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Many vehicles now support Android Auto, which lets you project Google Maps, YouTube Music, Spotify, and any other apps you want to your car display. However, while it’s not difficult to find a car with Android Auto, most cars still require you to connect your phone with a USB cable. Standard Bluetooth systems don’t have the bandwidth to do that, so you’ll need a higher-end trim with built-in Wi-Fi or a wireless Android Auto adapter to bridge the gap. That’s where Carlinkit 5.0 comes in.
car link kit 5.0
Carlinkit 5.0 is a no-frills Android Auto adapter that wirelessly connects your car’s wired Android Auto to your phone. It works fine once you’re up and running, but it’s hampered by poor documentation and a fiddly firmware update process that can require you to jump through some hoops first.
- type
- Android Auto Adapter
- power supply
- USB
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- size
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
- Reliable connection and performance
- Reasonably fast startup
- compact size
- Confusing firmware update process
- insufficient documentation
Price and availability
Carlinkit 5.0 is available at the Carlinkit Store and Amazon, and typically retails for around $90. However, it’s not hard to find sales and coupons to lower that price. The small, discreet package includes short USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables and simplified instructions.
specification
- type
- Android Auto Adapter
- power supply
- USB
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- size
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
What’s great about Carlinkit 5.0 Android Auto Adapter?
Robust and reliable connection
As the “5.0” in the name suggests, Carlinkit isn’t exactly new to the game of building wireless smartphone projection adapters. Its first product hit the market a few years ago to address the same problem iPhone users had in getting their Apple’s CarPlay to work wirelessly. Then, as the Android Auto platform grew in popularity, the logical next step was to do something similar for Android Auto fans.
Carlinkit 5.0 is the latest version of the company’s adapter that supports both CarPlay and Android Auto platforms. That makes it an excellent choice for families where Android and iPhone users share a car, but unlike the company’s other products, this one cannot convert between his two protocols. If you can’t connect your Android smartphone to use wired Android Auto, Carlinkit 5.0 can’t provide it wirelessly.
That’s because, like most wireless Android Auto adapters we’ve tested, Carlinkit 5.0 effectively pretends to be your phone and converts your wired connection into a wireless one. As far as your car is concerned, it’s your smartphone that’s connected, not the Carlinkit box.
This makes for a fairly seamless experience, and depending on your vehicle, Carlinkit 5.0 can have an Android Auto session up and running in under 30 seconds. This is probably about the same amount of time it takes to warm up your car before driving off.
Carlinkit 5.0 is an unassuming little rectangular box with no external controls, just a logo that doubles as an LED status light, and one USB-C and one USB-A port on each end. But don’t be fooled by the USB-A port on the bottom setup. This is for firmware updates and diagnostics only. This is the USB-C port you need to use to connect it to your vehicle, and the company includes both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-A to USB-C cable. You can use it without any problem. What car are you using?
It’s safe to say that once you get Carlinkit 5.0 up and running (more on that later), it’s basically invisible. During daily driving around town and even longer on his four-hour road trip, Android Auto worked efficiently as if the smartphone was plugged into a power source. This was installed in his 2021 Nissan Rogue Platinum with his Pixel smartphone running Android 14. As with most wireless Android Auto adapters we’ve tested and researched, your mileage may vary depending on your vehicle’s infotainment system. However, my experience was seamless and problem-free, including navigating with Google Maps, streaming music with Apple Music, and making phone calls and exchanging text messages.
What’s wrong with Carlinkit 5.0 Android Auto adapter?
Poor documentation and clunky firmware updates
Carlinkit 5.0 worked very well once I got it up and running, but getting to that stage was more complicated than I expected.
When I connected the adapter for the first time, it just lit up and showed up in my phone’s Bluetooth settings. I was able to pair successfully, but nothing special happened after that. My car didn’t detect his USB device and my phone just showed a generic Bluetooth audio accessory with no sign of Android Auto.
For a moment, I thought I had received a dud unit. Undeterred, I thought this might be an Android 14 compatibility issue that required a firmware update, so I looked into it further.
The documentation that comes with Carlinkit 5.0 is a little sparse, but it does give some instructions on how to do this. However, strangely, it includes a warning: “Self-upgrading may damage the product, so owners should contact Customer Service for version upgrades.” (with exclamation mark).
Nevertheless, the process was very easy. Once you turn on Carlinkit 5.0, it will be able to connect to your Wi-Fi network. However, the password is not in the documentation, so you have to go to the website to get it (hint: it’s “12345678”). Once connected, you can point your browser to the private IP address to start the built-in web server, and check for and download updates from the help screen. However, this is still a hassle to get updates to your device when compared to alternatives like AAWireless, which offers a robust companion app on the Play Store, or the Motorola MA1, which doesn’t require this type of firmware update at all. That’s how (in theory, at least).
AAWireless Review: Untethered Android Auto
This affordable dongle will change the way you use Android Auto
If the web method doesn’t work, you can also download the Updater app directly from the manufacturer’s website. Carlinkit’s “AutoKit” and “Autokitools” apps are not available on the Play Store. Rather, it’s an APK that needs to be sideloaded, so if you choose that route, make sure you’ve adjusted the necessary settings to allow this.
Carlinkit’s documentation and website suggest that the web browser method is only intended for iPhone users, as Android devices may not have access to the built-in web server. However, there was nothing wrong with this. It seemed much easier than downloading an app just to get the firmware up to date.
The good news is that despite the hoops we had to jump through to get there, the update only took a few minutes to download. The Carlinkit adapter then restarted and was ready to go, but I had to remove the pairing from my phone and re-add it before Android Auto started.
Motorola MA1 Review: Best Wireless Android Auto Adapter
An effective way to add wireless Android Auto to your car
Should I buy it?
The biggest hurdles to Carlinkit 5.0 (and Carlinkit products in general) are relatively weak documentation and the lack of a Play Store app. To be fair, Carlinkit 5.0 doesn’t actually require an app. However, it would be a little less confusing if it were in the Play Store to handle configuration and firmware updates more easily. It would also alleviate some confusion if it included a card encouraging new customers to update their devices immediately. I can easily see that someone who had my experience would have believed it to be a defective item and would have packed it up and returned it.
Nevertheless, these issues aside, Carlinkit 5.0 does a very good job of turning wired Android Auto into a wireless experience once you’re up and running. This is a no-frills adapter that gets the job done, but like all wireless Android Auto adapters, do some research to make sure you won’t run into any issues with your specific make or model of car. is recommended.
car link kit 5.0
Carlinkit’s “5.0” adapter provides a stable and reliable wireless Android Auto connection in your car. However, it may take some effort to get your firmware up to date before you’re ready. You also need to do your homework to make sure your car is compatible with it.
- type
- Android Auto Adapter
- power supply
- USB
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- size
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
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