How to switch between Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and HiCar
The unit opens in Apple CarPlay mode by default. To change it, open the PVS Link app, tap the four square apps icon, and select Android Auto or Huawei HiCar. A phone that pairs but never opens anything is almost always still in the wrong mode.
What this gives you
One head unit that takes whatever phone is in the vehicle that day. A work phone on Android and a personal iPhone do not need two head units or a compromise, and the change takes a few seconds at the start of a trip.
Before you start
- The phone paired to the unit over Bluetooth first.
- Bluetooth switched on at the phone and the phone unlocked.
- A USB lead if you would rather run wired, which both CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Step by step
- Pair the phone over Bluetooth first
Open the Bluetooth app on the head unit, tap Search, make sure Bluetooth is on at the phone, select the phone from the list and press Connect. Confirm the pairing on both the phone and the unit.
- If you are on an iPhone, accept the prompt
Once paired, CarPlay launches on its own. The iPhone shows a prompt asking to connect and it has to be accepted. If CarPlay never launches, that prompt is the usual reason.
- For an Android phone, change the mode in PVS Link
Open the PVS Link app, tap the four square apps icon, and select Android Auto. For a Huawei phone, select Huawei HiCar in the same place.
- If the phone connects but nothing opens, you are in the wrong mode
A connection with a blank screen behind it means the unit is still in CarPlay mode with an Android phone attached, or the other way round. Go back to the apps grid and pick the right one.
- Use a USB lead if you prefer wired
Both CarPlay and Android Auto run wired over USB as well as wirelessly. USB Port 1 is the CarPlay and Android Auto port.
- Turn off Background Connection if it keeps grabbing the phone
Open the PVS Link app and turn off Background Connection through its settings. The phone has to be in aeroplane mode to reach that screen.
If it does not work
- CarPlay will not launch on an iPhone: delete the device on both the phone and the unit, then pair again and accept the prompt this time.
- Android Auto connects and drops: try it wired on USB Port 1 to separate a phone problem from a wireless one.
- It worked and then stopped after a phone update: pair again from scratch rather than trying to repair the existing pairing.
- What looks like a WiFi fault is often Android Auto running in the background rather than the WiFi itself.
Worth knowing
Wired CarPlay does not use the phone WiFi radio at all, which matters if the phone also needs to stay on a separate WiFi network in the vehicle.
Related guides
Still need help?
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