AAWireless Two+ Review: Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto

Price note: Overseas prices have been converted to approximate pound equivalents using the reference exchange rate current when this page was updated. UK prices and availability may differ.

Many cars with infotainment systems built from 2016 onwards support Android Auto and/or Apple CarPlay — but in most of them, the smartphone has to be connected with a USB cable. Convenient wireless use is largely the preserve of newer vehicles. A dongle like the AAWireless Two+ fixes that: the little box plugs into the car's USB port and from then on automatically handles the Wi-Fi connection to the phone. Nothing to plug in, and the phone can stay in your pocket.

One important caveat: a wireless adapter does not retrofit Android Auto or Apple CarPlay — it only adds wireless operation to a car that already supports them. The Two+ costs £51 from the manufacturer; the otherwise identical AAWireless Two, which lacks Apple CarPlay, is often cheaper on Amazon.

The AAWireless Two+ differs from the standard Two in supporting Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto — particularly practical when a household's Android and iPhone users share one car. Once set up, the dongle connects automatically, and when both users are aboard, a press of the easily reached button switches between the paired phones.

The unit measures just 54.7 x 34.4 x 13.4 millimetres and weighs barely 18 grams — 29 grams with the included USB-A-to-USB-C cable. Cars with only USB-C ports need a USB-C-to-USB-C cable, and depending on where the socket sits, the swappable cable is genuinely handy. It is advisable, though not essential, to position the dongle where it can be seen and reached: the LED ring around the single button signals status — green while booting, blinking green when connecting to the phone, blinking blue when connecting to the car, solid blue when connected, purple in pairing mode. The button itself has three functions: a short press switches phones, a two-second press starts pairing a new phone, and ten seconds resets to factory settings.

The car must support Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and the phone needs at least Android 11 or an iPhone X or newer. Setup takes about two minutes. One tip: the phone may need to have been connected to the car via USB once before, if wired Android Auto was previously used.

Plug the AAWireless Two+ into the car's USB port. If it does not enter pairing mode by itself (purple light) after booting, hold the button for two seconds. Then search for new devices in the phone's Bluetooth settings — just as with headphones or a speaker — select the "AAWireless..." entry and grant the requested permissions.

Alternatively, the free AAWireless companion app (Google Play and App Store) walks through the setup clearly. The app is worth installing anyway: it loads firmware updates onto the adapter, optimises the display output for the vehicle, and even adjusts the brightness of the LED ring. Once the ring glows solid blue, everything is done.

Setup is a one-time job. After that, it takes around ten seconds from setting off until everything has booted and connected automatically; occasionally a wait of 20 or 30 seconds is needed before the phone can be controlled on the car's display to start Google Maps or play music. Navigation and Spotify ran reliably in the test, with audio through the car's speakers. Operation is exactly as with a cable, including voice commands and steering-wheel buttons.

The one thing to bear in mind: connected this way, the phone no longer charges — unless it sits on an inductive charging pad. A USB cable can of course still be used at any time, for charging or a wired connection.

The AAWireless Two+ does exactly what is hoped of it. Setup is easy and the connection stable, and its operation and status light are more convenient than the Motorola MA1's. The special talent of the Plus version is Apple CarPlay support, with phone switching at the press of a button. The everyday comfort gain is considerable: no fumbling with USB cables, and the phone never has to leave your pocket. A clear recommendation.