Not only can they directly be used to help us get from point A to point B, but they can also be used to provide light entertainment for everyone in the car, making it easier to control music libraries to make long car journeys simply fly by.
One of the most popular ways of interfacing with your car is by the use of Apple CarPlay, which allows you to access a number of your iPhone’s features on the built-in screen within your car’s navigation system.
However, using CarPlay requires that you have an iPhone or another compatible Apple device that can connect directly to your car’s navigation system. But is there a way to get CarPlay running using a simple Raspberry Pi computer?
Well – much like using Homebridge to access Homekit, you can use your Raspberry Pi to run CarPlay!
Does Apple CarPlay Work On A Raspberry Pi Computer?
Yes, Apple CarPlay can be made to successfully run via a Raspberry Pi computer. This can make it a great solution if you want to use Apple CarPlay in your car without having to fork over countless dollars to get yourself the latest iPhone!
A Raspberry Pi computer is far cheaper than most iPhones and only requires that you have a separate PC ready and waiting to set it all up.
How Do You Install CarPlay Onto A Raspberry Pi Computer?
There are a few things that you need to do to get Apple CarPlay up and running on your Raspberry Pi. Let’s go through the steps now.
Step 1 – Update Your Raspberry Pi
Before you make any changes to your Raspberry Pi computer you will want to make sure that it is fully updated which allows it to make the necessary changes.
In order to update your Raspberry Pi, head to the command terminal and enter the code ‘sudo apt-get update’, before then following that with ‘sudo apt-get upgrade’. This will cause the update to install and will reset the Pi to solidify all changes.
Step 2 – Get Android Running On Your Raspberry Pi
In order to run CarPlay on your Raspberry pi, you will need to make sure that the Raspberry Pi is operating on the Android operating system.
Head to your PC and then download ‘KonstaKANG Lineage OS 16.0’. This is an Android operating system that can be used on Raspberry Pi. Once you have downloaded it, simply unzip the file and find the .img file.
In order to connect a Raspberry Pi to most car navigation systems you will need the correct dongle that allows you to do this.
We recommend using the Carlinkit 4.0 adapter, as this adapter allows the Raspberry Pi to interface with the Navigation system of the car as if it were an iPhone.
There are many other similar adapters, but this is the one we most recommend as it is very robust and well-built.
Step 4 – Download AutoKit
Next up, you are going to need to make sure that you have installed the AutoKit program onto your Raspberry Pi, which is what allows the Raspberry Pi to hook up to the dongle, and then allows the dongle to hook up to CarPlay.
Once you have downloaded AutoKit, open the applications and then head to the settings. From there, you will need to configure the settings of the application so that it is on ‘Compatible mode’, which is what allows it to interface.
Step 5 – Connect To CarPlay
Now that you have installed Android and the correct CarPlay applications, you are ready to hook the system up to CarPlay,
Simply take the Raspberry Pi unit and connect it to the car’s navigation system by passing the connection through the dongle that you purchased earlier.
From here, you might want to play around with some of the features of CarPlay, such as navigation or music streaming services to make sure that your Raspberry Pi is able to interface with Carplay effectively without crashing.
You may encounter some visual problems when connecting a Raspberry Pi to CarPlay, and if these problems crop up, you can attach an HDMI cable between the dongle and the Raspberry Pi device, which will improve visual problems.
To Wrap Up
Luckily, it is possible to make CarPlay run via a Raspberry Pi device, but it involves some work because you will need to ensure that the Raspberry Pi is operating via Android and that you have the correct connections to make everything work.
When it does work, though, it can be a great way to save countless dollars that would otherwise be spent on acquiring a compatible Apple device to work with CarPlay.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Do I Manually Install CarPlay?
Luckily, installing the CarPlay application into your car is actually very easy, as all you need to do is hook up the iPhone or other Apple device directly to the car itself. This will cause the car to recognize that an Apple device is nearby and that CarPlay can be used. However, your car will first need to be compatible with CarPlay.
Is CarPlay Only For Apple?
Yes. CarPlay is an interface for using Apple facilities on a car’s navigation system.
Is CarPlay Over Bluetooth?
CarPlay can be accessed via a wired connection or Bluetooth connection.
As a tech enthusiast from a young age, it was inevitable that I'd find my way to the humble, yet brilliant Raspberry Pi. With this site - I aim to build out a knowledge base that will give you everything you need for your own Raspberry Pi journey!
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