My car is quite old, so it naturally lacked a smart head unit like those in modern vehicles. After using one, though, it feels like a must-have. The vast library of useful, utility-focused Android Auto apps, and the ease of navigation with a huge map right at the corner of your field of vision, make for a much safer, distraction-free, and convenient driving experience.
However, even though I was OK with spending $300 on a new head unit for my old car, I decided not to. Most of them are just fancy Android tablets, and I already had one sitting in my dusty drawer, unused. So, just like I found a good spot in my car to use my old Android phone as a heads-up display, I started looking for the best Android car launcher that could turn my old tablet into a dependable car head unit.
But unfortunately, none of them were as intuitive to use as Android Auto, so I ended up using Headunit Reloaded (HUR). It let me use my old tablet as a head unit that worked with both wireless and wired Android Auto.
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Android
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AAWireless
Headunit Reloaded emulates an Android Auto head unit, enabling USB, Wi‑Fi, or self-mode connections to car stereos. Compatible with many Android head units, it offers software decoding, troubleshooting tips, and robust USB performance, with developer support for setup and issues.
What is Headunit Reloaded?
An app to turn dumb Android displays into a smart car stereo
The reason for Headunit Reloaded’s (HUR) existence is simple: If you have an old Android tablet lying around, you don’t need a new head unit for your car; you just need better software. Headunit Reloaded tricks your phone into thinking your tablet is a wireless Android Auto receiver. Once you launch the app on your tablet, you can use Android Auto wirelessly.
However, it’s important to note that it’s not your tablet running maps or streaming media. If it were, you would have to deal with downloading offline maps, managing separate data plans, or fighting with mobile hotspot connections every time you turn the key. Headunit Reloaded acts strictly as a receiver.
It establishes a handshake with your phone, just like a factory-installed screen in any modern car. It’s your phone that does all the heavy lifting—processing GPS, streaming data, and even rendering UI. Your five-year-old tablet is just a dumb touchscreen display.
This setup has several advantages, but the main one is lower latency. Because your old tablet isn’t multitasking, it feels quick and responsive. The tablet sends touch inputs to the phone, which processes them and sends the video back. It might sound complicated, but with a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection, the lag is barely noticeable.
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How to set up Headunit Reloaded
It’s easy, but requires some steps
From the quick overview and available tutorials within the app, the setup process might look a bit tedious. But it’s easy; you only need a modest tolerance for fiddling with settings. The Headunit Reloded setup process is divided into two parts: one on your old Android tablet and another on your Android phone.
Before getting started, you need to download the Headunit Reloaded app on your tablet and the Wi-Fi Launcher app on your phone. Follow these instructions step-by-step to ensure a smooth, quick onboarding.
On your Android tablet:
- Open the Headunit Reloaded app.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Connectivity settings.
- Select WiFi connection mode settings.
- Check WiFi client mode (your phone will create a hotspot).
- Now exit the HUR app, and connect your tablet to your phone’s portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
If you have another device to act as a hotspot, you can select the Network Discovery (both devices should be on the same network) option and connect both your phone and tablet to the same network. This is far more stable than your phone running a hotspot and connecting your tablet to it.
When you’re done, don’t open the HUR app yet; you need to finish the setup on your phone first.
Instead of connecting your Android phone to the car’s Bluetooth, connect your tablet using an AUX cable. This will put less stress on your phone, improve audio quality, and provide a more stable experience overall.
On your Android phone:
- Open your phone’s Settings, then go to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto.
- Tap version info at the bottom seven times to enable Developer Options.
- Go to the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Start head unit server.
Now, open the Wi-Fi Launcher app and take these steps:
- Follow the instructions and grant it all the permissions it requires. (This is a must for proper operation.)
- Check if you see a green check mark next to All permissions are granted.
- Select Wi-Fi connection mode under the Wireless settings tab.
- Tap Create Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Under the Status & Info tab, tap Start Wi-Fi service manually.
- Now, launch the HUR app on your Android tablet.
As soon as you launch the Headunit Reloaded app, Android Auto should be triggered on your phone and tablet. Once you’re done with this setup, you won’t need to repeat it. Just connect your tablet to the phone’s hotspot, then tap Start Wi-Fi service manually in the Wi-Fi launcher.
You will have a persistent Android Auto Developer notification within your silent notification shelf. You can hide it, swipe it away, or tap Stop until the next time you use Android Auto on your tablet. Just make sure to toggle the Headunit server back on before you launch Headunit Reloaded again.
Using HUR is better than getting a new head unit
My wallet said thanks
If I’d gone with a decent aftermarket head unit with wireless Android Auto for my old car, it’d have dented my wallet by at least $300. Instead, it cost me $5 for the app and $1 for sticky pads I used to stick my tablet to my car’s dashboard.
But the real advantage of HUR is flexibility. If an app update breaks compatibility, I’m at the mercy of the stereo manufacturer’s (non-existent) update schedule to get it fixed in a traditional head unit. But with a tablet, I can update the HUR app, tweak the DPI to make buttons larger or smaller, or even switch to a completely different launcher when I get bored.
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There’s also a distinct satisfaction in upcycling a device destined for the landfill and giving it a prime spot in daily life. We generate tons of e-waste, and functional screens are a huge part of it. This app helped me prevent my old tablet from being included in yearly waste statistics.
Cars are the perfect environment for obsolete tablets. You don’t need a 120Hz refresh rate or the latest Snapdragon processor to display a map and play a podcast. Android Auto’s hardware demands are low, meaning the sluggish tablet you stopped using three years ago is suddenly a high-performance vehicle accessory.
HUR is good, but not perfect
Using it is not always straightforward
If I had shelled out the $300 for a Pioneer head unit, then getting it up and running would be as simple as inserting the key and turning on the ignition. With the HUR app, there’s some friction. Not to mention, I have to keep the 12V socket populated with a dedicated charger to keep the tablet on, since it’s old.
Then there’s the mounting aesthetic. Unless you are handy with fiberglass or 3D printing, you’re likely to use a magnetic mount or a suction sticker like me to keep the tablet in place. It looks good, but it will never look quite as factory as a flush-mounted unit.
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But despite the friction, I still prefer the Headunit Reloaded route. The tangled setup is a one-time issue, and I have Tasker automation dialed in. So the process of getting Android Auto up and running is no longer a chore for me.
As I have been re-using my old Android tablet for many other important utilities, like a bathroom media hub, I’ve made peace with the suction cup stickers. And since the tablet has a lithium battery, it’s better to keep it in the glove box during long summer parking sessions. These advantages are important enough for me that they outweigh the inconveniences.
Headunit Reloaded is one good way to make your car smarter
After using the Headunit Reloaded app, I can safely say it cured my desire to upgrade my car’s head unit. I realized that I was not craving a new stereo, but I needed the functionality, convenience, and safety of Android Auto on my dashboard. By bridging the gap with a $5 app and upcycling my old tablet, I get the best of both worlds while being environmentally responsible.
