My 2016 does not have the system update function. I did the manual HMI update via USB key to get Android Auto. AA might CLAIM to need 5.0 GHz, but I don't believe that's actually true. You just need the devices to speak to each other. There's no TECHNOLOGICAL reason that the existing head units cannot do this -- assuming the HU can actually *use* the wifi as a data link... not sure that's the case. I've never tried to enable the LTE/Wi-Fi and see if the stereo can stream directly from the internet.

There is already a wireless Carplay dongle that you just plug into the USB port, and I know people making an AA version. Once the dongle boots, it pings the phone over BT, tells it "yo, connect to my hotspot," then your phone magically connects and boom, AA pops up just fine. Wireless AA can work via hotspot sourced on your phone, sourced from the HU, or even an external hotspot you have in your car. All that's necessary is that your phone and headunit are on the same network.

All that being said, I have absolutely no faith that GM would update our existing radios to get this functionality. I would bet the farm that dongles are the only route for us.

 

First to be clear to everyone, 2019 GS 3LT, No On Star and no paid My Chevy App.

When the car is parked for a long time I get notifications that the battery is low. I get notifications when the car "thinks" its time for a oil change. I've done the system update and it did take a few minutes, but then said I had the latest and greatest. I was at home and connected tot he home network. I do use AA & Google Maps, when there is somewhere I want to go I use the "send to car" option. Jump in - plug in - and there it is.

Back your original question, my 2019 Vette and 2017 F-150 my wife's 2020 EcoSport all have AA and none of then can do it wireless. You got to plug in, which is good for battery life. I'm no "subject matter tech", but as it was discussed earlier - is wireless truly useful - or - more of wow tech factor?

Things that make you go MMMMMMMMM!

 

Exactly, and only 2016 and newer C-7s have that capability.

 

That's interesting. I also have a 2016 but I had to go to the dealer to get it done. At the time I believe people were saying that the dealer must install it can customers couldn't install it for themselves.

As I understand it, you need fast Wifi for the phone to talk to the screen. IOW they need not only to speak to each other but they need to speak fast.

This doesn't make sense. You're saying there's a *Carplay* dongle that does *AA*. The two are different applications. I think you meant "*Carplay* pops up just fine". I could care less about Carplay.

And I bet you'll find this dongle has 5GHz wifi "circuitry".

If what you claim is true, that the current hardware is fast enough to support AA, an update of the radio would not be necessary.

 

There's my problem! My C7 is a DD. It doesn't get parked for a long time.

If you're talking about the send to car option from the My Chevy App that sends it to the car for the factory NAV to pick it up. Of course this means you have to use the klunky app to find the destination and you can only do one. On the AA side, OTOH, you can, from a laptop or desktop with a real keyboard and all the power of Google Maps, find destinations and send them all to the phone. Then, when driving, simply open your notifications on the phone and tap where you want to go.

IMHO it's mostly a wow tech fact or though it would be useful for those quick hops in the car to the grocery store or something like that.

 

I purchased access to a subscription service that gave me access to update all the modules in my car using a special programmer. It's likely the same experience you can get at the dealership, but I did it in my driveway. All they do is have you download an image and save it onto a USB stick. It's a real simple Linux image and the HU appears to try and update any time a key with these trigger files is present

I can absolutely validate that you do not need 5GHz Wi-Fi for wireless AA to work. People have been doing this for years in the Android forums. You just needed a spare phone to plug into the car and it provides a proxy for the wireless AA communication. 2.4GHz works, for the most part just fine.

I said that there is already a fully-functional wireless Carplay dongle you can buy right now, _and_ that there is *also* a wireless AA one in the works. I can tell you that because I have one on my desk right now, going all blinky blinky.

Can assure you that there's no 5GHz in the dongle, as AA doesn't care *at all* how it obtains a network connection between the master and the slave devices. Faster is better, of course.

Current hardware sure SEEMS fast enough, like I already mentioned, but it really depends on whether or not the HU actually has direct network communication over the Wi-Fi hotspot. IE can it get on there and share the LAN with other Wi-Fi devices like your phone? GM and OnStar did not necessarily allow this, and had no valid reason to before the concept of wireless Carplay and AA were introduced. It seems trivial, but likely will require an HMI update to accomplish.

Separately, there's a special handshake required to fully implement the wireless mode. The HU would not know how to do this currently, AFAIK. There are workarounds though, depending on how much connectivity is actually in-place. The AA developer tools are your friend in this case.

I've never connected to my LTE hotspot, so I cannot comment on what devices appear on that network. I don't think I've ever seen it present like I have in newer cars, actually I do have the window sticker though. I just assumed it lives in the OnStar module and was completely administered remotely via subscription.

 

If true wouldn't that mean there's is nothing stopping AA from running wirelessly with the current WiFi that's in the car? I mean Wifi is Wifi...

No, what you said was, and I quote, "Once the dongle boots, it pings the phone over BT, tells it "yo, connect to my hotspot," then your phone magically connects and boom, AA pops up just fine". I was correcting you because AA doesn't pop up just fine.

Again, if AA doesn't care at all how it obtains a network connection then wouldn't it follow that AA should be able to obtain that network connection from the currently installed Wifi in the car?

So you are saying the Wifi connection needs to be between the car and the HMI, not the car and the phone? What is "HU" in the sentence above? Or are you saying that while my phone can talk to the car's Wifi there is no route from the car's Wifi to the "HU(?" or HMI for AA to communicate with the actual screen?

I'm guessing you mean the car's Wifi does not currently "talk" to the HMI which is what is drivng the screen I/O.

 

I think you figured it out on your own, but yes obviously the headunit/HMI would need to be on the same IP network as the phone for there to even be a chance of this working. Even then, you need the special handshake described in previous posts, and reiterated below.

You are either misinterpreting what I said, or playing semantics. I specifically said that a CarPlay adapter is *already* available on the retail market. This should give you an idea of what is possible. Additionally, there are also AA dongles being developed. I don't see how you can correct me on the behavior of Wireless Android Auto, unless you have a brand-new BMW and a Pixel 4XL/Note20/etc that has the feature rolled out, and have debugged the entire process from end-to-end. I merely explained to you the logical flow of how WAA works.

 

I'm merely correcting your English and I'm not sure how to explain it better. Let's try one more time. Let's take your sentence:

"Once the dongle boots, it pings the phone over BT, tells it "yo, connect to my hotspot," then your phone magically connects and boom, AA pops up just fine"

As you just verified again "there are also AA dongles being developed". Therefore AA cannot "pop up just fine" as the dongle for doing that is still in development. I think you really meant to say:

"Once the dongle boots, it pings the phone over BT, tells it "yo, connect to my hotspot," then your phone magically connects and boom, Carplay pops up just fine"

Nit picky? Yes. But not untrue.

 

No, I am *literally* telling you EXACTLY how the AA dongle works. I have one on my desk, as I mentioned. It says hi, btw. AA can, and DOES pop up just fine wirelessly on most cars. None of this has to do with CarPlay at all, other than you can look at dongles on the market to get an understanding of what the experience would be like. This is not an "um, actually" moment -- it's a discussion of how Wireless AA is possible, it's awesome, and will most likely require a dongle on these headunits.

 

It boggles the mind why they actually let that guy stay on here.

 

Agreed. Seems that he/she is quite upset that they do not know the facts of the situation and have come across as a bit ignorant.

To the rest of you, Wireless AA is possible with additional hardware. PM if you want information.

 

The report button helps rid pests vs posting about it

 

For the naysayer, here's the project live now: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aawireless#/

can't find the mic drop emoji, but you can imagine it I hope.

 

Just connected my Motorola Moto7 Android phone to my new (to me) 2014 C7 via Bluetooh and a USB cable. Won't work by enabling the phone as a hotspot; has to be in Bluetooth mode, The phone connected itself in accessory and offline mode. So, if this doesn't happen automatically w/your phone, try setting it up this way manually.

FWIW, the audi via Pandora is "heads" above what comes out of the speakers thru the "radio" setting. So, as long as I've got LTE access, I'll defintely be hooking up my phone to use w/Pandora from now on.

 

FYI https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/0...lmost-any-car/

 

Has any tried the wireless CarPlay dongle in their c7 yet? If so what brand? How’d it work

 

I can tell you that the experience with the Wireless AA dongle is seamless. You do not know that you are not connected via wire. This gives you the freedom to quick-charge your phone, or keep it in your pocket.

I would imagine there's no reason the CarPlay dongle behaves any differently.

 

https://www.engadget.com/android-aut...214711667.html

so an android version of the dongle is being developed for 55 bucks

 

Welcome to the thread