If your car’s infotainment system is compatible with Android Auto but requires a wired connection, there’s an easy way to make it wireless. It’s called Carsifi, a small adapter that you can plug into the car’s USB port to create a wireless connection with your Android smartphone. We were recently able to test this device. Here’s how our experience went.
The Carsifi adapter is well packaged
The packaging of the Carsifi adapter is small and neat. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the adapter is about the size of a thumb drive. In the box there are no paper instructions, just the Carsifi adapter, a USB-A cable, a USB-C cable and 3M tape in case you want to mount the adapter securely.
Carsifi Adapter Setup
When it came time to set up the Carsifi adapter, the process was simple yet complicated. The simple instructions on the box are as follows:
- Connect the adapter to your car’s Android Auto USB port
- Open the Bluetooth menu in the settings menu of your Android smartphone and pair the new device with the name “Carsifi-XXXXXX”
- Enjoy Android Auto wirelessly
As we can see, the instructions were quite simple and we followed them correctly. For reference, we were trying to connect a Samsung Galaxy S21 phone to a 2019 Honda Civic Type R, which should work according to the app recommendations from the Carsifi website.
However, after plugging in the adapter and connecting the phone via Bluetooth, it would connect, but Android Auto would not work on the car’s infotainment screen when the icon was pressed. After that, the phone would disconnect.
After adjusting the settings, turning the phone on and off, and even unplugging the adapter and plugging it back in – no dice. We even tried to troubleshoot via the website instructions, but couldn’t find how to connect it. We also tried downloading the recommended app and connecting to the adapter that way. After half an hour of trying to figure it out, we gave up.
The Carsifi adapter is an easy way to add Android Auto wirelessly to your car
Despite our failure to connect the Carsifi adapter, let’s say the idea of this one is brilliant. Some online users have posted success stories after using it for a few months. However, for all the success stories, there are also many other failure stories.
Some reviews on Appgrooves say things like:
- “Doesn’t connect easily after performing all recommended fixes and reinstalling. Even when he logged in, he didn’t stay logged in and was very buggy.
- “The app and the adapter are practically useless. It’s never stable.
- “The adapter only seems to work if it’s connected to the Wi-Fi between the phone and the adapter.”
We also tried to connect using the Wi-Fi connection. However, it still did not work.
Is it worth buying the Carsifi adapter?
Considering our efforts and failures, it’s hard to recommend spending $89 on the Carsifi adapter. The success rate seems hit and miss, and we can’t say the Carsifi adapter is the “easiest” way to add Android Auto wirelessly if it takes 30 minutes to set it up. We may try again at some point and will call customer service next time to see if we can get it working. If so, we’ll update this story.
For now, if your car doesn’t have wireless Android Auto, you might want to stick with plugging in your phone every time. At least that way you know it will connect and even charge your phone.
RELATED: How to Manually Update Android Auto
If your car’s infotainment system is compatible with Android Auto but requires a wired connection, there’s an easy way to make it wireless. It’s called Carsifi, a small adapter that you can plug into the car’s USB port to create a wireless connection with your Android smartphone. We were recently able to test this device. Here’s how our experience went.
The Carsifi adapter is well packaged
The packaging of the Carsifi adapter is small and neat. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering the adapter is about the size of a thumb drive. In the box there are no paper instructions, just the Carsifi adapter, a USB-A cable, a USB-C cable and 3M tape in case you want to mount the adapter securely.
Carsifi Adapter Setup
When it came time to set up the Carsifi adapter, the process was simple yet complicated. The simple instructions on the box are as follows:
- Connect the adapter to your car’s Android Auto USB port
- Open the Bluetooth menu in the settings menu of your Android smartphone and pair the new device with the name “Carsifi-XXXXXX”
- Enjoy Android Auto wirelessly
As we can see, the instructions were quite simple and we followed them correctly. For reference, we were trying to connect a Samsung Galaxy S21 phone to a 2019 Honda Civic Type R, which should work according to the app recommendations from the Carsifi website.
However, after plugging in the adapter and connecting the phone via Bluetooth, it would connect, but Android Auto would not work on the car’s infotainment screen when the icon was pressed. After that, the phone would disconnect.
After adjusting the settings, turning the phone on and off, and even unplugging the adapter and plugging it back in – no dice. We even tried to troubleshoot via the website instructions, but couldn’t find how to connect it. We also tried downloading the recommended app and connecting to the adapter that way. After half an hour of trying to figure it out, we gave up.
The Carsifi adapter is an easy way to add Android Auto wirelessly to your car
Despite our failure to connect the Carsifi adapter, let’s say the idea of this one is brilliant. Some online users have posted success stories after using it for a few months. However, for all the success stories, there are also many other failure stories.
Some reviews on Appgrooves say things like:
- “Doesn’t connect easily after performing all recommended fixes and reinstalling. Even when he logged in, he didn’t stay logged in and was very buggy.
- “The app and the adapter are practically useless. It’s never stable.
- “The adapter only seems to work if it’s connected to the Wi-Fi between the phone and the adapter.”
We also tried to connect using the Wi-Fi connection. However, it still did not work.
Is it worth buying the Carsifi adapter?
Considering our efforts and failures, it’s hard to recommend spending $89 on the Carsifi adapter. The success rate seems hit and miss, and we can’t say the Carsifi adapter is the “easiest” way to add Android Auto wirelessly if it takes 30 minutes to set it up. We may try again at some point and will call customer service next time to see if we can get it working. If so, we’ll update this story.
For now, if your car doesn’t have wireless Android Auto, you might want to stick with plugging in your phone every time. At least that way you know it will connect and even charge your phone.
RELATED: How to Manually Update Android Auto