5 Of The Cheapest Wireless Apple CarPlay Adapters Still Worth Using – BGR

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The support for Apple CarPlay, along with Android Auto, has become a common feature on modern cars, allowing people to enjoy their phone apps and features on a car’s infotainment system. After all, CarPlay is pretty capable and packs a lot of underrated features, including its ability to keep track of your parked car’s location. So, it’s no surprise that even Tesla is rethinking its resistance to adding CarPlay support.

Depending on your car, you can either use Apple CarPlay by connecting your iPhone to the USB port on your car’s dashboard or establishing a wireless connection, which uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Wireless CarPlay is pretty convenient and removes the need to deal with the USB cable every time you get into your car. However, not all cars come with wireless CarPlay support. Fortunately, there is an easy way to fix this and add wireless CarPlay support to any car that already supports wired CarPlay. All you have to do is use a device called a wireless CarPlay adapter. It plugs into your car’s USB port and then establishes a wireless connection with your iPhone for CarPlay.

There are tons of wireless CarPlay adapters on the market. Many of these can cost upwards of $100, but you don’t necessarily need to spend the big bucks for a well-rated wireless CarPlay adapter. We have handpicked some of the most affordable and reliable CarPlay adapters that you can buy right now.

The Amzfeel Wireless CarPlay Adapter is a thumb drive-sized gadget that brings wireless CarPlay support to your car. It’s plug-and-play and is claimed to be compatible with over 800 car models. Although it has a list price of $50, it’s often available for $40 or less. It plugs into the USB Type-A port on your car dashboard; however, if your car only has a USB-C port, you can use the USB-A to USB-C adapter included in the box. Another highlight of the Amzfeel offering is a built-in troubleshooting mode that will allow you to update the device, reset it to factory settings, and report any problems to the company.

It’s also widely liked by Amazon shoppers, with an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 and over 2,700 reviews. Buyers appreciate the convenience it brings to the table as well as its easy setup process. They also point out the lack of any significant lag in the connection. However, it’s important to note that it stopped working for a small selection of buyers after a few months, whereas others complain of disconnection issues.

The Burnt Sugar Wireless CarPlay Adapter is another excellent compact dongle that will help you ditch the need for a USB cable for CarPlay. It uses the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz Wi-Fi bands to offer a reliable connection between your iPhone and the adapter. It’s also easy to set up, is compatible with over 800 car models, and includes a troubleshooting mode, like many of our other recommendations. Moreover, while the adapter has a built-in USB Type-A connector, you get a USB-C adapter in the box, making it ready for either connector in your car.

Although the Burnt Sugar Wireless CarPlay Adapter carries a list price of $80, it’s rarely ever sold at that price, and you will frequently find it being offered at $50 or less. It has received generally favorable reviews from buyers on Amazon, with an average rating of 4.8 from over 370 reviews. Shoppers are happy with its easy installation, seamless connectivity, and small form factor. There are a few complaints, mostly centered around folks getting defective units that don’t work at all or stop working after a few days.

As the name suggests, the Shrandi 2-in-1 Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Adapter can not only add wireless Apple CarPlay to your car but also Android Auto, making it ideal for a household with phones featuring both mobile platforms. It also features a compact design but with a square-shaped top. The company also claims it works with the vast majority of car models featuring wired support for Apple and Google’s infotainment systems.

The Shrandi adapter has a price tag of $30, but you can typically find it selling for as low as $20. It’s also quite popular on Amazon and has received an average rating of 4.2 from over 1,100 reviews. Buyers highlight its reliability, plug-and-play nature, and easy pairing process. Unfortunately, like most other wireless adapters in its price bracket, the Shrandi offering is not without customer complaints about connection issues and defective units. But the problems seem limited to only a small selection of consumers.

The Fahren Ultra Mini is one of the smallest wireless Apple CarPlay adapters among our recommendations. It typically sells for around $22 and has garnered an average buyer rating of 4.4 out of 5 from over 250 reviews. It’s also the company’s latest model and includes support for over 1,000 car models featuring wired Apple CarPlay support. Additionally, if you want, you can also use it as a wireless Android Auto adapter. The adapter has a list price of $22, but you can currently find it at $17.75.

It relies on Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 5.8GHz to deliver seamless connectivity and can work with both USB Type-A and Type-C ports. Fahren includes the necessary adapters and extension cables that you may need to use it out of the box. While it has received generally positive feedback from Amazon shoppers, who praise its tiny form factor, quick setup process, and affordable pricing, some buyers note facing compatibility issues or complain about receiving faulty units and poor customer support experience.

At $13.29, this Wireless CarPlay Adapter from iHeylinkit is the most affordable dongle on our list to convert your car’s wired CarPlay to wireless. It works with the majority of car models released between 2018 and 2025 with wired CarPlay support from the factory, except for BMW cars. It’s easy to set up and comes with a USB-C adapter in case your car only has USB-C ports. Other features include a built-in troubleshooting mode to update and reset the unit, and a two-year replacement warranty in case of problems.

Another highlight of the iHeylinkit adapter is its form factor. Unlike many other wireless CarPlay adapters, it has a built-in cable to make it suitable for USB ports that aren’t easily accessible or have enough space around them for bigger dongles.

Amazon shoppers have given it a solid average rating of 4.4 from over 100 reviews, and highlight its quick connection times, reliability, and solid build quality. Buyers also call it a value-for-money purchase. Notably, some owners did face occasional issues while connecting it with their iPhones.

While choosing the cheapest wireless adapters for Apple CarPlay, we focused on gadgets that are typically available for less than $50 on Amazon. We then selected wireless adapters that have received largely favorable reviews from verified buyers, with an average rating of 4.2 or more out of 5, and have over 100 reviews. All our recommendations are also confirmed to work with the majority of car models that include wired CarPlay support right from the factory and can be plugged into both USB Type-A and Type-C ports.