Stream Music from Phone to Car Radio: Top 6 Easy Methods
Elevate your driving experience by streaming music from your phone to your car radio with these top 5 methods. Whether embarking on a long road trip or tackling daily commutes, having your favorite tunes within reach can make all the difference. This guide will explore various options, from wired to wireless connections, that cater to a wide range of car models and audio systems. Get ready to transform your car into a personal concert hall with these easy-to-follow techniques.
1. Apple Car Play and Android Auto
Most cars nowadays are equipped with Apple Car Play and Android Auto from the factory. This feature seamlessly connects your mobile phone to your factory head unit. You can easily play music, read messages, answer and make phone calls, and use navigation apps.
If your head unit has this feature, you only need to connect your mobile phone to your head unit via a USB cable. It will instantly connect.
If your head unit doesn’t support these features, you can purchase an Apple Carplay/Andriod Auto adaptor or replace your head unit with a capable head unit like an Android head unit.
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2. Play Music From the Phone to the Radio
An FM Bluetooth adapter is a super easy way to play music from your Android or iPhone to the car stereo. This method works on all cars, even older models that don’t have an Aux-In port.
Watch the video to learn how to connect your phone to your car radio using an adapter. The sound quality is not excellent, but it is acceptable to most people. Sound quality depends on the quality of the adapter and can be impacted by interference.
3. Use an App to Play Music from your Phone (Cars with Hands-free Calling)
Does your car have hands-free Bluetooth calling but no way to play music via Bluetooth? Many older cars allow you to make hands-free calls using Bluetooth but won’t allow you to play music. Various cars, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and Honda, allow drivers to make hands-free calls using Bluetooth. A workaround is to use an app that makes your car think you are making calls. This method doesn’t cost any money and doesn’t require an FM Bluetooth Adapter.
Important!
- The main requirement is that your car has hands-free calling.
- The sound quality will be mono, not stereo.
- These instructions typically help car owners with model years manufactured between 2000-2013.
If your car only makes hands-free calls but can’t play music via Bluetooth, follow these instructions:
Pair your phone with your car
Pair the phone so that you can make hands-free calls. The instructions for this can be found in your owner’s manual and vary by make. We assume you already have your phone and can call with your car.
Make a test call
The next step is to make sure you can make a call. Let’s double-check. This is important because, in the next step, we will use your phone to route all the music via the hands-free option.
Download and install the sound routing app.
Here is where all the magic happens. We will use a FREE Mono Bluetooth Router app to route your music via the hands-free calling system. This means that whenever you toggle the app, the car thinks you are making a phone call. Your vehicle, hands-free, stops the radio from sounding and starts playing music on your phone. Genius!
Play music from your phone via Bluetooth.
Toggle the sound routing app on. Open any app you like, such as YouTube, and start playing music. Your car radio will stop, and you will start hearing the music on your speaker. Because the sound gets routed through Bluetooth hands-free calling, you may notice that the sound quality isn’t perfect. During a call, the sound uses mono, which is only one signal channel.
4. Play Music via an Aux Port Using a Bluetooth Adapter
Many cars have an auxiliary port but don’t have Bluetooth capability.
If your car has an aux-in port, you can use an Aux to Bluetooth Adapter for your car. The adapter connects to your phone via Bluetooth, so you don’t have to plug in a wire to your phone’s 3.5mm headphone jack.
This solution also works for newer phones without a headphone jack. Examples of phones without a 3.5 mm headphone jack include Moto Z, HTC Bolt U Ultra Play U11, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, Xiaomi Mi 6, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Essential Phone, Razer Phone, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL, LeEco Le.
5. Use the iPod 30 Pin with an Adapter.
If your car has an iPod 30-pin connector, consider yourself lucky. Some interfaces plug into the 30-pin cable and allow you to connect via Bluetooth to your iPhone and iPad. One good example is the Bovee 100 30-pin Interface, which works with iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone 4, 5, 6, and 7,
Many German vehicles, including Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, used to have the iPod connector. Bluetooth is a great way to stream music from your phone to your car. The sound quality is much better than using an FM transmitter. Another advantage is that you can access and control your phone using the steering wheel buttons for functions such as play, pause, next, stop, etc.
6. How to Play Music from a Phone on the Radio with a Cassette Slot
Want an ingenious way to bring new technology to an old car? If you were born before 2000, you might know what I am talking about. Rember cassettes? You may have even used a car cassette adapter to connect your old phone to your car via a 3.5mm cable.
You can use a Bluetooth Cassette adapter for a wireless connection if you have a car with a cassette slot. This ingenious way allows you to utilize the cassette slot, but you can connect via Bluetooth instead of plugging a cable into your phone. This means that the cassette has a Bluetooth receiver; this requires the adapter to have batteries inside.
You don’t have to worry about all that; remember that you will have to charge the Bluetooth Cassette Adapter occasionally. We hope you found this guide on playing music from Android/iPhone to your car stereo via Bluetooth helpful.
If you would rather upgrade your stereo system, consider a head unit with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Such head units allow you to control your phone from the stereo, display your phone screen directly, and much more.
Conclusion
In conclusion, connecting your phone to your car radio has never been easier with these top 5 methods. You can find a solution that fits your vehicle’s audio system and personal preferences by exploring various options, such as Bluetooth, FM transmitters, USB cables, and auxiliary cords. Remember that the quality of your driving experience can be significantly enhanced by having your favorite music on hand, so take the time to implement the best method. Hit the road with confidence, knowing your car is equipped with the ultimate soundtrack for every journey.
