Does your new car support wireless Android Auto?

Android Auto, Google’s smart driving companion software, is an invaluable tool for drivers. It allows you to pair your phone to your car’s infotainment screen and stay connected while on the road, all with a familiar, easy-to-navigate interface. While most vehicles that offer Android Auto require a tethered USB connection between the car and phone, some newer models offer a wireless alternative to access the interface.

Initially limited to luxury vehicles and top trim levels, wireless Android Auto is beginning to show up as a standard feature with many carmakers. It’s also found in some vehicles that launched without it via a software update. Plus, multiple accessories add wireless functionality to some wired Android Auto-compatible setups.

What is wireless Android Auto, and how does it work?

Wireless Android Auto connects your phone to your car’s head unit via Wi-Fi. Once you complete the initial setup, Android Auto automatically connects your phone to your vehicle’s infotainment screen each time you get into your vehicle.

Like standard Android Auto, wireless Android Auto overrides your car’s native infotainment system and lets your phone do the heavy lifting. It requires a compatible head unit and in-vehicle Wi-Fi. Bluetooth cannot transmit enough data to support wireless Android Auto.

Your vehicle’s touchscreen display looks a lot like your phone when Android Auto is connected. Compatible apps from your smartphone show up as large icons on your car’s screen. From here, you can play music or podcasts, use Google Assistant, and see turn-by-turn directions. Many apps are compatible with Android Auto, including Audible, Spotify, Waze, and WhatsApp.

We’ve been expecting relatively major overhauls to Android Auto since May 2022, but despite promises that the redesign would land “just in time for summer,” those changes haven’t materialized. Still, a more multitasking-friendly and customizable interface should be arriving soon.

Which cars are compatible with wireless Android Auto?

Despite the massive benefits of wireless Android Auto, Google hasn’t made much of a hubbub about the feature and the cars that support it. Google’s compatibility list doesn’t appear to have been updated for some time, as it only shows that 2019 and newer BMW models support the feature.

To that end, we put together our own wireless Android Auto compatibility list, which you can find on this page. It is not a comprehensive list, but it includes models we’ve come across where the manufacturer has confirmed support.

Our wireless Android Auto list is a work in progress, and we will update it as we find more compatible vehicles.

What if my car isn’t compatible?

Even if your car wasn’t originally kitted out with wireless Android Auto, there are still options to go untethered.

If your car is a post-2018 with built-in Wi-Fi but only runs regular Android Auto via USB, all might not be lost. Several manufacturers, most notably BMW, have granted wireless Android Auto functionality to older vehicles via over-the-air updates. If that’s not an option, and you want to retrofit the feature to your ride, we have good news: There are relatively cheap dongles on the market that allow you to connect wirelessly.

Following its crowdfunding success, the AAWireless is now available through Amazon. Motorola’s well-reviewed MA1 USB adapter is also a popular retrofit option, though it’s in high demand, considering it’s frequently out of stock.

Finally, for those brave souls that fancy going down the MacGyver route, a hack method using an Android TV stick exists, allowing older Android Auto heads to go wireless. Just be aware that Google does not support this option.

Android Police’s unofficial wireless Android Auto compatibility list

(Updated March 2023)

Acura

• 2023: MDX, RDX, Integra
• 2022: MDX, RDX

Audi

• 2023: A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, E-Tron, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8
• 2022: A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, E-Tron, E-Tron GT, Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8

BMW

• 2023: 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, iX, i4, M3, M4, M5, M8, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, Z4
• 2022: 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, iX, i4, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, Z4
• 2021: 1 Series, 4 Series
• 2020: 1 Series, 2 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series, XE, X4, X6
• 2019: 3 Series, 8 Series, X5, X7, Z4

Buick

• 2023: Enclave, Encore GX, Envision
• 2022: Enclave, Encore GX, Envision

Cadillac

• 2023: CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, XT4, XT5, XT6
• 2022: CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, XT4, XT5, XT6

Chevrolet

• 2023: Blazer, Bolt EV, Bolt EUV, Camaro, Corvette, Equinox, Malibu, Silverado 1500, Silverado 1500 LTD, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban/Tahoe, Trailblazer, Traverse
• 2022: Blazer, Bolt EV, Bolt EUV, Camaro, Corvette, Equinox, Malibu, Silverado 1500, Silverado 1500 LTD, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban/Tahoe, Trailblazer, Traverse

Chrysler

• 2023: Pacifica
• 2022: Pacifica

Dodge

• 2023: Durango, Hornet
• 2022: Durango
• 2021: Durango

Ford

• 2023: Bronco, Edge, E-Transit, Expedition/Expedition Max, F-150, F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E
• 2022: Bronco, Edge, E-Transit, Expedition/Expedition Max, F-150, F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E

GMC

• 2023: Acadia, Canyon, Hummer EV, Sierra 1500, Sierra 1500 LTD, Terrain, Yukon/Yukon XL
• 2022: Acadia, Hummer EV, Sierra 1500, Sierra 1500 LTD, Terrain, Yukon/Yukon XL

Honda

• 2023: Accord, Civic
• 2022: Accord, Civic

Hyundai

• 2023: Accent, Elantra, Kona, Kona EV, Palisade, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Sonata, Tucson, Venue
• 2022: Accent, Elantra, Kona, Kona EV, Palisade, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Sonata, Tucson, Venue

Jeep

• 2023: Compass, Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee L, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer
• 2022: Compass, Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee L, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer

Kia

• 2023: Carnival, EV6, Forte, K5, Niro, Rio, Seltos, Sorento, Soul, Sportage, Stinger, Telluride
• 2022: Carnival, Forte, K5, Niro, Rio, Sorento
• 2021: K5, Sorento, Seltos

Lincoln

• 2023: Navigator, Nautilus
• 2022: Navigator, Nautilus

Maserati

• 2023: Ghibli, GranTurismo, Levante, MC20, Quattroporte
• 2022: Ghibli, Levante, MC20, Quattroporte

Mercedes-Benz

• 2023: C-Class, EQE, EQS, GLC
• 2022: EQS, S Class Saloon
• 2021: EQS

Porsche

• 2023: 911, Cayenne, Panamera, Taycan
• 2022: 911, Cayenne, Panamera, Taycan

Ram

• 2023: 1500, 2500/3500, ProMaster
• 2022: 1500, 2500/3500, ProMaster

Range Rover

• 2023: Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery, Defender
• 2022: Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery, Defender

Subaru

• 2023: Legacy, Outback, Solterra

Toyota

• 2023: Corolla Hatchback, Crown, Highlander, Tundra, Venza Hybrid
• 2022: Tundra

Volkswagen

• 2023: Arteon, Atlas/Atlas Cross Sport, Golf GTI/Golf R, ID.4, Jetta, Taos, Tiguan
• 2022: Arteon, Atlas/Atlas Cross Sport, Golf GTI/Golf R, ID.4, Jetta, Taos, Tiguan
• 2021: Arteon, Atlas/Atlas Cross Sport, Golf GTI/Golf R, ID.4, Jetta, Taos, Tiguan

Volvo

More on Android Auto

Coming from a standard wired setup, wireless Android Auto is a huge get, streamlining the experience of using your phone to power your car’s infotainment system. Still, Android Auto isn’t perfect. There are plenty of things we don’t like about it (why can’t we report accidents from the Android Auto version of Maps?). For more on how the Android Auto experience stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.