This adapter turns standard CarPlay into wireless, actually works

Zac Hall | Nov 22 2023 - 12:00 am PT

Do Wireless CarPlay adapters actually work? My Honda Civic came with wired Apple CarPlay. I really wanted Wireless CarPlay in the Civic, but replacing its entertainment system seemed unwise. However, there’s a solution for turning standard CarPlay into Wireless CarPlay, and it works with iOS 17 and iPhone 15.

Easy installation

Setting up the adapter is no harder than pairing with Wireless CarPlay. Connect the adapter to your car’s USB port that powers wired CarPlay, then pair your iPhone to the adapter over Bluetooth from the Settings app.

I tried the adapter when it arrived just to check if it paired. I had a total surprise-and-delight moment a few days later. I took a short drive across town with my iPhone in my pocket without thinking about the adapter, and CarPlay just appeared on my screen automatically.

Expect some latency

Perfect! Well, almost. From my experience driving with standard and Wireless CarPlay, I know to expect latency when using steering wheel controls to skip tracks.

The important thing is that steering wheel controls for volume, track skipping, and voice input actually work.

Wired CarPlay versus Wireless CarPlay using the adapter

Latency aside, there is one other issue I’ve experienced using the adapter.

Standard CarPlay takes over if you connect a Lightning or USB-C cable

Top comment by Iceman

Liked by 10 people

I bought the same module for my 2018 Audi. It works flawlessly about 90% of the time. There are infrequent, but intermittent lags. I also have to unplug and plug back in the device probably about once a month to reboot it. So not a perfect solution, but the convenience is worth it for me.

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Standard CarPlay in my car doesn’t display boxes around on-screen content like cars with physical controls for selecting content without touch input. Wireless CarPlay using the adapter does show these boxes around buttons, however, but I don’t mind.

Wireless CarPlay adapter

The upside is that the adapter receives firmware updates! There may actually be one already available, but I didn’t have the patience to run it during setup. I’ll update the piece if it resolves either issue.

In the meantime, I’m incredibly happy with the CarLink adapter. I highly recommend trying this adapter or one similar if you already have CarPlay but wish it was wireless.

The price can be much more affordable than buying an aftermarket Wireless CarPlay head unit and paying for installation. The adapter currently ships for around $55 with a coupon code from Amazon.

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