How to Connect Phone GPS to Car Screen? Easiest Methods

You may have seen people using great navigation apps right on their infotainment systems in cars. And this looks pretty cool - you never rely on those outdated GPS systems that car manufacturers use in their vehicles. You can always update the software on your smartphone and then just see this picture on your infotainment screen using basically the navigation from your smartphone. But how does it work?

In short, you can use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and also some aftermarket infotainment systems to connect your phone's GPS to the car screen. It's not hard but sometimes, you will need to invest some money in new equipment.

Today, I will help you figure out if your car has the opportunity to connect your phone GPS and see it on the infotainment screen and also will give you some ideas on how you can get a more advantageous navigation system in your car without breaking the bank.

Let's get started!

Why do you need that navigation on your car screen?

It's almost always inconvenient to use your smartphone for navigation. The screen is small and you should place it somewhere on the front panel or even on the windshield because of the mounting type. And you just struggle to see something on that small screen and you fail. The overall direction is easy to see but the details are out of your reach.

But if you use the navigation system that is installed in your infotainment system, it may prove to be outdated. The maps may be old and the system itself may not be good to use on modern roads. Also, it may freeze at times and the GPS signal may be lost, so you will see your car driving on fields rather than on the road, in the ill brain of the GPS system.

Of course, one of the desired solutions is to get the picture from your phone directly to the infotainment screen. But how can you do that?

Ways to get the GPS navigation from your phone to the car screen

You can use several ideas but the best ones are, of course, the functions of your infotainment. If you have the opportunity to connect your phone to the screen of your car, you should use this and pay zero dollars for what you need to do.

Here are some ways to achieve that:

1. Apply CarPlay

If your infotainment system is equipped with the Apple CarPlay function and you have an Apple smartphone, things are going your way! Here's what you should do to set up the infotainment system and use it for navigation, in this case:

• make sure the infotainment is in Bluetooth or Wireless mode (find it in its settings);
• turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your iPhone;
• open the CarPlay on your iPhone and make sure the Auto-Join function is on;
• then, on your phone, in the CarPlay app, go to settings, choose General, press CarPlay and just select your vehicle.

After that, you will see that some functions from your phone are now available on the infotainment system of your car. One of the best things is that you can use the navigation from your iPhone which is fairly the best navigation among all other apps.

Also, you'll be able to launch many other applications directly on your car screen. The only thing you need to make sure is that your phone is located within the reach of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi networks from the infotainment system - so, it should be in the car.

2. Android Auto

If you don't have an iPhone but have some Android-based smartphone instead, Apple CarPlay will not work, in your case. But there is a pretty similar application that you may use and it's called Android Auto.

Here's how you can use it:

• on your Smartphone, go to Play Market and install the Android Auto app if you still don't have it;
• make sure your infotainment is in Bluetooth or Wireless mode (alternatively, you can use a USB cable);
• open the Android Auto application and tap Android Auto on the screen of your infotainment system in the car;
• go to Android Auto settings and choose the car you want to connect;
• on the screen in your car, confirm that you want to form a connection;
• now you can use the majority of your smartphone's functions on the screen of your vehicle.

It's easy and fast and it gives you the opportunity to use any navigation app you have on your phone using the screen in your car.

3. Aftermarket infotainment with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

In many older cars, your infotainment will not have the function of connecting your smartphone via one of those applications mentioned above. What's more, many of those infotainment systems will not even have screens. So, you will need to change that if you want to use navigation from your phone directly on the screen of your car. The car should at least have some screen for this!

You have several options and the choice depends on your budget:

• OEM infotainment from the better trim of your model - the most expensive option and it's not always available because not all cars had good infotainment units in higher trims;
• aftermarket infotainment unit made exactly for your car - if you have a specific shape of the music system, you will have to choose this to make it fit in the needed space;
• all-purpose aftermarket infotainment - here you have a choice starting from a hundred dollars and up to several thousand depending on your needs and wishes.

The worst thing for your budget is to go to the dealership and ask them what they can do. This is the most expensive option for you. But you can go to car gadget stores or just go online and find the needed infotainment ten times cheaper than the dealership will offer.

Be careful - not all aftermarket infotainment units are equally good. Usually, the cheaper versions that have the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functions are pretty bad in terms of quality and reliability.

4. Android-based infotainment system

One more option for you is to look for Android-based infotainment for your car. You can choose between hundreds of available options starting with a hundred bucks. Of course, I recommend choosing a model that costs more because the cheap unit is unlikely to work well.

If you buy and install such a thing, you will not have to connect your phone to this unit to get the proper navigation. Just use the Android software and Play Market to install any desired navigation app. Then, you can launch it directly on the infotainment screen and use it without even using your phone.

5. Buy a proper smartphone holder

In older cars, it doesn't make sense to invest that much money and buy the new infotainment system just to have the navigation map on your screen. You may buy a phone holder and use your smartphone or small tablet to navigate easily.

But make sure this holder is OK to mount your phone directly on the front panel in the area of the infotainment system. This way, you will get a proper view of the screen and will see everything you actually need to see.

If you install the phone holder on the windshield, you are unlikely to see anything, especially in sunny weather. And also, your smartphone may overheat because of direct sunbeams.

What if my Android Auto or Apple CarPlay doesn't work?

If the connection between your phone and the infotainment system in your car doesn't work, you may need to troubleshoot this on your own and solve the problem.

There are basically several things you can do to fix the problem:

• Reset the infotainment system. In most cases, this system is in charge of the problems. Use the internet to find out how you reset the system in your vehicle and do it. But remember that all your settings will also be cleared.
• Turn the smartphone off and on. This may help if your phone lost connection and now doesn't want to see the car.
• Check if Bluetooth and other wireless functions are on in your phone and in the infotainment system - this is important to make sure the connection is at all possible.
• Reinstall the CarPlay or Android Auto application and go through the settings once again to try and solve the problem.

If this doesn't help, you will obviously need to go to the dealership and have the infotainment system tested thoroughly. It may have lost its wireless connection function due to software or hardware issues and it has to be repaired by professionals.

Final thoughts

I believe now you know how to use your phone's GPS navigation on your car screen and will be able to achieve comfortable driving. But if your car doesn't have this function, don't immediately start investing money to get it. Maybe, you just need a proper smartphone holder and this will help you use all the apps you need on the road.