How to transform your old Android tablet into an Android car car car head unit

Have you ever thought of using an old Android tablet as a makeshift head unit or a dashboard screen in your vehicle? You might be surprised to learn that it’s easy to install. While almost all modern cars are delivered with an infotainment or dashboard system, they do not always offer the extent of the smart boxes of the box. Some brands lock up features such as navigation behind an additional purchase, for example. This is where Android Auto comes into play. System functionality Found on Android phonesAndroid Auto allows you to reflect or display the screen and content of your phone, mainly to enjoy its applications and features while you drive. It has an automatic divided screen mode, and it can also work with basic equipment, such as a tablet, if you do not have an integrated display.

When you plug in an Auto-Abled Android device into your vehicle, usually via an open USB port, it will display the contents of the system dashboard. This USB port could do more than you think. But the processing of Android Auto software is really carried out on the device itself – your phone. This is a way to use Android Auto, of course, but what happens if you want the tablet or the old phone to be the main display? If you are looking to transform your old Android tablet into an Auto Android car head unit, you will be happy to know that where there is a will, there is a way.

For this method, your Android tablet must be connected to an Android phone to make it work, essentially attached, but this can be done via a USB (cable) cable or a wireless connection. Most likely, you will want to climb the tablet on your vehicle somewhere using a support based on a suction or a similar device. As a security non-responsibility, you must be parked when implementing the application and devices.

You will need internet access on your tablet, and you can configure this, but it works for you. If your tablet does not have a SIM card to support mobile networks, you can use hot spots to attach your tablet on your phone. The application to make it work is Headunit (HUR) recharged emulatorwhich offers a free trialBut it is limited to ten minutes of use. You will want to pay $ 5 for the Premium version if you plan to use your tablet as an Android Auto Head unit regularly. Make sure the HUR app is installed on your Android phone and Android tablet before continuing.

Assuming that the Android tablet is mounted in place where you want, connect the tablet and your phone using a USB cable (OTG). Wait for your phone to recognize the other device and display a notification. Select Trans / Android Auto file under the USB USB section. In the same menu under USB controlled by, be sure to select this device and not a connected device. We don’t want the basic system to be the tablet, but your phone.

Now open the HUR application on your tablet and let it initialize. When you ask you to grant authorization to modify the system settings, be sure to select OK. That’s it. Your devices should be connected and you should be able to see Android Auto content on your tablet. Outside side, you can do a lot with this USB -C port on your Android phone – like watching Netflix on your TV when you are back home. It is a small powerful port.

If you prefer to follow the wireless route and avoid unnecessary cables, you can synchronize the phone and the tablet via a local Wi-Fi hotspot. Just know that it will drain the battery of the two devices much faster. If you have a long trip on the road in front of you, plan accordingly.

But for it to work, activate the Wi-Fi hotspot of your phone first and connect your tablet. On your phone, open the settings and access connections> Android Auto. Scroll this menu at the bottom until you see the current version and version number. Similar to activating the hidden mode in traditional settings, press the version option several times until a contextual window appears by asking you if you want to activate the developer mode. Select OK to accept. Then press the menu button at the top right (three points) and select Start Head Unit Server. Finally, open the HUR application and press Wireless to initiate wireless synchronization. You should now be able to see and interact with a functional Android Android configuration on your tablet – wirelessly connected to your phone.

Because your Android tablet, and by proxy, your Android Auto device, are not connected to an auxiliary or audio port in your vehicle, all the sound will go through the tablet speakers. If you want the audio to go through the stereo chain of your car, you must connect the tablet to an open port (3.5 mm) or connect it to your vehicle via Bluetooth. That aside, the tablet should work exactly like your phone or an enhancement infotainment system.

Most likely, it will display your favorite GPS navigation application by default and a multimedia player, whether you use Spotify, Amazon Music or something else. Press the circular icon in the extreme left menu to open the apps of your device that support Android Auto or access the fast shortcuts. If you need to adjust the tablet settings, don’t forget to use the HUR application. There are also many useful parameters in the application, including graphic parameters to reduce resolution if the tablet is older and it seems to be a lot of delay or visual hiccups. If there is no problem, drive and take advantage of it!

The simplest method is to install Dashboard and car launcher on your old tablet. It requires Android 7.0 and more, so as long as your old device runs this version of Android or more recent, it should work very well. Something to note is that Autozen does not really use Android Auto, but rather imitates the same interface. It is also for this reason that this method is not included as a previous step or recommendation in the guide. This could be a disappointment, especially given a powerful upgrade of Gemini AIs could soon arrive at Android Auto.

To use GPS in Autozen, you will have to follow the location activated on your tablet. You will also need an internet connection, which means that if your tablet only supports Wi-Fi, you will need to connect to Wi-Fi in your vehicle or to your phone with a hotspot. However, apart from installing the application, granting it the necessary authorizations and ensuring that your tablet is connected to the Internet, you don’t have to do much to make it work. It comes with a free 7 -day trial, but you will need the Premium version to use the navigation in the application after the end. A bypass solution consists in selecting Google Maps or Waze as the main source of navigation.