Well, I bit the bullet. Since my 2017 needs the infotainment screen replaced, I'm spending the big bucks to have Android Auto installed at the same time by the dealer - saves a couple hundred due to reducing some labor redundancy. Sure, I could have done it myself and saved a few hundred, but I prefer to have folks who know more about what they're doing than I do.

 

Honestly you played the situation perfectly. I would have done the same thing.

 

I had a couple of pleasant surprises when messing with my newly installed Android Auto.

First I didn't expect the ability for the infotainment screen to show different screen images from what my Samsung phone was showing. That is appreciated. I was expecting that the images on the infotainment screen we're just going to be the same as what is on the phone.

Second some reviews said that when in Android auto mode that two things were not possible. One was that you would have to switch out of the Android Auto and go back into the Mazda connect mode to handle settings. Android auto has an icon that allows you direct access to Mazda settings. The second thing I read was that the Mazda steering wheel voice command wouldn't work in Android Auto mode. However the voice command on the steering wheel allows you to speak commands into Android Auto for just about anything including map locations music and other things I haven't yet tried. Or you can just say ok Google.

I had the wired version of Android Auto installed. I have a wireless dongle on order from Amazon that I am looking forward to installing in the next couple days.

 

Glad it worked out. I have been using AA since 21 in my CX-5. The AAWireless dongle works really well and I highly recommend it. They have a newer version (2) out now which is smaller. My original version works great though.

 

I installed my little Android auto dongle. It took about 5 minutes with about three of those minutes devoted to Bluetooth connection tries. After setup Android auto comes on as soon as I get in the car and hit the start button on my 2017 CX-5. And fortunately the latest versions of Android allow two sources of Wi-Fi to be connected interchangeably without user intervention. The audio via Amazon music through the dongle and Android Auto I would say is good, not excellent. When starting new tracks there is occasionally two or three seconds of stutter but it settles in after that. Overall I would give this a B+, or four stars.

https://a.co/d/72ACPef

 

If you want to try one that works even better, I recommmend this one: https://www.aawireless.io/en/products/aawireless-two

 

Are you aware of anything about it that would cause it to stutter less or not at all then other brands?

 

Yes, it has an adjustable buffer setting which helped to virtually eliminate stutter for me.

 

Thanks! I will give that one a shot. It's a favorite of the AI's I quiered.
I also have Necto in the car which is a Wi-Fi based temperature sensor. It transmits every few minutes. I'm wondering if that device intermittently interferes with the wireless Android Auto dongle and that any brand of dongle would be interfered with in the same way.

Here is the answer provided by Co-pilot, the Microsoft AI when posed with this question:

"Based on what I've found, Wi-Fi interference can indeed affect wireless Android Auto, and here's what you should know:

"Wi-Fi Necto could potentially cause interference since wireless Android Auto uses Wi-Fi to communicate between your phone and car[](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidAuto/comments/mro7ip/android_auto_wireless_interference_causing_hard/ "1"). However, there are some settings you can adjust to minimize interference issues:

1. On your Samsung phone, try these adjustments:
- Turn off "Switch to mobile data" in your Wi-Fi advanced settings
- Disable "Hotspot 2.0"[](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidAuto/comments/rwqwmy/solution_to_wireless_android_auto_stuttering/ "2")

"It's worth noting that wireless Android Auto specifically uses 5GHz Wi-Fi channels[](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidAuto/comments/rwqwmy/solution_to_wireless_android_auto_stuttering/ "2"), which might help reduce interference compared to 2.4GHz connections.

"If you continue experiencing issues, you can always fall back to using a wired connection[](https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/android-auto-intermittently-drops-with-wifi-interference-message-2022-euv.46670/ "3"), which completely bypasses any potential Wi-Fi interference problems. Given your experience with the CX-5's Android Auto setup, this might be the most reliable solution."

 

In researching my stuttering problem I've concluded that I prefer wired Android auto over wireless for the following reasons:
1) Sound quality. To my ears, sound qualities discernibly better with wire than with wireless. My listening experience is confirmed by Co-pilot report. See co-pilot response below.
2) I have two other Wi-Fi components in my car: dash cam and Necto. I am not aware of any workaround to eliminate the interference between these three devices.
3) While most of my trips in the car are relatively short, I like the idea of charging my phone while I'm driving. I don't have a convenient spot for a wireless charger so I would be using a cord anyway.

From Copilot:
My question - Is there any significant difference in audio quality between wired and wireless Android Auto?

Copilot Answer - Based on testing, there are notable differences in audio quality between wired and wireless Android Auto:

Wired Android Auto typically offers better sound quality[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://www.bestcaraudio.com/android-auto-sound-quality-is-wired-better-than-wireless/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1"), with:
- Smoother frequency response
- More extended bass
- Less audio compression
- Better overall clarity

Wireless Android Auto can have some audio limitations[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidAuto/comments/10590cd/anybody_noticed_difference_in_audio_quality_over/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "2"), including:
- Potential harshness at higher volumes
- More noticeable sibilance in midrange and treble
- Slightly compromised sound quality due to wireless compression

Interestingly, the audio quality can also depend on which app you're using. For example, YouTube Music handles audio differently - it actually processes the music directly on your car's infotainment system rather than streaming the audio over Bluetooth[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidAuto/comments/10590cd/anybody_noticed_difference_in_audio_quality_over/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "2").

For the best audio quality, I'd recommend using a wired connection, particularly if you're an audiophile or particularly sensitive to sound quality. However, many users may not notice a significant difference in everyday use, especially with standard audio systems[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://stereoupgrade.com/android-auto-audio-quality/?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "3").