Apple CarPlay & Android Auto are wonderful inventions. They allow you to send & receive messages through voice commands, use many different music apps, and have an up to date maps & navigation system. Better yet, it’s always going to be the same from car to car which means there’s no need to learn a new infotainment system from a different auto manufacturer each time. But it does mean plugging in your smartphone which can become tedious or worse still, you forget to bring your cord with you.
Happily, however, GM’s latest version of infotainment systems are now capable of projecting Apple CarPlay & Android Auto wirelessly. Currently the only Chevrolet, Buick, & GMC vehicles that have the latest infotainment system include the 2021 GMC Yukon, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe & Suburban, 2021 Chevrolet Corvette, 2021 Buick Encore GX, & 2021 Buick Envision.
To start using wireless CarPlay or Android Auto, you first have to connect your smartphone to the infotainment system via Bluetooth. During the pairing process, a message will pop up on the infotainment system & on your smartphone asking you if you would like to connect Apple carPlay or Android Auto. Once you accept, the infotainment system will then connect CarPlay or Android Auto automatically every time it detects your phone in the vehicle.
Add that’s it! It really is as simple as connecting your smartphone via Bluetooth. However, there is one drawback to using wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It drains your phone’s battery much more quickly. As well, because it’s not plugged in via a USB cable, your phone is not being charged. But if your vehicle has a wireless charging pad, you could place it there and have it recharge while Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are running.
Eagle Ridge GM – Coquitlam, British Columbia