Eliminate A Common Android Auto Headache With This Minuscule Gadget

Contents

Plus more versatility than most competitors

Summary

The new Ottocast Mini enables wireless Android Auto & CarPlay connectivity and plugs into a USB A or C port.
It’s compatible with most cars manufactured since 2016 that support wired Android Auto.
Priced at $60, it includes two potentially necessary adapters, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and long-term over-the-air software updates.

Several months ago, I rented a three-year-old car from a major rental company. Driving out of my city absolutely requires to-the-foot directions and mapping, but I struggled to connect my phone to the head unit’s Android Auto Bluetooth connection for nearly ten minutes. Exasperated, I fished a USB cable out of my bag and resigned to a wired tether. When it worked perfectly, I suddenly realized this model year 2022 vehicle didn’t support wireless connections. I was floored.

Until Android Auto is standardized across manufacturers (and don’t hold your breath), dongles will remain the only way some drivers can connect to their cars without being tied down by wires (metaphorically, of course). There are several bad ones, a few great ones, and now one really, really tiny one, in the just-launched Ottocast Mini. It’s all of two inches long and under an inch thick, includes the only two adapters you could possibly need, and even supports Apple CarPlay, too (Ottocast via 9to5Google).

A small device with a big advantage

Plus more versatility than most competitors

The Ottocast Mini wireless Android Auto adapter and its two adapters, in the box.

Source: Amazon

For a long time, only the Motorola MA1 and original AAWireless offered add-on wireless Android Auto connectivity from reputable brands. Things have only progressed slightly, with the AAWireless Two still undergoing testing in the Android Police lab, and alternatives like the Carlinkit 5.0 demanding a big investment but not delivering a consistent experience. And even when wireless connectivity is built into Android Auto, it’s not immune from connection-breaking updates.

Enter the Ottocast Mini. Unlike the newest AAWireless unit, you plug this dongle directly into the vehicle’s USB port instead of using a cable as a go-between. Not everybody will need this mildly novel form factor. But if your USB ports are exposed like my rental car’s were, a two-inch USB stick makes for a lot less clutter than an adapter flopping around on the end of a cable.

It supports most cars manufactured since 2016 that feature wired Android Auto or Apple CarPlay — dual functionality that few competitors can claim. There are some rare exceptions: It doesn’t work with aftermarket Sony head units, and Mitsubishis require a special-order version, but otherwise, it’s compatible with nearly anything. Plus, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, to cover for the off chance it doesn’t work with your car.

At $60, it’s not particularly cheap, but that’s basically the going rate for these devices. It includes a USB-A to USB-C plug and a 90-degree Type-A adapter to account for various physical constraints. It works automatically, allows easy unpairing, so passengers can connect in your stead, and promises continued software updates without any kind of subscription, so you can rest assured it’ll stay as reliable and safe as any factory-default wireless head unit, if not more so. And did we mention it’s tiny?