My wife’s car is old and doesn’t have a modern infotainment unit with Android Auto capabilities. I wanted to add Android Auto to her car without buying a pricey head unit. Standalone Android Auto screens are cheaper, but they take up valuable dashboard space and reduce visibility.
Repurposing my old smartphone into an Android Auto head unit was the cheapest and most practical solution. All it required was a single app and a phone holder, and it was ready to go. She could now access Google Maps, Spotify, and other essential Android Auto apps on a simple touchscreen. Here’s how to repurpose your old phone as an Android Auto head unit.
Phone holder
You’ll have no issues if you get the right one
I needed to get a good holder to keep my smartphone in place and easily accessible while driving. I chose ESRâs Omnilock Magnetic Car Charger because I’ve had good experiences with it, and it has all the features I need.
This phone holder attaches to my air-conditioning slats in seconds and offers a secure magnetic grip to lock the phone in place. I like that it has a built-in fan to keep my phone cool on long trips, and an integrated Qi2 wireless charger. The holder plugs into my carâs 12v socket via a cable and offers decent 25W charging speeds.
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