Best products from r/AndroidAuto

I'm not going to say one brand/type of cable is the best. Because there is no perfect cable, each type/brand of cable has their downsides for everyone.

Here's my history with it. Originally we had tried to save some money and bought some cheap braided USB C cables. Pretty soon the braiding wore out and the cable would random disconnect. This for all of our phones, Samsung S8 (dad), Pixel 3 XL (mom), and Pixel 4 (me). We then tried some "AmazonBasics" USB type C 2.0 cables, and they've working perfect for almost a whole year, compared to the other cheap cables we had, where we through 2 in the short span of a few months.

With my original Pixel Xl that I had before my 4, I have tried the official Google cable, and while they are expensive, here's what I have to say about them.

It's not worth it. First complaint is that the material wrap around the cable begins to darken as dirt begins to collect around it. Nothing a isopropyl alcohol wipe can't do, but over time it really gets stuck on there, and the cable begins to darken. Mine haven't darken'd too terribly, but there is some noticeable darkening. Second complaint, is the cable material bulging. If you leave the cable bent in a certain position long enough, then unbend it, a small bulge is left from the outside corner of that part of the cable being bent. It does not affect the cables performance, just a minor aesthetic thing. Aside from those issues, these cables look great. They function at the full USB 3 speeds they say it can, and its a perfect middle length for me, and works great across anything USB C, including my USB SSD, an elgato HD60S HDMI capture card, and a few other peripherals.

Like user DM725 said in a lower post,

>It needs to be a high speed cable with decent transfer speeds. This cable is 10gbps and has worked with every Android phone I've tested it on without issue. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGKYR2O/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_KthYDbGJFT82X

I use the USB 2.0 version of that cable, and like I said, it works great.

FWIW, I've had good success with the following Magnetic USB charging cable:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QWC4FZD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Love the fact I don't have to put needless physical cycles on the USB-C port of the phone. Also, very convenient if you're driving and for some reason, you need to reset the connection to your head unit, it can be done easily with one hand.

I wish I had wireless Android Auto in my vehicle, but this is the next best thing.

Also, one of the magnetic tips does not interfere with my use of a Qi wireless charger.

Maybe someone could contact the manufacturer, and for those of you without a 3.5mm jack for audio, ask that a dongle can be made... Or if you are electronically inclined, create your own.

Sorry for delayed response, but I was mid-move when the question came through.

The deets:

Ordered this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ALLWDFW/

One USB A is data and power, another is power only. This alone worked well enough...

I wanted to feel more responsible in charging the phone, so I used transparent tape to cover only the outside pins of the data+power USB A plug.

Then the data cord goes into the AA port and the power cord goes into the good charger. I don't get turbo charging, but I get topped up and I stay there - with Navigation, GPS, and Google Play Music running nonstop.

I just plug into the cord and I'm off and running. Added some Tasker stuff to make things slightly more automagical. But that's the gist.

Loving it. Just did a six hours drive with all of that and finished with 100% (I was there almost all of the drive). In fact, this set up is what I used when I drove over 1k miles for the move. It's proven, IMO.

This might be an elaborate way of answering your first question, but mostly I wanted to write out my experience of doing this exact thing. Also apparently I need to split this up into 2 replies.

​

I have an AVH-W4400NEX and a 2012 Prius Plug-In. After buying all the stuff I needed...

• The head unit
  
• Maestro ADS-MRR
  
• Maestro HRN-RR-TO2 Plug and Play T-Harness for TO2 Toyota Vehicles (this will be different for other cars)
  
• Maestro Acc-SAT-TO2 Sat Radio and GPS Antenna adaptors for TO2 Vehicles (this will be different for other cars)
  
• Metra 40-LX11 Antenna Adaptor Cable - Select 2009-Up Lexus/Toyota (this will be different for other cars)
  
• AXXESS AX-TOYUSB - USB-Auxilliary Retention Harness - USB adaptor to retain the OE USB in select Toyota vehicles (this will be different for other cars)
  
• Metra 95-8226B Dash Kit for Toyota Prius 2010 Double DIN (though I actually went with the OEM Toyota one as it looked better, link here for reference)
  
• A nicer mic
  
• Audio tuner mic
  
• Some giant spudgers
  
• I'm sure I'm missing something else here, but eh.
  
  ​
  
  I believe I set aside a Saturday afternoon to swap it out myself, and also install a dash cam with both front and rear cameras (the car already had backup camera built in). I ended up working on this through all of the weekend, and then did some more tweaks the following weekend.

I know you don't think it could possibly be the cord, but I have a strong suspicion you should just try a new USB cord from Amazon. Get something high quality and super short. Mine constantly disconnected like the way you described and swapping out the cord for this one fixed that issue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A6F3WHG. I have a whole host of other issues with Android Auto, but I think those could be my 2017 Bolt Infotainment unit acting up.

I pretty much did your first option, I got this mount...


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MM9VDVT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

And I glued a magnetic cord in the bottom. All I have to do is drop my phone in when I get in the car, and pull it out when I leave. Works pretty great. :)

Late to the party, I relize you have already bought a couple cables, but thought I would throw these out there as well.

Not 90, but 180 works pretty well for me: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GRYTRHC

NetDotBasics I bought the two pack just in case. Works great and I have abused it pretty well so far as I glued it in the bottom to make sure of the fit before I was done shaping it.

Yes, it will be easy if you buy a hardware adaptor, CarLinkit google around for the best place to shop, this is just a reference link: https://www.amazon.com/Carlinkit-Dongle-Electronics-Connector-HW01-01/dp/B07HCKWDJ1

Boss audio makes a head unit that is 200$ thats about as cheap as your going to get.


ALSO dont confuse an ANDROID head unit for android auto. Virtually all of the android headunits are garbage. they run SUPER old and under powered hardware to save cost.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Systems-BVCP9685A-CarPlay-Multimedia/dp/B07PF8LXFL/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=android+auto&qid=1564679909&s=gateway&smid=ABO907060G8YG&sr=8-3

Nice! I've been using the ProClip magnetic mount for the phone.

Stock image: https://d2ch1jyy91788s.cloudfront.net/proclipusa/images/product/855061-23120154-1200_1200.jpg

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And since the USB-C cable comes out the back of my radio, I don't have the luxury of (easily) swapping it to a magnetic USB-C cable, so I bought these USB-C Magnetic Adapters:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDY33K2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

So far, they work great! Android Auto works on my S9+... the magnet has been pretty strong and it has never disconnected while driving. The downside is you lose the 'Fast Charging', but it still charges fast enough (ie. I don't lose power vs gaining while using it).

• USB Cable. Use the OEM cable or a certified micro USB, more improtantly, USB-C cable. Off the shelf USB-C cables that are not wired correctly, or, any cable that has a filter in it will cause these issues 100%. I went through 3 different USB-C cables until I found one that worked like the OEM cable.
  
  I can confirm that these cables work: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01HF0YGCK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  
• Some headunits from some manufacturer's have certain devices not supported or even blacklisted on the head unit. Changing the USB Hardware ID/Manufacturer ID fixes this 99% of the time.
  
  https://gist.github.com/jdamcd/6054951
  
  Some are listed there, more information if you Google search. Likely requires root on most phones. Using a Google vendor ID for USB is the best option.
  
  
• Restarting the phone fixes this sometimes.
  
  
• Closing background apps fixes this sometimes too.
  
  
  Not saying that this is going to fix all these issues but it's things to try for any phone. From the sounds of it there is a broader issue here but I would look at my thoughts above for things to try regardless. :)

I never tried to play music with an SD card. I do have a bypass installed. I know with the 4200 there is a different bypass module that you need. Did you make sure you got the right one?

Edit. This is the one I have MicroBypass Parking Brake Switch Fully Automatic Video in Motion Interface for Pioneer AVH-4100NEX AVH-4200NEX https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKQ6ECQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6IlgAbHPR7ZVZ

Edit : nevermind didn't see that you already linked it lol

Which cables have you tried? Did you use any on the list on the pioneer website? Have you tried enabling USB debugging like some forums say?

I typically have great luck with all Anker product. But didn't get for my car. I got these my my wife and I. Our phones are mounted very close to car USB port. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DVLB1I4/ref=cm\_sw\_em\_r\_mt\_dp\_U\_oB-DCbFHQA9BZ

>When I was researching, it seemed as if that product was several years away, and what was available now was hacked.

Yeah same here! Yeah just a couple years ago I was watching YouTube videos on how people were hacking Nexus 7 tablet installs into their cars and was considering attempting it myself!

>That being said, if I had it to do over again, I'd have gotten a unit with built in navigation and not a CD/DVD player. I thought I'd use the CD player, but nobody needs one these days.

Yeah I'm in the same boat now. I wanted a unit with full tablet capabilities but still has a DVD/CD player. Maybe I should let the DVD part go but my young boys still have DVDs they watch and I might not want to always hook up my hotspot to use a streaming service. I also want it to still have some regular knobs and buttons like a traditional stereo. I saw some video where someone was, with precise effort, turning up the volume by slowly sliding across some tiny, half-inch area of the screen. Screw that mess. Begging to get in an accident. FYI, here are some units I've narrowed it down to.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N9QH9X3/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A35ICIJD64TUP8

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WRVLKJL/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2YQ2MP6O4DR7Y

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N6NZQHS/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2CPUPJ023OH3S


None of these have the satellite radio selector built in like I wanted and they're not name brand but hey...

I have a 2019 Impreza and a S10+. Everything works great, it worked with my S8 as well.

These are the cables I use, but I used some other generics as well.

Anker USB Type C Cable, [2-Pack... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071G5YCS6

My wife and I both have the Moto X4 and have never had any AA issues related to the phone itself. I have a Pioneer AVH-2300NEX head unit in my car, and have used my phone with factory AA units in several rental cars.

The only consistent issue I had for a while was AA thinking my phone was disconnected every time I went over a speed bump or sometimes even touched the cable. I tried several cables and all had some level of that issue, until I got this AmazonBasics cable. I haven't had any connection issue for months since I got that. I have that cable connecting through my cigarette lighter USB connection, and heated the USB cable with a hair dryer and wrapped it around a pencil to curl it and make it shorter. Works like a dream.

The only AA issue specific to the phone itself (Moto X4) that I know of is with LineageOS 16, which has a known bug that keeps AA from launching (several phones have the same issue with Lineage). As long as you're on the stock ROM, or at least a ROM built on stock, you should be fine.

Looks like a few people have had luck with the magnetic cables.

I've been using these, and they work fine. In fact, they seem to have a "feature" where hooking it up one way up enables AA while hooking it up the other way charges without AA.

I'm sure this is some sort of flaw in the connector, but I like it since I can choose whether to turn on AA by picking which direction i plug it in.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Cool-Compatible-Micro-USB-5ft-Silver/dp/B075M9Y7RD

In doing more research and making threads in VW specific forums, I've picked up this cable to try to see if it solves the issue. So often with AA, problems are caused by the cable you're using. This one is the most recent and advanced spec "USB 3.1 Gen 2" which is 10gb/s where Gen 1 was 5gb/s. I'm hoping this does it, since one symptom I did see was slowness. I've got a bit of a road trip this weekend, so I'll see if it works out.

I also read someone say that if your AA freezes up like that again, instead of turning off your car to do a full reboot, you can hold down the power button/volume knob until the infotainment system does a hard shutdown/reboot. Haven't needed to try that yet. I don't really drive during the week.

Grounding was a common workaround for head units with nav systems that required the car to be in park to enter an address or generally be useful. The manufacturers caught on to people just permanently grounding the parking brake wire to trick the head unit so they got a little smarter by checking to see if the parking brake toggles when the car is started.
There are specialized parking brake bypasses that simulate the parking brake toggle, here's one listed for the 4100-NEX. If OP tried grounding or the wire isn't hooked up in the first place this might be the ticket.

Just go with one of these. Under $400, and is awesome! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073D856LF/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can also get this: Amazon

This allows you to hook the steering wheel controls up, as well as allowing deeper integration to the car from the head unit through the CAN bus. I know a lot of the Kenwood Android Auto units have really good integration with this stuff.

This is the Cable I bought that works great with my 2017 Subaru Impreza

My Pixel 3a XL works great in my VW. Buy this cable, has worked with 6 different Android phones and AA.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGKYR2O?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

This Cablecreation works well for me and the angle allows my phone to fit in the center dash at an angle. Have Honda Civic HB 2017 and Samsung Note 8.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NA6L3UZ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the reply!

In fact, these are the latest cables I am trying out, only under NetDot brand.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JYZ1XXG

I have a coworker who has AA in his WV Golf. He agreed to let me try the phone and cables in his car; this way I will know for sure if it's my phone, cable or Nissan fault.

Just bought this Anker cable and AA won't work at all with the Anker cable. Kinda works with some junk cable I have but the most I've got with the Anker cable is to blink to a black screen on my phone and head unit like AA is starting, but then quits. Any ideas?

Got my Pixel 3 XL yesterday and used it with Android Auto this morning.

Prior phone was Pixel 2 XL with Pioneer AVH-4200NEX.

The cable is the Anker cable below that is plugged into the Pioneer extender.

Anker USB Type C Cable,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A6F3WHG?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Here are first thoughts:

• Start up to Android Auto is slightly faster
  
• Don't notice any UI changes
  
• Google Assistant used to call worked, this had been broken on and off over the last year with my Pixel 2 XL
  
• Worked out with Google Pixel Buds, and they didn't disconnect when I left the gym, so a phone call was routed through my Buds and not the car. Once that was corrected, call quality was good on both ends.
  -On T-Mobile, and there are two spots close to my home where we have no signal on the road. No other problems. Today, I stayed connected. T-Mobile installed 600ghz band in the next city over, not sure if I am getting the benefit of that or just a better/stronger phone antenna? But the phone will always go to emergency or H+ and I maintained LTE the entire time.
  
• The Android Auto black screen flicker or restart did not occur, but with the Pixel 2 XL, that was solved for me with the October update.
  
• Security patch is September and not October for my Pixel 3 XL. It will not update if the update button is pressed. I bet Google allows this in a week or so.

Picture of it installed:

http://i.imgur.com/f4fUSR2.jpg

you want these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT3NZK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GNHZHK2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VKQ6ECQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Optional, if you are buying the 4100NEX)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4PJC9K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Optional, if you want steering wheel controls to work)

https://www.amazon.com/Metra-40-HD11-2009-Up-Antenna-Adapter/dp/B003E3MLB6/ (Optional, if you want to listen to the radio)

If it helps (I'm in the UK) I use
this one

I had a very similar issue with my Pixel 2 XL when I got a 2018 Honda Civic EX. I was getting a "USB device not recognized" message no matter what I tried. Turns out the fix was just getting the right USB cable. Specifically, this one from Anker. It has a 56k pull-up resistor which I believe is what fixed the issue.

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Powerline-Double-Braided-Charging-Samsung/dp/B071G5YCS6/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=yo_pop_d_pd_title

i have this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VKQ6ECQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just bought this one. Only had it a week so can't give a comprehensive review but so far so good.

USB Type C Cable, CableCreation Short 0.8FT Braided Type C (USB-C) to standard USB A Cable for the New Macbook 12-inch, Google ChromeBook Pixel, OnePl https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DVLB1I4?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

I had the same problem with a pioneer unit and the toyota harness - the ebrake signal isn't compatible. I ended up getting a $10 override chip from amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VKQ6ECQ/) and putting that inline.

You can, in theory, hack something up with a relay or by running it to other signals under the dash (check the manuals and google). I didn't feel like pulling my dash apart more so I was happy to shim it out with the chip.

I did, this is the cable I bought to see if that was the point of failure:
https://www.amazon.com/Anker-PowerLine-Pull-up-Resistor-Samsung/dp/B01A6F3WHG