You Can Now Use Your Old Tablet As An Android Auto Head Unit

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Old tablets are great for binge-watching the latest Netflix series, but that’s not the only way to put it to good use. If you drive an old car, one of the best ideas for repurposing your old Android tablet is to set it up as a DIY Android Auto head unit. For this project, all you need is one app: Headunit Revived.

It’s an open-source app that acts as the Android Auto receiver, similar to the built-in dashboard display on modern cars. It even works the same way — connect your Android phone to the head unit via a USB cable or Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and you should be able to navigate with Google Maps on the screen. Other essential Android Auto apps like Spotify, Facebook Messenger, and Google Calendar will also be accessible to you. That means you won’t have to buy an expensive head unit for your car; just set it up with an old Android tablet running Headunit Revived.

Headunit Revived is actually available on both Android tablets and phones, as long as the device is updated to at least Android 4.1. You can download the app for a one-time fee of $4 on the Play Store. If you’re comfortable, you can also install the app for free using the APK file from the project’s GitHub page. Aside from Android devices, you can use Headunit Revived on old Amazon Fire tablets as well. Just install it from the Amazon Appstore for a one-time fee of $4.70. We’ll walk you through the process of getting Headunit Revived up and running on your old Android/Amazon Fire tablet.

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Before connecting your Android phone to your tablet, you need to set up Headunit Revived on the old tablet first. Simply install the app like you normally do and open it. Then, follow this guide:

1. Allow the necessary permissions for the app (getting your location and recording audio).
2. Tap on I Understand and Agree on the Safety & Liability page.
3. Select Start on the Quick Setup Wizard.
4. Choose your tablet’s screen size. If you’re not sure, try looking for your tablet’s specifications online.
5. Select your device orientation. It’s best to go with Landscape, which is the default orientation of regular Android Auto head units. The app developer also mentioned that portrait mode can cause some issues with Google Maps.
6. Apply the optimization settings.

Headunit Revived will automatically optimize the Android Auto layout based on your tablet’s screen size and your preferred orientation. If you’re not a fan of the optimized setup, you can freely change these default Android Auto settings from the app’s Settings section. Some of the settings you’ll see here include enabling right-hand drive, adjusting the UI scaling, choosing when to turn on auto dark mode, and changing the screen resolution. There’s also an option here to set up automation, where Headunit Revived automatically launches and connects depending on certain conditions.

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Once Headunit Revived is up and running, your old tablet should be ready to pair with your phone. The app offers two connection options: wired and wireless. Between the two, wired is easier to set up and generally more reliable. To connect your Android phone to the Android Auto receiver, here’s what you need to do:

1. Connect your phone to your tablet using a suitable USB cable.
2. On your phone, open the USB notification in your Notification Panel.
3. Under USB controlled by, select This device. You might need to verify your identity via biometrics or a password. 
4. Set “Use USB for” to Transferring files/Android Auto.
5. On the head unit, launch Headunit Revived.
6. Tap on USB.
7. When prompted, allow the app to access your connected phone.
8. Choose Headunit Revived as the app.
9. Back on your phone, hit Continue to proceed with launching Android Auto.

If you run into connection issues like the tablet failing to recognize the phone, try switching to a different cable. The first one might not support data transfer.

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If you’re not a fan of dealing with cables in the car, you can go with the wireless connection instead. There are different ways to do so, but the developer recommends using Wi-Fi Direct as it doesn’t require an external hotspot or Wi-Fi network. Here’s how to set this up:

1. Make sure both of your devices have Wi-Fi enabled but disconnected from any network.
2. In the Headunit Revived app, go to Settings.
3. Under Wireless Mode, choose Wireless Helper.
4. Set the Helper Connection Strategy to Wi-Fi Direct (P2P).
5. Hit Save.
6. Go back to the home screen.
7. Take note of the Wi-Fi Direct name that appears at the top of the screen. If it doesn’t show up right away, try relaunching Headunit Revived.
8. Install and open Wi-Fi Helper on your Android phone.
9. Set Connection Mode to Wi-Fi Direct.
10. Enter the tablet’s Wi-Fi Direct name in the Wi-Fi Direct Device Name(s) section.
11. Press Start Android Auto.
12. Wait for Wireless Helper to find your Android tablet.
13. Select Continue to go to Android Auto.

If the two don’t automatically connect, you might need to go to Settings on each device, find the Wi-Fi Direct option (usually located in the Wi-Fi section), and pair them manually.

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After connecting your phone to your old Android tablet, Android Auto should automatically load on the screen. The interface looks pretty similar to a regular Android Auto head unit, with Google Maps and Spotify already open on the home screen. Depending on your tablet’s display size and the optimized layout set during the initial configuration, you might also see a weather widget on the home screen.

From here, you can start interacting with Google Maps and Spotify. On Maps, type your destination and navigate to it. On Spotify, press play to start listening to your song of choice. If you have another navigation app installed on your phone, such as Maps.me, you can switch to it by selecting it from the dock at the bottom. To use and open the other Android Auto-supported apps on your phone, just go to the app drawer icon in the bottom-left corner and choose any of the available apps.

Once you’re done using Android Auto, you can exit the app by unplugging your phone from the tablet for a wired connection or pressing the Connected button on the Wireless Helper app for a wireless connection. You can also exit Headunit Revived from the tablet’s Notification Panel.

If you decide to mount the tablet-turned-Android Auto receiver in your car, there are several options to choose from. You can go with a cup holder mount like the eSamcore Tablet Holder, or one that can be installed on top of your dashboard for easy access. Some mounts, like the Apps2Car Tablet Car Mount, stick to your windshield instead.