How to update the software on an Android head unit
Format a USB drive to FAT32, copy the update file onto it, plug it in with the ignition on and follow the prompt. The drive has to be FAT32 and the capacity does not matter. The update performs a factory reset, so apps reinstall and the Google account has to be added again afterwards.
What this gives you
Most of what gets reported as a fault on these units is fixed by the current software, at no cost and without the unit leaving the vehicle. A Play Store that will not sign in, a unit that reboots, an OBD connection that drops, and on the earlier units a USB connection that worked for a year and then stopped, all come back to the software.
Before you start
- A USB drive formatted FAT32. New drives usually ship exFAT, which the unit cannot read.
- The update file for your exact unit, from its own software update page on our site.
- The vehicle somewhere it can idle or sit on a charger for fifteen minutes.
- A note of your Google account details, because you will sign in again afterwards.
Step by step
- Get the right file for your unit
Each unit has its own software update page on our site. A file from a different model will not install and can leave you chasing a problem you created.
- Format the drive to FAT32
This is the step that decides whether anything happens at all. A drive that is still exFAT is never read, so no prompt appears and it looks like the update did nothing. The capacity does not matter, a 32GB drive is fine.
- Copy the file across and check it arrived whole
Copy the update onto the drive and check the file size matches the download. A part copied file behaves like a corrupt one.
- Plug the drive in with the ignition on
Any of the USB connections will do. The port does not matter on this unit, so there is no need to hunt for a particular one or for a special cable.
- Follow the prompt and leave it alone
The install takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes. Do not switch the ignition off, do not pull the drive, and do not press anything while a progress bar or an updating message is on screen.
- Take the drive out when it asks you to
It prompts you to remove the update device at the end. Leave the drive in and the unit keeps rebooting, which looks like a failed update rather than a finished one.
- Set the clock, then sign back in
The update performs a factory reset, so the unit comes back as it left the factory. Set the time zone, date and time first, then update the Play Store, then sign in to your Google account.
- Put everything back
Apps and their logins, Bluetooth pairings and any settings you changed are gone. Reinstall the apps you use, pair your phone again, and reinstall your mapping app and its offline regions. Allow about half an hour in total once the reinstalls are counted.
If it does not work
- No prompt appears and nothing happens: the drive format is almost always the answer. Check it is FAT32, never buy a smaller drive.
- Update starts and fails partway: re-download the file, verify the size, and copy it again onto a freshly formatted drive.
- Unit reboots in a loop afterwards: run the update again from a clean drive before assuming a hardware fault.
- Play Store says something went wrong after the reset: that is the clock. Set the time, power the unit off for ten seconds so it sticks, then try again.
- Two brand new drives and still nothing: that is the exFAT signature. Both new drives came formatted the same wrong way.
Worth knowing
Units dispatched from the current batch ship with the latest software already installed, so a new unit does not need updating on arrival.
Related guides
Still need help?
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