ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The AAWireles Two Plus prices $65, and helps each Android and iOS wi-fi connectivity.
- There’s nonetheless a multifunctional pairing button for seamlessly system switching.
- In the event you’re an Android person, go for the cheaper $55 mannequin.
nov / 2025
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Dozens of tech merchandise make their method onto my reviewer’s desk yearly, however solely a choose few handle to have sufficient endurance to stay my on a regular basis carry. Final 12 months’s AAWireless Two was a type of rarities, and it in some way simply bought higher in two methods.
For one, AAWireless has launched the much-anticipated successor to the wi-fi Android Auto adapter, named the Two Plus. Whereas it is designed the identical because the earlier mannequin, which means it is nonetheless a plug-and-play affair, now you can use the system to run Apple’s CarPlay working system wirelessly. So, as an alternative of getting to wire your iPhone to an older automobile to run the iOS-based platform, you may merely pair it to the dongle.
Additionally: My search for the ultimate Android Auto adapter is over: this one checks all the boxes (including price)
Your entire course of, together with the flexibility to modify between Android Auto and CarPlay with the press of a button, works magically. For households with totally different telephone manufacturers, tech fans who swear by the duo-phone way of life, and customers who simply need a dependable, practical, and pretty priced wi-fi automotive adapter, that is the one I’ve settled on — and suggest you do the identical. Here is why.
In the event you’ve learn my evaluate of final 12 months’s AAWireless Two, then it should not come as a shock that I nonetheless use it in my automotive (a Mazda CX-5) on daily basis. Since establishing the adapter final October, which concerned plugging the system into my automotive’s USB-A port, long-pressing the multifunctional button to provoke Bluetooth pairing, and confirming the pairing from my telephone, the AAWireless Two has lived in my heart console all through the seasons.
The one friction got here after I was reviewing a brand new iPhone and located myself tapping into CarPlay extra usually than Android Auto, which required a wired connection since my Mazda did not assist wi-fi.
That was till a month in the past, after I changed the AAWireless Two with the Two Plus, eliminating the necessity to dig out a USB-C cable and battle to plug it into my telephone in the course of the darkish, end-of-year days. Now, I merely begin the engine of my automotive, watch for 5 to eight seconds for the dongle to react and my telephone to pair, and voilà: wi-fi automotive software program goodness.
Additionally: Android Auto not connecting? Try this one setting tweak – it worked for me
Whereas I can solely attest to the consistency and reliability of the wi-fi pairing with my 2023 CX-5, I additionally used the dongle on a weekend highway journey not too long ago with an older 2019 Audi Q5. Apart from the one time, when long-pressing the multifunctional button did not immediate any pairing indicator (a pulsing mild ring surrounding the button), I did not have any points connecting my iPhone or Android to the automotive. Your mileage could range.
I’ve really discovered that the AAWireless Two Plus usually works additional time, as it’ll nonetheless maintain an area Wi-Fi connection even after you flip off your automotive and stroll away. The idle state lasts for only some seconds, so it is nothing to fret about. Nevertheless, I usually discover the “pairing in course of” notification and second-guess whether or not I powered off my automotive.
Each the AAWireless Two and Two Plus share an analogous app interface with customizable settings.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
I am going to add that the Bluetooth connection is powerful sufficient to set off my Spotify playlist (set to autoplay when paired with a automotive) even after I’m nonetheless inside the home and have solely began the automobile to heat it up. My solely qualm with this habits is that podcasts or different audio reveals could begin enjoying forward with out you realizing it.
To profit from your AAWireless Two Plus, you will wish to dial into the companion app. Inside settings, you can also make finer changes, equivalent to adjusting the DPI, enabling split-screen modes, and setting a pairing precedence chain for a number of related gadgets.
Additionally: Your Apple CarPlay is getting a big upgrade: 3 features I’m using on iOS 26 right now
This setup is useful in the event you enter the automotive with a companion or member of the family. For instance, the adapter all the time pairs to my Android telephone first, however mechanically switches to my iPhone if the Android is not current.
Just like the earlier mannequin, you may nonetheless entry diagnostic and troubleshooting instruments from the cell app, together with the choice to toggle pass-through mode for knowledge switch, repair audio stutters, disable TTS sink for routing navigation audio, and extra.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
Finally, the AAWireless Two Plus does what it is marketed to do, and it does it nicely. I nonetheless extremely suggest the older (and now cheaper) AAWireless Two for Android-only customers, because it does almost all the things the identical, aside from not supporting Apple CarPlay. Nevertheless, for iPhone customers or these seeking to swap working programs, the Two Plus is the brand new most suitable choice.
At $65, the AAWireless Two Plus is not essentially the most affordable auto adapter. A fast Amazon search reveals listings that hover across the $40-$50 vary, with critiques that present promise. However I doubt these choices have the identical performance, software program assist, and in-app instruments because the AAWireless, which is why it is the adapter I will be recommending to most individuals going into the brand new 12 months.
