I'm pretty sure wireless CarPlay is not supported by the 2019 Insight.

 

• BMW 2017 5 Series
• BMW 2018 3 Series
• Audi 2019 A7
• Audi 2019 A8
• Audi 2020 e-tron SUV
• Lamborghini Urus
• Mercedes 2018 A-Class (Q3 2018)
• Mercedes 2019 GLE (MBUX system)
• Mini 2018 LCI Hatch & Convertible range
• Toyota 2020 Supra

Only a small handful of cars support wireless carplay.

 

Far all the nice Honda tech in my Touring, I really, really wish they had incorporated wireless cell phone charging and Bluetooth connectivity for Android Auto.


My favorite thing this for is just the looks of it. It's a beautiful car by any standard, but especially so given the relatively modest price tag. Parked beside a white late model BMW last night, and my wife commented that our Insight looked more elegant.

 

Honda might be saving it for the mid-gen refresh.

If you notice, our rear tail light design looks really similar to the Audi A3. We also have a thread discussing the even more elegant Japanese Insight. https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/2...quipment/2002-can-we-take-moment-appreciate-how-beautiful-japanese-insight.html

 

This new dongle being discussed on reddit is suppose to make factory head units enable wireless carplay.

https://carplay2air.com/products/cp...ireless-adapter-for-factory-carplay-android-auto-module-and-mirror-link-feature
https://www.reddit.com/r/CarPlay/co...j/i_bought_a_wireless_carplay_adapter_and_it/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

I'm okay with plugging in my phone to keep the battery charged so I will pass on the expensive dongle.

 

Waze (via CarPlay) would drain the battery quickly unless plugged in for my 1+ hour drive. I'm good with the 1-foot lightning cable. I rarely need to charge at home as it's 100% when I arrive at/from work.

 

Wireless android auto only came out April 2018, so it's no surprise they didn't include.

It's actuallly worked out well for me, since my phone doesn't have wireless charging, having to plug in means I always keep my phone charged, did take some getting used to.

 

I found this article about testing out wireless Apple CarPlay module called Carlinkit on a 2017 Honda Civic. Despite some latency, the review sounded pretty positive.

Link: Review: This adapter turns standard CarPlay into Wireless CarPlay, and somehow it actually works - 9to5Mac

 

I purchased the CarPlay2Air unit. Not sure if it works in the Insight, website said it does. I’ve used it my 2020 CR-V Hybrid Touring and my 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Limited. Easy initial setup and quick to connect at vehicle start. No lag in using Siri to get directions. Have not used it for phone calls, text messages, or listen to music as of yet. But I’m pretty impressed after messing around with it briefly. Definitely something to look into!

 

Web reviews are generally positive for CarPlay2Air (with the caveat that while it works great now, there's minor risk that Apple could issue a software update that kills it, since it's non-official).

Wondering if you noticed any significant difference in battery use/drain when plugged in via USB versus via wireless CarPlay2Air connection? And any new observations to share on other call/message/music functions?

 

Semi-related (?) - wireless CarPlay is expected to be offered for the GenX 2021 Accord during its mid-cycle refresh. This info is based on mentions in the early release 2021 Accord owners manual regarding usage of wireless CarPlay.

Wireless CarPlay wasn't offered for the Gen3 2021 Insight or GenX 2019 Civic mid-cycle refreshes, but it's a good sign that the next generation of each of these models will get wireless CarPlay as standard feature. I'm a little jealous of this, and wished it had appeared a generation earlier. And doubtful that the OEM version can be retrofit onto older models/generations...

 

Semi-related (?) - wireless CarPlay is expected to be offered for the GenX 2021 Accord during its mid-cycle refresh. This info is based on mentions in the early release 2021 Accord owners manual regarding usage of wireless CarPlay.

Wireless CarPlay wasn't offered for the Gen3 2021 Insight or GenX 2019 Civic mid-cycle refreshes, but it's a good sign that the next generation of each of these models will get wireless CarPlay as standard feature. I'm a little jealous of this, and wished it had appeared a generation earlier. And doubtful that the OEM version can be retrofit onto older models/generations...

If the Accord is getting it for the 2021 model year then the 2022 Insight might get it due to sharing similar entertainment system software. I wonder if Honda will be nice enough to push out another OTA update to add this feature for us. I think we have the hardware to support it like the bluetooth for the inital handshake and the bandwidth of the 5GHz band wifi.

 

Honda recently sent out a survey to pre-2021 Accord owners asking if they're willing to pay at least $50 for a software update to add wireless Carplay / Android Auto. I'm thinking our infotainment systems have the hardware to support it which is very similar to the Accord if a software update is all the Accord needs to enable the feature.

 

Since the infotainment system is the same as on the Insight, curious if any Insight owners got surveyed. Could be interesting to at least have it for short drive convenience (and better interface), even if you don't have wireless charging, or if you have Magsafe charging that can at least charge at a reasonable rate.

Honda Accord Owners About To Get A Wireless Surprise

Great news for Apple iOS and Android users alike.

carbuzz.com

 

Has anyone tried the CPLAY2air dongle in an insight? I think wireless carplay would be a cool feature to have if the dongle responds properly. If I know it works, we could then find a way to hide that dongle from the "cell phone pad."

 

Welcome to the forum. @Johudso7 is the closest to (almost) using CarPlay2Air on an Insight... though now as a former Insight owner (and 2020 Accord Hybrid owner) with usage experience on a 2020 CR-V Hybrid and 2019 Hyundai Ioniq. But the CR-V Hybrid infotainment system is more like that of a GenX Civic, and the Insight's infotainment is more like that of a GenX Accord.

GenX Accord owners report it took a year of waiting on a working firmware update, but 3-4 GenX Accord owner reported success with CarPlay2Air. Among Accord owners who reported issues, infotainment system crash/reboot/freeze is mentioned.

I kind of want to see what gets offered as an OEM (or retrofit) option for the Insight, since the EX-L/Touring 2021 Accord refresh picked up wireless CarPlay as a standard feature.

 

It came today. One day Amazon delivery. Seems to work just fine. I’ve been on one drive so far. Used waze and Spotify without issues. I made a call and that seemed to work too. Although my wife ignored me and didn’t answer.
I did have to update the dongle when I got it to get it to work. Took 5-10 minutes to update.
Now I just need to figure out a way to hide it. I don’t trust myself enough to start pulling the car apart.

 

Nice to hear that it worked. I may just end up picking myself up one and if Honda does activate wireless CarPlay in a future update I can always sell it.

 

Update: it’s pretty easy to pop the heating/AC panel off that’s in between the infotainment display and the USB ports. Then simply pop the backside of the USB port off and attach the dongle to the USB port and zip tie it inside. Once I closed it back, it looks clean minus the gap where the top usb used to be. I’m gonna roll with this setup for now. Would take suggestions on a good way to make the hole in that top USB port look cleaner. Also, no issues running wireless CarPlay from my iPhone XR so far. I just leave it in my pocket and have access to all CarPlay features.

 

Update: it’s pretty easy to pop the heating/AC panel off that’s in between the infotainment display and the USB ports. Then simply pop the backside of the USB port off and attach the dongle to the USB port and zip tie it inside. Once I closed it back, it looks clean minus the gap where the top usb used to be. I’m gonna roll with this setup for now. Would take suggestions on a good way to make the hole in that top USB port look cleaner. Also, no issues running wireless CarPlay from my iPhone XR so far. I just leave it in my pocket and have access to all CarPlay features.


View attachment 6382

Very nice!! Maybe you can take some black construction paper (or something similar with a matte finish) and tape it over the hole from the back side. Then if someone accidentally tries to plug something in the worst case is you have to open it up and fix it. At least it will keep dust out of there. 🤷‍♂️

My idea to take this a step further would be to maybe pick up something like this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WV1J8QL/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A294P4X9EWVXLJ&psc=1

...then grab a short micro USB cable like this: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B013G4EAEI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A21TE5CLHZDYA7&psc=1

...then set it on the pad and then you can wirelessly charge the phone by just setting it there and still have the CarPlay functionality.

 

@S.A.M. To confirm, you did get this one, right?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08767RQDB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1EE5VCGDAEB07&th=1

And from what I read the phone connects to the dongle via WiFi?

 

@S.A.M. To confirm, you did get this one, right?

http://[URL][URL]https://www.amazon...amazon.com/gp/product/B08767RQDB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1EE5VCGDAEB07&th=1

[/URL][/URL]

And from what I read the phone connects to the dongle via WiFi?

Yes that’s the one I got. Amazon is showing a $30 off coupon on it now which reduces the price to $105.99. I plugged the dongle into a wall charger inside and connected to the WiFi signal it gives off. I think it was like “VOLKSWAGENCA.” Then typed the numerical IP address into safari on my phone and the update began.

 

One other thing that I had to search to find. The password on that WiFi signal is 12345678

 

I pulled the trigger and got one. My hope is that it stays reliable. If for some reason it chooses not to work and the USB connection is behind the dash, the only way to restart it would be to turn off the vehicle. 🤞

 

Just got my stuff an hour ago and already installed.

Game

Changer.

I chose to use the bottom USB port for CarPlay because my 6" wireless charger cord conforms better in the top one. I also didn't zip tie the wireless CarPlay dongle because it's pretty light and seemed to stuff behind the panel fairly snuggly, but if I hear rattle I'll probably do that.

If I had to notice one thing off the bat, and this definitely isn't a major thing for me and I could be imagining it, but since it is now wireless I almost feel that the music quality is ever so slightly diminished. I need to test some more music to be completely sure. Also, it takes about an extra half-second to a second to start playing the music. Not sure if this is lag due to the wireless nature and maybe there's some buffering going on. I'm really hoping it doesn't lag the maps and turn-by-turn directions. That I'll test tomorrow.

 

How does one pop off the USB panel without major disassembly? Steps?

 

You can't without some disassembly, but it's not super hard. I believe everything you need to remove is just held by clips. (I pulled most of it off with just my hands, but if you aren't comfortable with that you can use a plastic trim removal set)

You can use this PDF for instructions:

https://www.collegehillshonda.com/instructions/insight/2020/armrestillumination.pdf

Steps 6-13 should be enough, and I THINK you can skip removing the audio unit in step 7. I think you can get the console inner trim off in step 9 without having to do that, but don't quote me on it.

Edit: Now that I think of it, you MAY need to take off the passenger dashboard trim in steps 2-4 to be able to do step 9, but again, my memory is foggy on that.

 

Complaints so far: I’m getting some black screens like my infotainment is falling asleep. It also takes a few minutes for my phone to connect via the wireless dongle which is minor but frustrating. Also, sometimes Waze does not give me the option to choose a destination. It’s just the map. I’ve done the factory reset (in the settings menu) twice which reset the run time hours. I’m going to go back to the hard wired factory set up and see if it’s the dongle or my car. I have ~800 miles on my 2021 Insight.

 

That's a bummer. I was planning to wait a while longer before giving a more thorough review (and I will still do that), but so far I haven't had those issues. Occasionally the album artwork doesn't update between tracks on the DII and I think once I had some weird issue with the Start Route option on my Google Maps, where the text was garbled but I could still press it, but other than that it's worked for me pretty well. Takes only about 10 seconds to load up for me after I turn on the vehicle.

 

I highly recommend anyone interested in keeping high quality sound from wireless car play, being able to watch videos on headunit, and many other features of various aftermarket head units, buying an LX.

This whole thread has been cringe for me. The only thing I really like from the higher end models is a sunroof.

It’s just ridiculous what I can do in my car. I bought an hdmi splitter and now can switch between playing videos games and watching videos on my 10” screen with the touch of a few buttons.

 

In short, to each his own.

I personally don't have a need or desire to play video games or watch movies in my car. There are other features in the EX that aren't in the LX that I prefer (moonroof is only in Touring). I also prefer the stock infotainment system over an aftermarket headunit because I like retaining the vehicle system features unique to it. That's my preference.

Regarding Carplay, all wireless Carplay uses the same standards and technology which is to stream over Wifi. The difference in quality is not between wireless Carplay being integrated into a headunit or being integrated through a dongle, but through being either wireless or wired (If there is a difference...could have all been in my head). There may be other non-audio downfalls between the two with some of the problems S.A.M. is getting that I'm currently not, but at the end of the day, it's just a holdover for me until Honda decides to active wireless Carplay in the infotainment systems (if they even can or will). Otherwise, if I have too many problems I'll go back to wired. Wireless is a convenience to me, not a necessity.

Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that everyone is different and if you want to get an LX and an aftermarket headunit and play video games and watch movies, then that's cool. If you don't, that's cool too. I'm not trying to convince anyone either way, just offering information if anyone else wants to go down that route. If that's cringe to you, that's fine. Everyone's entitled to customize their vehicles as they see fit. I know I've seen some mods on these forums that I definitely prefer not to do.

 

The reason I bring up watching videos is because some other people have brought that to our attention here. Also, you mentioned with your CarPlay wireless device you have, the sound quality is worse. In my experience with aftermarket head units (at least the ones I had) the sound quality is virtually unchanged from wired to wireless, so that was my suggestion.

Also with the LX, you retain all car controls on the screen in front of you.

 

The reason I bring up watching videos is because some other people have brought that to our attention here. Also, you mentioned with your CarPlay wireless device you have, the sound quality is worse. In my experience with aftermarket head units (at least the ones I had) the sound quality is virtually unchanged from wired to wireless, so that was my suggestion.

No, that's cool. You're very happy with your setup. I've done similar setups in the past and enjoyed them as well. I had a Pioneer NEX deck in my 2012 Insight which also had CarPlay and allowed me to watch movies, and I even put in headrests with video monitors for the peeps in the back seat when I took longer trips with my friends and drove Lift. So far it's just not something I'm interested in doing with this vehicle.

Anyway, to quote what I had said about audio quality, "If I had to notice one thing off the bat, and this definitely isn't a major thing for me and I could be imagining it, but since it is now wireless I almost feel that the music quality is ever so slightly diminished. I need to test some more music to be completely sure."

So let me clarify. I haven't done any true multiple-song wired vs. wireless testing yet (had a busy weekend). I was basing this off of an initial reaction over what I initially heard (which was literally one song from an older album from the 90's), and like I said, could have been all in my head or that particular song could have just not been a good quality audio file. I just haven't had a chance to do proper side-by-side comparisons of it plugged in vs. not. When I do I could very well find it to be universally worse. I might not. Other than that I've just been playing music as I drive and it hasn't sounded bad, at least from what I can tell over the road noise. Perhaps it's just me getting older, but I'm just not that picky about having the highest of high quality, external amps, new speakers, etc.. As long as music is playing and it sounds decent and not like an AM radio, I'm pretty happy lol.

Also with the LX, you retain all car controls on the screen in front of you.

Same with the other trims. I can configure the vehicle through the DII, but prefer doing it on the headunit, along with having some of the readouts there instead of the DII.

I'm finding as cars are getting better with their stock headunits, especially with vehicle integration, my desire to swap them out diminishes...especially since audio quality isn't as high on the scale for me anymore. CarPlay gives me everything I need for now.

 

Took a trip this weekend that was around 250 miles round trip, and found that every 40-45 minutes the Wireless CarPlay was causing the infotainment system to reboot. After the third time doing this, the system didn't come back on...only had a blank screen. When I finally was at a stoplight, I quickly put the car into park and turned it off and on, but the screen never came back up. About 20 minutes later I stopped to make a restroom break and yanked off the A/C panel to unplug my dongle from the USB. Thankfully, after starting the car back up the infotainment system went back to normal.

This was the drive I had done that was longer than 20 minutes since I put the dongle in. I guess it's okay for shorter drives, but for longer ones, it wigs out the system. Since there was a 20 minute period between when it died and when I took it out I couldn't tell if it had overheated or not. I also haven't checked it for any updates since I bought it. I should probably do that.

 

I took a chance and ordered this tonight:

Amazon.com: ATOTO AD3-A Wireless CarPlay Adapter - 2022 Support Online Upgrade Convert Wired into Wireless for Factory Wired CarPlay or Aftermarket Car Stereo, Wireless CarPlay Dongle, Plug & Play, Auto Connect. : Electronics

Promo code "50ATOTOAD3A" brings the cost down to $59.50.

It's a gamble, but I can always return it if it doesn't work. Most of the reviews are from Japan and Germany. Yeah. I know, not gonna work. I thought I'd give it a chance. I can always send it back to Amazon. Will post results after Monday when it arrives.

 

Wow. It arrived and worked exactly as advertised. I just ordered a MagSafe charger to complete being totally cable-free in my Insight!
Amazon.com: COSDIG Magnetic Wireless Car Charger Mount,15W Fast Charging Compatible with Magsafe Car Charger Mount,Stick on Dashboard Air Vent Phone Holder for iPhone 13/12 Series Phone & MagSafe Case : Cell Phones & Accessories

The CarPlay adapter sits in front of the battery under the console with the wire to plug in coming through just below the HVAC controls (minor unseen Dremel-ing required). The MagSafe charger will go on the phone tray when it arrives. May need to alter the tray pad for a nicer look. More to come.

Responsiveness of the Atoto CarPlay adapter isn't as good as hardwired, but it's pretty damn close. I'm sold on it.

 

Impressive!

 

Thought I'd post an update on my wireless CarPlay unit. After installing, I ran into issues with unexpected reboots of the CarPlay unit (not the Insight's infotainment center) along with the screen going into sleep mode. I lived with it for a while (weeks) until I finally reached out to the manufacturer a few days ago. I was impressed. Upon contacting them, they emailed me an updated firmware file and instructions for installing. After a few minutes, the update was installed. I've taken a few drives since the update, and the unit has been rock-solid. I'd recommend the unit (with the firmware update, of course) to anyone looking for wireless CarPlay for their Insight. The fact the manufacturer is so responsive adds bonus points. If anyone has bought this unit and needs the firmware update file, please let me know - I can email it to you.