First write up for me on this forum, so if it sucks... oh well.
I don't believe I saw anyone do this yet as it was never really a thing. Recently I discovered that someone figured out a way and it is getting some popularity, so I figured I'd do a quick basic write up about it.
The reason for doing this (for me) is to display ECU Connect Dashboard gauges in my stock 2018 BRZ head unit with Android Auto (AA). The steps I will go through actually allow you to mirror your phone onto AA, therefore giving you access to open any apps and display them on your phone. I DO NOT condone any misuse of this, as the reason google doesn't let you use other apps on AA is for safety concerns.
This does NOT require a rooted phone. Also, you will need a phone that is capable of more than 1 Bluetooth connection - I was unaware that this was even a thing, but to my surprise, it worked on mine (OnePlus 7t) and works on most modern phones as far as I'm aware.
Step 1: Getting the app that does the magic - AAAD
If you want to read a little bit about it, I found it here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/a...nfree.4270013/
You can do your own research on this, but I found this to be a safe app to use that requires no risky modifications as far as I am concerned.
I followed this youtube video that explains in detail how to get AAAD on your phone. The steps begin on 0:56. The free version of AAAD is limited to a single app download, while the paid for version allows for unlimited app downloads within AAAD. The video covers this information:
To mirror your phone on AA, only the free version is required.
Step 2: Getting the mirroring app on AAAD - AA Mirror
I didn't fully understand the differences between all of the mirroring apps AAAD offers and I tried to do a little research on it. I ended up going with AA Mirror as it seemed basic and all I needed for what I was trying to do. Since it worked, I'm satisfied with it.
This next youtube video, starting at 1:46, explains how to get AA Mirror on AAAD. Once this step is completed, you have everything ready to mirror your phone on AA.
Step 3: Displaying Ecutek dashboard on AA
When you plug in your android phone to AA via USB, your AA will launch. Once AA is up and running, you can now go to your Bluetooth devices on your phone and connect to your Ecutek device, that should obviously be plugged into your car already.
Now, on your head unit, you can go into AA and open the AA Mirror app (which should show up if you followed the steps in the last video).
Step 4: DONE!
You are finished! Your phone should be mirroring onto AA and you can open your ECU Connect app and open the dashboard display.
Remember that you are MIRRORING your phone, so you are not able to do any actions on the head unit in terms of controlling your phone. You will need to make any changes you want on your phone in order for AA to display what you want. Again, DO NOT DO THIS while you are driving.
Keep in mind, in ECU Connect, you will want to make a custom dashboard that displays horizontally, not vertically, so that it displays properly on your head unit. If you don't know how to do this, follow these steps:
1. In ECU Connect, click on Dashboard.
2. On the upper right corner, select the folder looking button to open up Dashboard manager.
3. On the upper right corner, click the "+" symbol to create a new dashboard.
4. Give it a name and make sure you select the horizontal orientation.
Obviously most of the explaining in this guide is done through the videos. If anyone doesn't understand a certain step, I can make edits to this guide with additional details.
I read in certain comments from the videos that some people experience issues when AA has major updates. I believe AA Mirror tries to keep up with AA and makes updates to make sure it is working properly. So far, I have had no issues and everything works great. Also, there is no lag at all between the phone and AA displaying what is on my phone, which is great.
Enjoy!
