could be support for lexus nx300 2018 screen displays 10.25 and this model don't have carplay or android auto don't have this function from factory.

[@CarPlayLife]

No you need to plug these into an existing carplay system in the car.

[@ramial-refaie2637]

Hello Can I use this to connect android mobile or its just for IPhone. If its just for IPhone witch dongle best for Android mobiles

[@CarPlayLife]

Hi. All these adapter dongles are for iPhone and CarPlay. For android you would still need a CarPlay stereo system in the car, and an android os box like the CarlinKit TBox to connect your android to it. But with that box that’s wireless android auto only, so you’ll need a compatible android for that running android 11. Or lower if it’s a Google pixel or Samsung.

[@julienbongard2312]

Which one would you recommend, Carlinkit 3.0 or Ottocast U2 Now? I will chose one of them as my first CarPlay Dongle for a 2019 A-Class Mercedes. Thanks in advance for your advice :)

[@CarPlayLife]

I would try the U2-Now from Amazon 👉🏻amzn.to/3f3LzZl. Pretty much the same dongle. But there’s a higher chance of it working. Your Merc needs wired CarPlay also.

[@roccode8306]

hello can you watch netflix and youtube with carlinkit 3.0?

[@CarPlayLife]

No you need an android os dongle for that.

[@echobravo889]

Does this dongle work with Windows CE?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry I can’t say. It needs wired CarPlay to operate over. So as long as you have that.

[@Brubri1234]

Hello! I'm the one that around 2 weeks ago asked you about which version of the dongle I ordered, maybe you remember me. 😅 I'm running into a few issues with my Carlinkit 3.0, can you help me solve these? This time I think it's a bit harder... Basically, when I turn on the car (I have a Mazda 2, that it's also used by 2 other members of my family) the dongle doesn't connect to the phone most of the times. In some cases, it displays a black screen with a red error message that says "Hardware Error: Wi-Fi BT", in other cases it shows me a splashscreen of the AutoKit UI that says "Please use your phone to connect to Bluetooth", even though all devices are already paired (I tried to post a link to a photo of this splashcreen but my comment got removed because of that). Maybe these problems started when I paired the other 2 iPhones to the Carlinkit, I haven't seen anything like this the first times I used it, but maybe it's just my impression since I didn't try it a lot with *_only_* my iPhone. I also noticed that these problems mainly occur when I have to get out of my garage, that's basically when all the cameras of the car turn on (since I have to park it very close to the wall they automatically activate themselves) and get showed on the screen, overriding anything displayed on the screen at that moment, but then again, it doesn't make much sense to me since sometimes it still connects to the phone in the background, like it should always do since the infotainment system is still running in the background. I tried to change most of the settings from the menu at 192,168,50,2, like trying to switch the Sync Mode from "Normal" to "Compatible" , even tried to get the previous version of the firmware with the rollback function, but none of these changes worked... Could you help me find a way to fix this? :/

[@CarPlayLife]

Well it sounds like you’ve covered a lot of what I would suggest. Hardware WiFi worries me a little. Likely a bad firmware or compatibility issue with that firmware and your vehicle. Best to roll back to an older stable FW or try another newer update. When it says pair with iPhone, does it show connected on the iPhone BT page?

[@Brubri1234]

@@CarPlayLife Hi, I tested it this morning to answer your question, and no, when the AutoKit UI splashscreen that says "Please use your phone to connect to Bluetooth" appears, in the iPhone Bluetooth page it doesn't show as connected. One funny thing is that yesterday I unplugged the dongle from the car and took it home, and this morning after I replugged it the first time it worked perfectly when I got out of the garage, even though I used the cameras for one/two minutes. But then again, when I had to leave another parking, it showed me that damned splashscreen... I'm starting to get desperate about this. >.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Brubri1234 It all sounds like such an edge case, that maybe the dongle cannot work around unless the software is updated to cater for this scenario. Something only the support team can help with and update their software to work around it. The only thing I can think of is adding more delay to the IP settings to allow your system to finish what its doing with the camera you mention before the dongle initalises

[@Brubri1234]

@@CarPlayLife In the last days I still kept testing to see if I could find some way to make it work. I tried to fully reset the dongle, paired one phone, then tested several times in a row, then paired another phone and tested again several times in a row. It seemed to work perfectly. But then, the next day, I realized that the Hardware Error basically comes the first time I turn on the car after I haven't used it for a while (and not because of the camera system, because if I turn it off and on again for several times in a row it works just as expected, even if the cameras turn on). I'm starting to think that my dongle is just defective (maybe, since last time we figured out it worked at half of his transmission rate, there could be something else that's broken? Just speculating)... I was thinking on trying another one (this time from Amazon, so eventually I can return it), do you think it's a good idea? If so, should I still retry the Carlinkit, or should I try another dongle from another brand, like the Ottocast mentioned in this video?

[@CarPlayLife]

@@Brubri1234 Ottocast is basically a rebrand OEM of CarlinKit. So your experience might be just the same with their dongle, however, I have heard from one person with an Andi that when a CarlinKit didn't work for them, the Ottocast did. So that throws that theory up in the air. This is a costly game when trying to get something to work, so I would still get something from Amazon to allow for easy returns and refunds.

[@mitchelllawrence94]

Does it auto switch to dark mode?

[@CarPlayLife]

It should do as CarPlay comes from the iPhone and not from the system itself.

[@ericsonchagas]

Wokrs with old ones WINCE ?

[@CarPlayLife]

Sorry I don't know what that is.

[@silverdragonslair]

@@CarPlayLife I think they meant older wince powered headunits that support carplay, at least the old Pioneer I used to have was wince os based.

[@CarPlayLife]

@@silverdragonslair ah, ok. Thanks 😊

[@BrucePerea]

awesome thanks

[@LifeisGoodtyGod]

30 seconds to start up? yikes, that is slow. Think I'll wait till there is a faster version. I figure, you should always wait 10 seconds or so before driving off to get the oil flowing so might as well take that time to plug in the usb, done. Question, some claim they noticed a deterioration in sound quality with the dongle versus directly plugged in, have you noticed this? Thanks for the video!

[@CarPlayLife]

For me I don’t notice any difference in audio quality with these dongles. There has been moments with the android os dongles but they have been bugs. Startup time can vary between the system or stereo it is plugged into. My Alpine takes a while to boot up. For some it can be 10seconds going up to 60seconds on some vehicle systems.

[@name99YT]

2.0 is slow, yes, but not unbearable. Depends somewhat on how you use your system. My primary concern is speed to audio, and my usage model tends to be that I'm listening to audiobook via AirPods, after about 20s from ignition the audio moves to the car (and I put my AirPod into my AirPods case, hung via a carabiner on my belt) then about 10s later the visuals are good to go. Main complaint has been that often (let's say once a week?) the connection is bad in some way; either the iPhone never connects or, more often, the screen goes blank a few sec after connection, though audio continues fine. I just updated through the two most recent updates an hour ago, so let's see if those are fixed. Main thing that's not obvious with updates is they do not provide combo updates, so after each update you need to keep hitting the update button to update again, until you get no more updates. I think for a year I've always been running with bad software because. even though I updated every few months, I did not realized I needed to keep telling the system to update over and over. Overall I'm happy with it, in the sense that, for a week I tried not using, and going back to the routine of having to keep taking my phone out my pocket was more irritating than a slight pause till I get the visuals. Most unexpected issue is that a "normal" car nav system (I think even every decent head unit) has a large GPS antenna, giving a good GPS signal over the carplay wired connection. The default Carlinkit config does not seem to use this, and nav is notably "less accurate" (in the sense that it takes longer to figure out where it is on the map). There is a hidden UI setting I just learned about to fiddle with this, so it's possible toggling that switch will return me to a GPS signal provided by the head unit, not my phone. How big an issue this GPS "speed of fix" issue is will probably depend on how much you drive in difficult urban environments vs suburban/country; for me it's not a big deal, but for others I could see it as a real problem.

[@jotarokujo8802]

this is Carlinkit 3.0 work on toyota sienna 2015 LE

[@CarPlayLife]

Possibly. As long as it has wired CarPlay

[@Shai7aN]

i often have no sound when navigating. I always have to restart. Does anyone have a hint? (Carplay2Air new Version / iPhone 12 Pro iOS 14.8)

[@CarPlayLife]

Have you tried turning the volume up at the same time navigation is meant to be playing? Sometimes head units have independent volume settings for navigation and assistant audio, and the only time to change that can sometimes be during playback and that you would turn the volume up at that period (I know that this might be tricky to do when there is no sound at all)

[@Shai7aN]

@@CarPlayLife yes the sound of the speech output is on. siri also talks. only the navigation announcements remain silent. after restarting the dongle everything works again and the next time it doesn't work again

[@CarPlayLife]

Is it Google you’re using? If so check the app settings for how navigation announcements are being used in the app. It might be set to BT or the other option.

[@Shai7aN]

@@CarPlayLife Nope, Apple Maps

[@CarPlayLife]

Oh, in that case I have no idea, sorry. I assume you’ve played around with the spoken directions option in the maps settings area?

[@javiercorral7999]

Will this work for Android auto

[@CarPlayLife]

Not this is standalone android OS and CarPlay. You can use your android to tether data to it. But no AA

[@mannyj9644]

Can I watch Netflix or KZbin on the screen with this ?

[@CarPlayLife]

No, you need one of the Android OS boxes to do that. Check out my MMB 9 and ApplePie Mini reviews. Have the new CarlinKit AI box review coming soon too.

[@mannyj9644]

@@CarPlayLife thank you for the quick response I will take time to search it up. Thanks again

[@hiddensecretshh]

Thanks for the video - can this play youtube netflix videos?

[@CarPlayLife]

Not with this dongle. You need an android os based dongle for anything video streaming.

[@Andres_Fk2]

Hi, friend! congratulations for your KZbin channel is very interesting. I would like to ask you a question, I have a Honda Civic Fk2 with a very old version of Android on the Radio, 4.0.2 I would like to know if you know of any device to be able to have CarPlay on my radio? Thank you very much, a greeting and to continue with your channel, you already have a new follower

[@CarPlayLife]

Thanks for watching. Can you install apps onto the android headunit? Does the unit have WiFi? If so try installing zlink apk onto it.

[@Andres_Fk2]

@@CarPlayLife Thanks friend for your quick response. That application that you are telling me is valid for Android 4.0.4. This version is exactly the one my original car radio has and it is impossible to update it

[@tomwil3492]

swipe lag?

[@CarPlayLife]

None that I know of. Feels just the same to me.

[@jaspercruz6094]

Anyone tried this on a android headunit?

[@CarPlayLife]

As long as it has a CarPlay app to connect and operate with it should work. I tried it with a Dasaita android head unit and it works

[@techpaddy4711]

My 2.0 dongle is even the same casing as the 3.0

[@CarPlayLife]

Yes, it's very weird that it is the same. The only difference I saw between older and 3.0 (plus) is there is writing on the underside of the dongle.

[@loversofwirelesscarplay5265]

Countdown to Black Friday!!! The lowest price of the year!!!

[@jollygreen4662]

This is like a android phone replacement. Only thing the phone can't do is allow the center screen play youtube Netflix amazon prime

[@CarPlayLife]

This particular dongle doesn’t do Android. It only works with iPhones and CarPlay. Making it operate wirelessly instead of a cable.

[@branman65]

Is it just me or does anyone else hate that you see this ugly generic screen while it’s connecting and then finally showing the CarPlay screen. Is there one that exists that bypasses the ugly screens?

[@CarPlayLife]

You can turn this off in the IP based setting menu. But instead it’s a black screen during that same period.

[@branman65]

@@CarPlayLife oh wow awesome good to know.

[@lippomclippo]

Hi, where’s the IP based settings menu? Do you ADB into it or is it just the settings on the Autokit software? @@CarPlayLife

[@nicks6800]

You said “dongle” too many times

[@CarPlayLife]

Makes for a great drinking game 🍻🥴

[@papothetech]

Hi I’m having issue with my Apple Maps on the 3.0 carlink. Is there a way to reset it or fix the maps?

[@CarPlayLife]

Not really. You could try force closing the app or rebooting your device.