This life-changing $50 adapter made my car’s entertainment system fully wireless

A couple years ago, I finally said goodbye to my old bucket of a car and dove back into debt with a new one. Besides the stability and peace of mind that come with a fresh-out-of-the-factory car, what I really hoped for was that I’d be able to properly enjoy Spotify while driving. And I could… except my entertainment system was a wired model, which meant I had to plug in my phone every time. That got annoying fast.

See, while my car technically has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it doesn’t do it wirelessly. I have to plug in with a cable and wait for it all to come alive. Sure, it works… but it’s also annoying.

Gabriela Vatu / Foundry

Fortunately, I searched around and eventually found a little gadget that fixes my issue for me—a wireless adapter that only cost me $50. That might seem like a lot, but I decided it was reasonable after some price comparisons and realizing how much convenience it would afford me on a day-to-day basis. I’m talking about the CarlinKit 5.0, which is small, out of the way, and works with a wide range of cars.

I love how easy it was to set up. I just had to plug it into my car’s USB port, turn on my phone’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and connect it to the wireless adapter. In a snap, I had instant access to my car’s entertainment system (either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, depending on what phone you have). It literally took only minutes.

Gabriela Vatu / Foundry

These days, I forget I even have it—it’s that seamless. I just plop down into my car and my phone automatically connects to the CarlinKit, launching Android Auto with Waze and Spotify.

It’s been 2.5 years and it’s still one of the best things I’ve bought for my car. It’s reliable, it’s effective, and it doesn’t overheat (which my phone used to do when I had to plug it in directly). Maybe my phone’s battery drains a bit faster via wireless, but that’s not a big deal since I can always plug it in and charge via my car if necessary.

Where to get it

CarlinKit 5.0 Wireless Adapter

The only issue I’ve had with the CarlinKit? Every few weeks or so, it acts up and I have to give it the good ol’ unplug-and-plug-it-back-in maneuver. There’s also a spot a few miles from my house where there’s enough interference to kill my phone-to-adapter connection until I pass through. These are inconveniences, but minor ones. Neither is enough to ever get me to give up this wireless Android Auto adapter.

Gabriela Vatu / Foundry

If you have a wired Android Auto or Apple CarPlay setup and you hate plugging in every time, I highly recommend the CarlinKit 5.0. The Motorola Sound MA1 and AAWireless Two were also on my shortlist, but those only work with Android Auto. Ultimately, I picked the CarlinKit since I might get an iPhone one day and wanted to ensure future compatibility.