If you’ve purchased or rented a new car in the past five years or so, there’s a good chance it supports Android Auto, Google’s smartphone projection system that lets you put Google Maps and other Android apps up on your dashboard in a way that’s vastly superior to the infotainment systems found in most vehicles.
Unfortunately, most cars on the road today with Android Auto support only provide the wired version, requiring you to plug your phone into a USB cable each time you hop in your car. While Android Auto can be used wirelessly, it’s too much for Bluetooth to handle, so it’s only available on vehicles that have built-in Wi-Fi — something that’s usually only found on higher-end trims. Thankfully, you don’t need to retrofit your car with Wi-Fi to enjoy Android Auto without wires; instead, you can get a more affordable wireless Android Auto adapter like Carsifi’s eponymous little dongle.
Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter
Carsifi is a small and convenient wireless Android Auto adapter that gets the job done and offers a unique ability to switch between two paired phones with the tap of a button, making it great for single-car families. However, getting customer support could be a problem.
- Magic button lets you quickly switch between two phones
- Works out of the box on most vehicles
- Small and unobtrusive
- Companion app hasn't been updated for Android 14
- Customer support may be non-existent
Price and availability
The Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter can be purchased directly from the manufacturer’s website or from Amazon for around $90. The package includes the adapter, a basic quick-start card that directs you to the app, two short cables for USB-A and USB-C connectivity, and a strip of adhesive tape for mounting it in your car.
Specifications
-
- Type
- Android Auto adapter
- Power Source
- USB
- Connectivity
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
- Dimensions
- 2.56 x 1.38 x 0.35 inches
What’s good about the Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter?
A quick-switch button for multiple drivers
Like many other gadgets of this nature, the Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter began its life in 2021 as a Kickstarter campaign, and the company was never more than a one-trick pony. Nevertheless, the Carsifi has proven to be a solid and reliable adapter that gets the job done for many folks, and my experience was no exception.
While I wouldn’t consider most Android adapters large, the Carsifi is still one of the smallest I’ve used. It’s about the same size as my Nissan key fob and noticeably smaller than the Carlinkit 5.0 adapter we reviewed. This makes it easy to tuck away unobtrusively inside your car, and the package includes a double-sided 3M adhesive strip for those who want to mount it somewhere more permanently.
The adapter has a standard USB-C port on the top end and comes with two six-inch cables for connecting to either a USB-A or USB-C port in your car. Those should be fine for most vehicles, but you can use your own longer USB cable if you prefer; I have no problem connecting the Carsifi with a six-foot USB-C cable and tucking it away in my center console.
On the front of the Carsifi, you’ll find an LED status light and a single button. It’s that so-called “Magic button” that sets the Carsifi apart from most other wireless Android Auto adapters, as it can be used to easily switch between two paired phones or pause and resume the Android Auto connection.
While that second function is of dubious value — I can’t think of a single case where I’ve ever wanted or needed to do that — the ability to switch phones could be the biggest reason to opt for the Carsifi over another adapter if you’re in a household where more than one Android user regularly drives the same vehicle.
To set this up, you simply need to pair a second phone with the Carsifi over Bluetooth and set it up for Android Auto. Once that’s done, a double tap of the Magic button will switch to the other phone. It’s not quite instantaneous; it took about 10 seconds in my testing, and I wouldn’t suggest you try it while you’re driving, but that’s not really what it’s designed for. Instead, the Magic button should easily let you switch over when someone else will be driving, especially when both phones are in the car at the same time. Carsifi says you can connect three or more phones, and the button will cycle through them, but I only tested it with two.
It’s worth mentioning that when working with multiple devices, the Carsifi will try to connect to whichever one was last used; there’s no way to set a default smartphone. I can see this being a minor hassle in a situation where one person drives the car most of the time, but it’s certainly not a deal-breaker, especially if you’re only using two phones, as it only takes a single press of the button to switch back.
I drove around in my 2021 Nissan Rogue with Carsifi as my primary Android Auto connection for about a week without any issues. Google Maps, YouTube Music, and Apple Music were all fast and responsive, and they worked as reliably with the Carsifi as they did with most other Android Auto adapters I’ve tried. Switching between a Google Pixel 6 and a Moto G Stylus 5G was seamless enough that I sometimes forgot which one I was using.
What’s bad about the Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter?
Android 14 users better hope it works out of the box
While the Carsifi adapter worked for me without any problems, one big obstacle I encountered might make you hesitate if you’re running the latest version of Android. There’s a Carsifi app on the Play Store, but it hasn’t been updated recently enough to be compatible with Android 14 (or even Android 13 on some phones). This means the Play Store will block you from installing it, forcing you to resort to some APK jiggery-pokery if you want to get it onto your device. Since the Carsifi app was last updated in November 2022, it should be available for Android 13 devices, yet the Play Store shows it as outdated.
There are mixed reports of people having problems installing it on Android 13 — I couldn’t download it onto my Moto Stylus G, even when it was only running the April 2023 security update, but others running Samsung Galaxy S series phones have reported success.
Thankfully, you don’t need the Carsifi app to use the adapter — as long as it works properly with your phone and your car. However, without the app, you won’t be able to download firmware updates or customize some of its features, like the Magic button. The good news is that you don’t need the app installed on the phone you primarily use with Android Auto to accomplish this, so if you have another phone running an older version of Android, you can install the app there. Configuration settings are stored on the Carsifi adapter, not on your phone.
Should you buy it?
While I had no problems with the Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter during my week of testing and everyday use, and many folks report similarly positive experiences, the lack of support makes it feel like a risky buy.
The fact that the developer hasn’t updated the companion app to address the Play Store compatibility problems we mentioned earlier may be enough to give you pause on its own. However, that might just be the tip of the iceberg; the firmware doesn’t appear to have been updated in over a year, and the company’s support forums appear to be primarily user-to-user conversations at this point, with the last post from a company representative made in late 2022.
While it’s possible this could change, the lack of support makes the Carsifi difficult to recommend. That’s especially true for a device in this category, where the range of different vehicles and head units typically poses compatibility problems that can only be addressed through firmware updates.
If Carsifi works in your car, it should continue to work well, so it might be worth taking a chance if you can find it at a really good price from somewhere like Amazon with its guaranteed return policy; however, there are several better alternatives in the same price range. With Carsifi, you should assume you’re buying it “as-is” without any expectation of customer support.
Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter
Carsifi delivers solid and reliable wireless Android Auto connectivity and switches seamlessly between more than one phone, making it great for folks who share a car with other Android Auto fans. Sadly, software updates and customer support seem to be lacking, making it a slightly risky buy.
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March 03, 2024 at 11:00PM
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Carsifi Wireless Android Auto Adapter review: A smooth ride for some single-vehicle families - Android Police
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