Good morning all,

I've recently purchased a Carplay/Android Auto wireless USB dongle, in the hopes of connecting my phone (Samsung S23) to the infotainment system, to enable Google maps, primarily for the latest traffic situation on routes. The dongle works well with my wife's Apple iPhone - all set up easily, great. My Android phone won't work wirelessly - I connect to the Bluetooth of the dongle, it then seems to hand me off to a Wifi network provided by the dongle, but then the Bluetooth drops, the phone thinks all is well and prompts me to continue with Android Auto on the car screen, but the car screen never switches to Android Auto and the 'App' menu toggles between a screen suggesting Android Auto and Smartlink are available on the connection, then asking me to connect a device via USB - presumably as the connection comes up and then drops (& this repeats).

I've seen there are known issues between Samsung and Skoda Android Auto and there is some suggestion that this can be fixed with an infotainment system update. My car is about 5 years old and I've never felt the need to connect it, but I just linked it to my home wifi network, asked it to check for updates and it says 'Service unavailable'.

The infotainment details are:

Device part number: 565035874

Hardware: H41

Software: 0478

Navigation database: 5L0051236DN
2210

ECE AS 24/25

SHIELD: SHIELD 2016-44 (build 309)

It's a UK purchased & run car.

Is this due an update? Is this the route to hopefully fix this issue?

Many thanks!

No - the MIB2 and 2.5 systems require you to connect a USB connection from your phone to the USB port to get Android Auto to work.

You also need to upgrade the firmware to 0480 (it fixes some performance problems with AA)

On 20/11/2025 at 09:23, OctaviARGH said:

Carplay/Android Auto wireless USB dongle

You didn't say what type of dongle you used? I honestly use the best dongle out there: https://www.aawireless.io/en/products/aawireless-two and whilst it is more expensive than the Chinese stuff on the market, I find it actually works out of the box.

Hi thanks for the reply. I've downloaded the 0480 firmware, but am a little cautious after reading about the need to do more work to remedy errors that might arise on an upgrade. The dongle is a generic Chinese one that broadcasts Bluetooth and Wifi as 'smartBox-XXXX'; it works very well for the iPhone, but sadly not with a Samsung S23.

you are sure dongle support both apple carplay and android auto?

with this dongle you cant have multiple connections, so remove wife-s iphone and proceed..

i had sometimes issues, go to android auto app and adjust for your settings (in sams settings, not icon available)

go to place where not other wifi exists, not at home, garage etc to catch home wifi.

pull out SD crds from glove box (media)

first connect by wire and do a setup on your phone, also in app android auto turn off battery optimisation.

on aa app home screen right upper corner turn on developer options and enter, check first box:

"wireless android auto"

return to main, go out of app and leave phone to turn screen off or turn it off by power button.

than try restart mltimedia and select APP button and screen nirrorlink AA shoukd appear, turn off the screen on multimedia and wait10 seconds than turn it on (not phone, multimedia) connecting better goes with mobile screen off.

it should work.

Stupid question but have you activated wireless android auto on your phone?

My generic Chinese dongle has been flawless for the past 2 years

Hi yes it's definitely sold as being compatible with both. I actually bought two - one is set up with my wife's iPhone, the other

19 hours ago, nickytheshaft said:

Stupid question but have you activated wireless android auto on your phone?

My generic Chinese dongle has been flawless for the past 2 years

Yep it's activated - and I've gone into those developer options a couple of times to toggle it off/on again, but no joy sadly.

On 21/11/2025 at 12:28, imart143 said:

you are sure dongle support both apple carplay and android auto?

with this dongle you cant have multiple connections, so remove wife-s iphone and proceed..

i had sometimes issues, go to android auto app and adjust for your settings (in sams settings, not icon available)

go to place where not other wifi exists, not at home, garage etc to catch home wifi.

pull out SD crds from glove box (media)

first connect by wire and do a setup on your phone, also in app android auto turn off battery optimisation.

on aa app home screen right upper corner turn on developer options and enter, check first box:

"wireless android auto"

return to main, go out of app and leave phone to turn screen off or turn it off by power button.

than try restart mltimedia and select APP button and screen nirrorlink AA shoukd appear, turn off the screen on multimedia and wait10 seconds than turn it on (not phone, multimedia) connecting better goes with mobile screen off.

it should work.

It's advertised & sold as supporting both, so I'm expecting so! My wife's using an identical dongle and I've labelled them to keep them separate, her phone is not paired to this dongle, it's meant to be just for my Android... but is not working out that way

maybe its faulty. try use second one with your android

When you are in this in between state, is your wifi connected to the dongle?

Check on your wifi networks on the phone if you have the dongle wifi registered.

Have you updated the dongle firmware?

I had a cheap dongle from ali express which worked fine for a while but then after a software update will now only connect to apple phones, not android It must have downloaded the wrong software.

I've had 3 in total. 2 now not working, the other one clinging on. They are a pain and stop working if they get notification of new software but you don't get notified it is happening. Also quite flakey in whether they will connect and I often have to disconnect and reconnect the USB to get them to connect to the phone. I keep a usb cable in the car in case I can't get connected but need waze

In have this one since 2023.

It has been flawless since.

Still using it without any issue

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EGcl0tK

Just for others if searching for wireless adaptors. Don’t use this brand. Out the box a nice little product, but due to its shape and positioning of the usb and the shape of the mk3 dashboard just up above the usb port, this will not fit as it clashes with the dash, shame as it could have been a subtle adaptor.

OTTOCAST

Ottocast Mini Cube 3.0 Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adapter

Experience true plug-and-play setup with the Mini Cube 3.0. Enjoy wireless CarPlay & Android Auto stability in a compact body that saves space and keeps your setup neat.

Purely from personal experience, I would recommend the AA Wireless dongle. Had one for several years and had no issues whatsoever.

Itregularly updates and reboots without problems.

I've been having connection issues lately with the same dongle as @nickytheshaft which used to work faultlessly. I'd checked for updates etc and connection was still flakey.

Then I noticed "modes" on my phone (Sony Xperia on Android 16) which I hadn't noticed before a couple of updates ago (it's renamed my former Do Not Disturb settings as Sleeping which is how I found it) anyway in Modes there's a setting called Driving which recognises it's connected to a car's Bluetooth and "priorities safety on the road"

I've turned it off and the phone now connects flawlessly again

Edited 5 December, 20255 Dec by Cakemonster

So finally, this seems to be a head unit issue.

I have a friend with a 2019 Tiguan with what looks like the same Amundsen as mine.

Wired android auto works

I tried my dongle with my phone (that works on my Amundsen) and no way to get wireless android auto...

I recently got a carlinkit mini ultra (Great unit by the way) as my work provided me with an iPhone. I will give it a try on his car and see if carplay works and not android auto

Edited 20 December, 202520 Dec by nickytheshaft

I've got one of these and it's working perfectly with my Samsung A56 and Amundsen head unit.

Edited 20 January20 Jan by OctoParrot