Today, many vehicles support Android Auto, allowing you to display Google Maps, YouTube Music, Spotify, or whatever apps you want to run on your car’s screen. However, while it’s not hard to find a car that includes Android Auto, most still require you to plug your phone in with a USB cable; standard Bluetooth systems don’t have the bandwidth to make it work, so you’ll need either a higher-end model with built-in Wi-Fi or a wireless Android Auto adapter to fill the gap. That’s where the Carlinkit 5.0 comes in.
Carlinkett 5.0
The Carlinkit 5.0 is a simple Android Auto adapter that wirelessly transmits your car’s wired Android Auto system to your phone. It works well once you get it up and running, but it’s hampered by poor documentation and an awkward firmware update process that may require you to jump through a few hoops first.
- He writes
- Android Auto Converter
- Power source
- USB
- Contact
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Dimensions
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
- Reliable connectivity and performance
- Startup is reasonably fast.
- Small size
- Firmware update process is confusing
- Poor documentation
Price and availability
The Carlinkit 5.0 is sold through the Carlinkit store and on Amazon, where it normally retails for around $90. However, it’s not hard to find deals and coupons to bring that price down. The device comes in a small, unobtrusive package that includes short USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables and a simplified instruction manual.
to set
- He writes
- Android Auto Converter
- Power source
- USB
- Contact
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Dimensions
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
What are the good features of Carlinkit 5.0 Android Auto Adapter?
Strong and reliable connection
As the name “5.0” suggests, Carlinkit isn’t exactly new to the wireless smartphone display adapter business. Its first products hit the market a few years ago to address the same issue iPhone users had with wirelessly enabling Apple’s CarPlay. It then took the next logical step to do the same for Android Auto fans as the platform grew in popularity.
Carlinkit 5.0 is the latest version of the company’s adapter, which supports both CarPlay and Android Auto. That makes it a great option for families who share a car between Android and iPhone users, but unlike some of the company’s other products, this adapter won’t convert between the two protocols. If you can’t connect your Android phone for wired Android Auto, Carlinkit 5.0 won’t be able to do it for you wirelessly.
That’s because the Carlinkit 5.0, like most of the wireless Android Auto adapters we’ve tested, pretends to be your phone, turning 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 provides a fairly seamless experience, and depending on your vehicle, Carlinkit 5.0 can launch your Android Auto session in less than 30 seconds — which is how long you should be allowing your car to warm up before setting off anyway.
The Carlinkit 5.0 is a small, unassuming rectangular box with no external controls, just a logo that doubles as an LED status light and a USB-C and USB-A port, one on each end. Don’t let the USB-A port on the bottom fool you, though—it’s just for firmware updates and diagnostics. It’s the USB-C port you need to use to connect to your car, and the company includes USB-C to USB-C and USB-A to USB-C cables in the box, so you should be ready to go no matter what car you’re using.
Once Carlinkit 5.0 was up and running (more on that in a moment), it’s fair to say it was essentially invisible. During my daily drive around town and on a longer four-hour road trip, Android Auto worked as efficiently as if my phone was connected. This was in a 2021 Nissan Rogue Platinum with a Pixel phone running Android 14; as with most wireless Android Auto adapters we’ve tested and researched, your mileage will vary depending on your car’s infotainment system. Still, my experience was smooth and hassle-free, including navigating Google Maps, streaming music on Apple Music, and making calls and texting.
What’s bad about Carlinkit 5.0 Android Auto Adapter?
Poor documentation and ineffective firmware updates.
Although Carlinkit 5.0 performed very well once it was up and running, getting to this point was more complicated than I expected.
When I first connected the adapter, nothing happened except for it lighting up and showing up in my phone’s Bluetooth settings. I was able to pair it successfully, but nothing special happened after that – my car wouldn’t detect the USB device, and my phone just saw a generic Bluetooth audio accessory with no sign of Android Auto.
For a moment I wondered if I had received a defective unit. But I didn’t give up, I started researching, as I suspected that this might be an Android 14 compatibility issue that would require a firmware update.
Although the documentation provided with Carlinkit 5.0 is a bit sparse, it does contain some instructions for doing so – although it oddly includes a warning that owners should “contact customer service to upgrade the version” because “self-upgrading may damage the product!” (with exclamation mark).
The process was pretty straightforward, though. Once you boot up the Carlinkit 5.0, you can connect to its Wi-Fi network — though you’ll need to visit the website to get the password as it’s not in the documentation (hint: it’s “12345678”). Once connected, you can point your browser to a private IP address to bring up the embedded web server and check for and download the update from the help screen. However, this is still a cumbersome way to get updates on the device compared to alternatives like AAWireless, which offers a robust companion app on the Play Store, or the Motorola MA1, which doesn’t need these kinds of firmware updates at all (in theory at least).
Related to
AAWireless Review: Android Auto Untethered
This affordable dongle will change the way you use Android Auto
You can also download an update app directly from the manufacturer’s website if the web method doesn’t work. You won’t find Carlinkit’s “AutoKit” and “Autokitools” apps on the Play Store; they’re APK files that need to be sideloaded, so make sure you’ve set the necessary settings to allow that if you choose to go that route.
Carlinkit’s documentation and website indicate that the web browser method is for iPhone users only as Android devices may not be able to access the built-in web server. However, I had no issues with this, and it seemed much simpler than downloading an app just to update the firmware.
The good news is that despite the hurdles I had to jump through to get there, the update only took a few minutes to download. After that, I rebooted the Carlinkit adapter and it was ready to go, though I had to unpair and re-pair my phone before Android Auto would start.
Related to
Motorola MA1 Review: The Best Wireless Adapter for Android Auto
An efficient way to add Android Auto wirelessly to your car
Should you buy it?
The biggest downside to the Carlinkit 5.0 — and Carlinkit products in general — is its relatively poor documentation and lack of a Play Store app. To be fair, the Carlinkit 5.0 doesn’t really need an app. However, having a Play Store app to handle configuration and firmware updates more easily would have alleviated some of the confusion, as would a card in the box advising new customers to update their device immediately. It’s easy to see how some people who’ve had my experience would have assumed the device was defective and packed it up and sent it back.
However, aside from these issues, the Carlinkit 5.0 works very well once you get it up and running to turn wired Android Auto into a wireless experience. It’s a simple adapter that gets the job done, but as with all wireless Android Auto adapters, we recommend doing some research to make sure there aren’t any issues with your specific car model.
Carlinkett 5.0
The Carlinkit 5.0 adapter provides a strong and reliable wireless connection to Android Auto in your car. However, you may need to put in some effort to update the firmware before it’s ready to use. You’ll also need to do your homework to make sure your car is compatible with it.
- He writes
- Android Auto Converter
- Power source
- USB
- Contact
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Dimensions
- 1.69 x 0.48 x 2.99 inches
