AAWireless - Wireless Android Auto Adapter for factory HU
 

Just thought I'd leave a quick initial impression / review on this handy little device - the AAWireless Wireless Android Auto Adapter.

I really like using Android Auto with my Pixel 7 phone and the stock 2020 BRZ head unit, but the wired connection has always been a little flaky when engaging in some "spirited" driving, with both this and my previous phone. The more I've used the wired connection, the more flaky it becomes, sometimes not connecting unless I unplug / re-plug it several times. It has gotten really frustrating the last several months.

My wife's new vehicle has wireless Android Auto, and it's pretty slick, so I started looking around for a solution to add it to my BRZ. I like the stock head unit's look and the physical volume knob, so I wasn't really looking to replace the head unit. Instead, I searched for "wireless Android Auto adapters" and found AAWireless.

There are a few other vendors out there, but as far as I know, AAWireless was first to market, and it seems to be the best option out there. Plus, at only $80 USD, why not?

Ordering from Amazon.com (it's not sold directly here in Canada) was easy, shipping to my US mailbox was free with my Prime membership, and it arrived within a couple of days.

The unit itself is tiny (only a couple of inches square, and maybe a half inch thick), and it comes with a short USB-A to USB-C cable. It easily fits in the otherwise useless little storage cubby between the USB ports and the push-button start, and I just coiled up the extra cable underneath it.

Setup using the AAWireless app was super simple, and after clearing the Android Auto cache and storage on my phone, it connected right away. With my phone unlocked when I start the car, it actually seems to launch Android Auto even faster than the wired connection did, and once it's up and running, it's just as fast and responsive as the wired connection was. :)

The only slight hiccup so far is that my phone has to be unlocked for it to connect. Once it makes the initial connection, the phone can be locked no problem. I've played around with a couple of different settings to see if I can get it to make that initial connection while locked, but no luck so far. I'll keep messing around with it, and if I find a solution, I'll update here.

Overall, I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking to make wireless Android Auto an option on the factory head units with Android Auto!

I have one as well, and it's great. The Japan spec 86 does not come with the USB port at the center, so I had to route mine via the rear to the glovebox. A hole was already drilled with a grommet installed to allow the wire to pass thru for the ETC, so it was the next logical location to store the AAWireless dongle.

Connection was also fast and easy, although I initially had issues but that was on my part. My phone needed to connect to AAWireless' Bluetooth connection, the head unit's existing BT connection and my OBD2 BT all at the same time, confusing the phone since you can't state an order on which to be connected first. But turns out with AAWireless you won't need the HU's BT connection anymore, so you can safely unpair that - it speeds up the connection process too.

The DPI setting on AAWireless also comes in very handy if you want to cram more information onto the screen. I find that on the default that things are very legible but far too large; changing the DPI solves that.

Love the idea of this but ordered one and just trying to use it now and it shows both that it's connected and 'looking for car's with an endless loading bar. Tried clearing storage and cache as well as uninstalling updates to the app and reloading them. Still no luck. Any ideas?

Not sure what to tell you - mine connected right up after clearing the storage and cache. Maybe restart your phone and try the connection process again?

Thanks and ya tried that. Phone is a Pixel 6Pro and car is a '17 limited so I figured it would have just worked.

I have an AAWireless that I use with my Pioneer AVIC-8200NEX in our '04 Suburban. Works great, with both my Pixel XL2 and MomHawk's Pixel 7, never had an issue. I don't use it often though, just when going somewhere locally. If I'm doing a roadtrip I just plug in as I installed the USB outlet in one of the two cigarette lighter spots in the front of the Suburban.

Part of it I think was fighting the stereo trying to connect so I deleted that but any other ideas why it isn't working?

Went thru and setup the app for the module. Got it updated to the current version but didn't seem to change anything. Tried the troubleshooting but it didn't change anything. Sent the details to tech support and they just said I need to factory reset the headunit...

You may not be connecting properly to the WIFI on the AAWireless device. AA used Bluetooth for phone connections and WIFI for screen projection. You have to connect to both.

My experience with the Motorola MA-1 and my Pixel 6a have been pretty good. The only times I have an issue is if my bluetooth headphones are accidentally turned on. it messes with the phone being able to connect to the bluetooth portion of the dongle.

Ha! Yep wasn't looking at Wifi at all. Will have to try it again later.

Ok so it shows a WiFi connection, won't let me connect to the Bluetooth but it sees it and still won't do anything but search endlessly for 'android auto'. Tech support just gave me the usual bs. Reset everything from the factory headunit, to their unit, to my phone and try 100 different cables.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong here?

*Edit - apparently their own site says it doesn't work with a BRZ pre-2018....dammit

Does your factory head unit not have Android Auto already? This only works with factory wired Android Auto to make it wireless. It can't add Android Auto to a unit that doesn't have it.

Ya, apparently that was the problem the whole time. Don't daily drive so never bothered to try it til now.