Just bought a used Skoda karoq edition 1.5 tsi. Just getting used to infotainment. Columbus. How do I check if my smartphone, pixel 4a is connecting wirelessly? 

Hit apps on the screen, if you have android auto you will see maps etc

I was told that the connection would be by cable but my phone is connecting by Bluetooth wirekessly. I'm confused as to how I am connecting to the internet. Is it via esim and do I need connect and infotainment annual subscription to access the sat nav etc. I'm not sure what the same person has set me up with. And when I go into Skoda shop it shows that connect and infotainment have expired. Any ideas on how I find out how I'm connecting to the internet?

Ah, I think you have the same issue as me (20 plate Sportline). My mobile connects via BluTooth  for phone calls but for any other apps, Waze etc,  I have to use a cable. 

These are 2 different systems.

You have the car infotainment system and you have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

To connect to the car infotainment, you need to pair your phone with Bluetooth to the car. This allows you to play music from your phone, make and accept calls, and use voice controls. This connection does not allow for the use of Maps (Google or Apple) to be displayed on the infotainment screen. This will not share the internet from your phone to the car.

To connect and use Android Auto or Apple Carplay, you need to connect your phone via cable to the USB A (regular USB) or USB C connector just below the display. Other connectors won't work.

You might need to press the APP button on the side of the car infotainment screen to bring up the interface, and select either Android Auto or Apple Carplay, but it might work straight away. There is a one time setup to be done on the phone and the screen, after it should work when you re-connect the phone any time.

This "system" is basically running on your phone in the background, and is projected to the car display. Within this interface, you will have access to the same internet connection what you have on your phone. The weather app will show the current weather and update based on location, you will see live map updates like traffic, accidents, or police in certain navigation apps, allows you to browse your music library on your phone. You will see your notifications, messages, emails on the display in a non-distracting form.

 

On newer models (I believe it's 2022 onwards) there is an option to connect wirelessly to Android Auto or Apple Carplay, but since I own a 2018 model, I'm not 100% sure of the pairing process.

 

There are also Wireless Android Auto/CarPlay adapters, which allow you to connect wirelessly on older models. I myself use CarLinkIt 4.0.

On short journeys, I'm using my wireless adapter to connect as it's effortless. By the time I'm ready to move off, the phone is already connected and showing me the map or my music.

On longer trips(2h+), I go back to using a cable as having the wireless connection drains the battery more.

Thank you for your replies. 

Hi. I've just found an article published by Skoda in June 2020 that explains how my car is connecting. Apparently my car has the mib3 version of Columbus. It has an e-sim and is always connected to the internet and the is data provided by Skoda. The Skoda connect is an app you can set up to enable you to personalise your infotainment information. My car also has wireless smartlink. I have tested it and I can link my android phone wirelessly to the infotainment system and work my apps without using a cable. The cable is just for charging.  So unless I want the extra info provided by Skoda connect, by paying an annual subscription to Skoda connect, I still have internet connectivity and a wireless link to my phone.  It's took me ages to find this information. 

The link to the article is below. 

 https://www.skoda.co.uk/news/details/karoq-kodiaq-and-superb-new-generation-skoda-infotainment