Hello everyone, and welcome back to the blog, where we've brought you plenty of content about devices that allow you to wirelessly access Android Auto or CarPlay. We've also featured solutions for those with slightly older cars, such as radio displays that connect to your smartphone to manage Android Auto and CarPlay. But all these products come at a cost that sometimes we're not willing to shell out, so what if you're really broke and don't want to spend anything or almost nothing? Well, today I'm bringing you a truly innovative solution, almost cost-free, as you'll only have to pay for the app, even if...
Yes, everyone, to get Android Auto fully functional at no cost, without spending hundreds of euros on devices for your old car, all you need to do is dust off an old tablet from your drawer. And when I say old, any older-generation tablet is fine, as long as it's running Android 4.1 or higher. Then all you need is a smartphone, which I imagine you all have, on which you'll need to install the app. Wi-Fi Launcher, completely free. However, you will have to pay €4,99 for the application to install on your tablet, that is Headunit Reloaded Emulator HUR, although as I have led you to guess, by doing some research on the internet you might find the application in modded mode and therefore free, but I will not teach you how to do this operation, which is wrong and unethical.
In any case, if you really want to make another small expense, it would be to buy a tablet holder for your car, so that it stays still and doesn't wobble while driving. Let's get to the point: install the app, launch it, and grant all the required permissions, such as location, microphone use, calls, etc. Now, once you've entered the app, you'll find yourself on the main screen, which in turn offers three connection options.
SELF: to be used if your tablet supports an already integrated SIM connection.
USB: to be used if we want to connect our smartphone directly to the tablet, but not all tablets are compatible and have this port enabled for data transfer.
WIFI: This is undoubtedly the connection method you will use on the vast majority of tablets as you only need to have the WiFi module available.
In fact, what you'll need is to create the hotspot from your smartphone. But we'll talk about that later. Anyway, to launch this application (HUR), we'll go into the settings, where you'll also find the option to manage graphics, audio, and much more, but in most cases you can leave everything as default. Now, go to the connectivity section and then, under Wi-Fi connection mode, select Wi-Fi client mode so that the phone will create a hotspot.
We're not done yet. Now let's launch the WiFi Launcher app previously installed on our smartphone. We'll grant this app the various permissions it requires, including disabling any power saving features. Next, under Wi-Fi connection mode, click on it and select "Create WiFi Hotspot," the third option in the menu. If desired, we can also select the "Try to Auto reconnect" option so that the tablet automatically reconnects each time it starts up and/or disconnects.
All we have to do is take a small step to make sure everything works perfectly. Go to your phone's Settings > "Applications" > "Manage Applications" and find "Google Play Services." Now clear the cache.
At this point, we return to the Wi-Fi Launcher app to enable the HotSpot, which you can do simply by clicking on the "Start Wi-Fi service manually" option. A Wi-Fi network will then be created from the smartphone, so from the tablet, you will search for the Wi-Fi Hotspot network created by the smartphone to which you will connect (I recommend not entering a password).
Now, as if by magic, we have Android Auto working perfectly on our tablet. It might happen that the first time you launch it, the audio comes from your smartphone instead of your tablet. In this case, exit the app directly, disconnect the hotspot, and close the WiFi Launcher app on your smartphone. Now repeat the process, launching WiFi Launcher, starting the hotspot, and reconnecting, also launching HUR again.
Really crazy!!! Now you'll have Android Auto directly on your tablet, even for use in an old Renault 5 or Fiat 126. All Android Auto features work perfectly, just like a modern infotainment system integrated into a modern car. For better performance, you could connect the tablet to the car speakers via AUX or Bluetooth FM transmission. Of course, everything also works simply on an old smartphone and therefore you want to use it as an Android Auto screen. In this case, you just need to install the HUR app, grant the permissions, and at this point, since it's a smartphone, you'll certainly have a SIM card inside, so just click on Self Mode from the app's home page.
