How-to Guide
How to Install an App on an Android Head Unit
Quick answer
The MK4 runs Android 13 with the Google Play Store on it, so you install apps the same way you would on a phone. Sign in to a Google account first. When the Play Store won't work, you're almost always looking at that step or at old software.
What this gives you
Navigation, music, offline maps, touring apps, diagnostics and messaging all run on the unit itself, not mirrored from your phone. That's the difference between a screen that shows your phone and a screen that's its own computer.
Before you start
- A Wi-Fi connection, a phone hotspot or a SIM in the unit. You can't reach the Play Store without internet.
- A Google account. Any one you already have works.
- The current software on the unit. An out of date build is the most common reason you can't sign in.
Step by step
- Get the unit online
Go to Settings, then WiFi, then join your home network, a phone hotspot or a Starlink connection. If you're using a SIM, insert it into the card slot and make sure the 4G antennas are connected.
- Set the time zone, the date and the time
A wrong clock blocks a Google sign-in, and the error it gives you doesn't say so. Set these before you try to sign in, not after it fails.
- Open the Play Store and update it before signing in
Open the Play Store, press the three dots for the menu, then select Update. If you update it first, you avoid most login and app problems.
- Sign in to your Google account
Follow the prompts. If you've just done a factory reset and you get "Something went wrong", it's almost always the clock again. Set the time, power the unit off for ten seconds so the time sticks, then try again.
- Search for the app and install it
Search by name and tap Install. You'll find the app in the apps grid. Open the apps grid with the four square icon.
- Update your apps from time to time
Google system and service updates are what keep your unit stable. Open the Play Store now and then and let the updates run.
If it does not work
If you can't sign in to the Play Store at all, or your unit keeps rebooting, install the latest software update and try again. That fixes it in almost every case, and it's a free fix rather than a fault.
Worth knowing
Netflix is worth one caveat: it may restrict what you can play on uncertified Android devices. That's a decision Netflix makes, not something the unit controls.
Still need help?
Tell us your vehicle and what you're seeing on screen, and we can point you to the right step.