I used to envy cars with Android Auto — until I found this $20 workaround

When I see my colleagues writing about Android Auto, I get a sense of FOMO because my car simply doesn’t support it. In fact, I’ve never used it — I’ve only experienced it as a passenger in cars with more advanced capabilities than my own.

This has left my smartphone as the only display I can use in my own car, which comes with its inconveniences. But adding a $20 gadget to my setup significantly improved this situation and made me feel like I was missing out on far less.

I would love Android Auto, but my car doesn’t support it

What I like about Android Auto is that it provides a simplified interface you can use on a car’s dashboard, reducing distraction. This beats just mounting your phone on your dashboard in a few ways — you can route your phone’s audio through your car’s speakers, you don’t have to fumble through countless apps, and it provides a much larger screen to work with.

The problem is that my car was released in 2008. It has no display, and its radio doesn’t even support Bluetooth or cable connections. After all, the first iPhone was released in 2007, so even when cars did have dashboard displays, they weren’t really created with smartphones in mind.

For years, I simply used a smartphone mount when I wanted to use my phone for navigation. But this meant that I couldn’t really hear Google Maps’ directions unless I was driving slowly. On the highway, the sound of my car’s engine and wheels on the road at high speeds meant I couldn’t really rely on audio at all. This also meant there was no point in trying to play music on long trips.

This left me envying friends with newer cars that worked with Android Auto. They could easily launch their music apps and Google Maps, while I had to rely on a sometimes-unreliable alternative setup.

I found a gadget that made navigation much more convenient

I had surrendered myself to my comparably low-tech solution when a colleague pointed out that I could get a Bluetooth adapter for my car. I settled on the Volkano Piston Hands-Free Car Kit because it was cost-effective, but you’ll find a variety of these devices available online.

The adapter plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet, also known as your car’s cigarette lighter. It has a built-in modulator, which means it can transmit audio from your phone (connected via Bluetooth) to your car’s radio. All you need to do is set your car radio and the modulator to an unused frequency. For me, this is 101.9MHz.

I paired the Piston to my phone like any other Bluetooth device, so now when it’s powered on, my phone’s audio automatically switches to it. The gadget also has a few buttons, including an answer/end call button and media controls. If I want to charge my phone, I can even plug it into the Piston with a USB cable. The gadget brings a bunch of functionality to my car that I didn’t have before.

Using a magnetic mount on my car vent, I can prop my phone up where it’s easy to see and control. This allows me to see visual directions in Google Maps while following the audio navigation that plays through my car’s speakers. I can finally listen to music on road trips since my car’s speakers are loud enough to drown out the drone of my car at high speeds.

It’s not a perfect setup, though. When I drive into high-crime areas, I need to stow my phone to keep it out of sight. This wouldn’t be a problem if I had a built-in dashboard display. Android Auto is also optimized for use in cars, making it easier to respond to messages or answer calls. When I get ready for a journey, I also have to sort through all the apps on my phone, rather than the streamlined interface of Android Auto.

However, I prefer not to respond to messages while I’m driving or at a traffic light. Even when it comes to taking phone calls, I still find a place to pull over to answer, or wait until I’m back home to follow up. While it is meant to minimize distractions, I also think it can become distracting when you use certain Android Auto apps. For example, I don’t think people should really be taking Zoom calls while driving.

Overall, the small inconveniences of my setup are still easier to deal with than buying an entirely new car. One day I’ll enter the latest decade, but for now this gadget works for me. The Volkano Piston means that my in-car navigation capabilities are no longer my biggest frustration with having an old vehicle — it’s the lack of electric windows.