Want to add Android Auto to your old car? Here are two options – including one for less than $20

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Highlights taken by ZDNET

• There are several ways to install Android Auto on an older car.
• You can buy an external display or use an old device.
• Using an old device is the most affordable option.

Android Auto and infotainment screens have become standard equipment in almost any car since the last 15 years, but if you have a car from an earlier era, you might feel like you’re missing out.

If you’ve never thought about it before, you might think you’re fine just using your car’s Bluetooth or aux connection, but Android Auto gives you an always-on display that looks just as unobtrusive as your phone.

Also: Why am I using wired Android Auto when all the cool kids are switching to wireless

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to add Android Auto to an incoming car.

To get Android Auto in an old car, all you need is an Android Auto host phone (your current phone), some kind of display (either a dedicated wireless screen or an old phone or tablet), and a Bluetooth connection for this screen to connect to your car (you can pick it up). adapter if you have an aux connection but not Bluetooth).

There are two main ways to do this: you can buy a wireless screen designed for this purpose, or you can use an old phone or tablet. Here’s a look at the benefits of each method.

The easiest way: Mount a wireless screen

The easiest way to add Android Auto to any car is to buy it wireless screen. You can buy an entire head unit with Android Auto, which is a screen replacement for your existing stereo, but that’s pretty involved and can be expensive. Instead, in the form of a wireless screen, you buy a display with Android Auto on it to mount on top of your dashboard.

Also: I’m using Android Auto in my living room now – and it solves one of my biggest productivity problems

Prices vary by size, but you can get a 7-inch screen that connects via Bluetooth to your car for under $50, and reviews are generally excellent. One of the biggest advantages of adding Android Auto to your car this way is that it requires no wires other than connecting to a power source like a cigarette lighter. Your display will sit on your car’s dashboard and act as a real screen.

But there is a cheaper way as long as you have an old phone or tablet lying around.

The most affordable way: Using an old phone as a display

I recently tested 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 dramatic productivity boost by keeping my phone in my pocket, and helped give an old device new life. I figured it would also be possible to use this as a real screen for Android Auto if I didn’t already have one (provided the car has Bluetooth).

The process here is straightforward. Start by taking an old phone or tablet and install the Headunit Updated or i Headunit Reloaded app (I went with the previous one). This turns your old device into an Android Auto head unit or receiver, replacing what would normally be the car’s touchscreen. Install the compatible app, WiFi Helper, on your current device and go through these setup steps.

Also: 3 Android Auto automations that make my drives so much easier – and how I set them up

I tried to find a friend or family member with a car old enough to not have a screen so I could fully test this app, but my search turned up nothing. I was able to test the effectiveness of this trick, however, by switching my car’s Bluetooth connection to my old Headunit Revived device. Since I already had the connection established from my home test, I didn’t need to set up Android Auto again, but you will need to do that the first time.

I tried setting up my new Android Auto mode on the drive today, and while it wasn’t as fast as my built-in connection, it got the job done. This method will not have a dedicated power supply like installing a screen (it he canbut I think you’re charging your primary device in the car), but it definitely happens.

The big advantage of this method is that, if you consider all you need to buy an affordable app and maybe a mount for your old device, the total cost is less than $20.