How to connect the phone to the car with Bluetooth
If you are wondering if it is possible connect the phone to the car with Bluetooth, the answer is yes, as long as this function is installed as standard on your car. If so, by connecting your phone and vehicle via Bluetooth, you can easily answer phone calls and play the music in your smartphone's library without using annoying cables.
That said, you should know that the procedure for connecting smartphones and cars via Bluetooth varies depending on the model of car in use. For the first configuration, therefore, I recommend that you read the user manual of your vehicle, in order to have detailed information on this.
Broadly speaking, all you have to do is turn on the machine display, access the section dedicated to phone (usually, the button Phone Number) and press the button for add a new device. Once this is done, take your smartphone and turn on Bluetooth: if you have a device Android, then tap on the icon Settings, tap on the item Bluetooth and move the lever from OFF a ON; if, on the other hand, you have a iPhone, fai tap sull'icona della gear wheel, to access the Settings of iOS, click on the option Bluetooth and move the lever next to the item Bluetooth da OFF a ON. For the detailed procedure, you can read my guide on how to activate Bluetooth.
After turning on Bluetooth on your phone, on the same screen, you can see the associated devices and available devices, including your car's Bluetooth system. Then press on car's Bluetooth system name and, if required, verify that the PIN shown on the phone screen is the same as the one shown on the car display, then press the button Match and wait for the configuration to complete. At this point your device is paired with your car and the connection will always be automatic, as long as Bluetooth is active on the smartphone.
How do you say? Do you have an older car and Bluetooth is not available as standard? In this case, you can rely on one of the many Bluetooth receivers that can be used in the car through special adapters.
- Bluetooth AUX: it is the ideal solution for those who do not have a car with Bluetooth as standard. Through the AUX IN input of the vehicle, it allows you to add a Bluetooth receiver capable of connecting the car stereo to your phone. There are solutions for all budgets, starting from 10 euros.
- FM transmitter: Older cars do not have an AUX input, but a Bluetooth receiver can be added to the car via an FM transmitter. It is an instrument that communicates with the stereo system through radio waves and that allows you to connect your smartphone with a common Bluetooth connection. The average price is 15-20 euros.
- Bluetooth hands-free kit: for those who prefer the “complete package”, there are Bluetooth kits for cars which, via the AUX input and the car cigarette lighter, allow you to connect the phone and the car. In addition to listening to music, they allow you to receive and make calls without having to intervene on the phone screen, thanks to the hands-free function and the convenient controls to be applied near the steering wheel.
How to connect the phone to the Smart car
If you have one Smart machine, that is a car that allows you to take advantage of numerous smartphone features even through the vehicle display, you must know that you can connect your phone to the car via Android Auto o Apple CarPlay. How to do? I'll tell you right away!
Android Auto
Android Auto is a tool that allows you to simplify the use of your own apps Android smartphone while driving. It is integrated in over 500 car models and numerous stereos (here the complete list) and can also be used in cars without a display, by downloading the appropriate free application from the Play Store.
With Android Auto you can make phone calls using simple voice commands, answer incoming calls with a touch and send and read SMS, WhatsApp messages, Facebook and much more, without any distraction. Furthermore, it allows you to listen to music through services such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer etc.
If your car is compatible with Android Auto, take your smartphone and connect it to the car via USB cable (or through Bluetooth if your vehicle is compatible with Android Auto Wireless), then follow the instructions shown on the phone screen, in order to perform the first configuration. At this point, all you have to do is select the item Android Auto on the car display and choose the function you are interested in (the phone to make calls, the icon of headphones to listen to music, the icon road sign to activate the navigator etc.).
As mentioned above, if your car is not compatible with Android Auto you can download the application in question to your smartphone and connect it to the car via USB cable. By doing so, you will be able to take advantage of the Android Auto features directly from your phone screen and play audio content through the speakers of the car. To find out more, I leave you to my guide on how Android Auto works.
Apple CarPlay
C is the Apple home system developed to allow you to use your own iPhone while driving in complete safety. It is compatible with over 500 models of cars and stereos (here the complete list) and allows you to make the connection between smartphone and car both via USB cable and wirelessly. For it to work, you need to activate Siri on the iPhone.
To connect your phone to the car via CarPlay, take your iPhone and connect it to the car via USB cable o via Bluetooth (this connection mode is only supported by some vehicles). Once this is done, access the Settings of iOS by pressing on the icon rotella d'ingranaggio present on the home screen of your "iPhone by" and tap on the items Generali e C.
Now, hold down the del button voice control placed on the steering wheel of the car, to allow your iPhone to detect the vehicle: as soon as you see the car name in the section Cars available, tap on it and follow the instructions shown on the screen, in order to complete the connection.
At the end of the first configuration, CarPlay will start automatically. If not, access the main menu of your car's on-board system, select the option related to on-board services and press on the item C. To learn more, you can read my guide on how to install CarPlay.
How to connect the phone to the car without Bluetooth
Connect the phone to the car it is a simple and fast procedure, which can also take place without Bluetooth, in cars without this feature. In this case, the connection between smartphone and vehicle takes place via a AUX cable, an USB cable or through special adapters. Here, then, are all the solutions at your disposal.
How to connect the phone to the car with AUX cable
If you have an older car model and Bluetooth isn't available as standard, you can connect the phone to the car with AUX cable. This is a rather economical solution (the cost of an AUX cable does not exceed 10 euros) and which can be put into practice on all cars equipped with an AUX IN input.
If you think this is the best solution to connect your smartphone to the machine, all you have to do is take the AUX cable in your possession, insert one end into theAUX IN input car and insert the other connector into thetelephone entrance, the one you usually plug your headphones into (in the case of newer iPhone models and smartphones without an audio jack, you need a Lightning or USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter).
Once this is done, press the button AUX present in the car radio controls or, if not present, repeatedly press the button you use to switch from the radio to the CD player (it should be SRC o source) until the display shows AUX lettering. In the case of cars with non-standard car radios, it may be necessary to activate the AUX function from the car radio settings, a procedure which varies according to the model of car radio installed.
Now your phone is connected to the car and you can play the music on your smartphone through the car audio system. Note that in the event of an incoming call, both the ringtone and the conversation will be played through the machine's speakers.
How to connect the phone to the car with USB cable
Be your intention è connect the phone to the car without AUX cable and your car is equipped with one or more USB inputs, you can make the connection between smartphone and vehicle using a USB cable.
This solution is the quickest and cheapest, since no configuration is required and the USB cable to use is the one supplied with your smartphone. If your car's software allows it, you can use your phone for both making calls and listening to music; otherwise, the phone-car connection via USB cable is only useful for recharging the battery of the device.
To proceed with connecting the phone to the car via USB cable, take one end of the latter and insert the USB socket into the appropriate input of the car, then connect the other end of the cable to your phone and you're done.
How do you say? Does your car not have a USB input as standard? If so, you may want to consider buying a USB cigarette lighter, which allows you to take advantage of the car's cigarette lighter socket and have one or more USB sockets available, through which you can recharge your phone. With this solution the device is not connected directly to the car.
Alternatively, you can rely on a AUX cable with USB socket, which allows you to take advantage of the car's AUX IN input to get a USB socket. This way you can connect the phone to the car audio system, but in that case it may be more useful to connect the phone directly to the car with the AUX cable.
How to connect the phone to the car with cassette adapter
On older cars that don't have Bluetooth and USB or AUX inputs, you can still connect your phone via a cassette adapter. This looks like a normal cassette from which an AUX cable comes out to connect to your phone (but also to CD players and all devices that have a 3.5 mm jack input). Its cost varies between 4 and 15 euros.
To connect your phone to the car via the car stereo, insert the cassette adapter into the cassette player and insert the jack into the appropriate space on your mobile device (in the case of the latest iPhone models and smartphones without an audio jack, it is necessary a Lightning or USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter).
Now, start playing the cassette via the car stereo display and play the music on your smartphone. A contact present inside the "dummy" cassette will simulate the spinning of the tape, deceiving the head of the car radio player and will transform the analog signal received by the external device into a magnetic field, which in turn will be transformed into an electrical signal by the head itself.
How to connect the phone to the car
