When you ’re on the route , your headphone can be the perfect fellow — as long as you ’ve start it set up right . Here we ’ll explicate everything you need to hump about the computer hardware and the apps you may install to get a sweet and safe in - car system up and running , powered by your phone .
You ’ve got a short ton of tractability here too , so if you do n’t agree with any of our recommendations then by all means put your own twist on them .
Distracted drivers cost lives
The fact arepretty clear . allot to National Highway Traffic Administration , in 2015 3,477 people were kill in accidents involving distractd driver . A big clod of those distraction — making call option , sending texts , checking mapping apps — are associate to smartphones . That ’s why lawmakers here and elsewhere across the satellite have been rushing to put restrictions on the in - car use of phones .
With that in nous , any in - auto frame-up you put together has to endure by the laws of your state — they vary , but they ’re mostly vernacular sense . In the US , no state bans all cellular phone consumption for all drivers . However , 14 state plus DC , Puerto Rico , Guam , and the US Virgin Islands have ban handheld cellphone consumption while driving , 38 states have ban all cellphone use by novice drivers , and 47 State Department plus DC , Puerto Rico , Guam , and the US Virgin Islands have banned school text message for all drivers .
Mounting your phone
A cellular phone mount is dead crucial in terms of safety and convenience . Besides picking the good mountain for your needs , you require to plunk the perfect position for your French telephone so it ’s easy to see at a glance but wo n’t distract you from what ’s in front or mist your sentiment of the road .
With that in judgment it ’s a good idea to examine out a variety of positions for your phone before actually sticking your mount in lieu , because most are designed to be difficult to remove ( and thus secure in theodolite ) . Borrow a friend to hold the mount and take a trundle around a automobile park to render out a few unlike configurations — it ’s not really something you want to be doing out on the route , but it helps to at least be move .
You ’ve fundamentally stimulate three main mounting positions — windshield , air vents , or CD player — and two mounting case , either magnetic or cradle . It ’s up to you and your railcar ’s internal layout as to which you prefer , but as always fit online recap and substance abuser feedback before parting with any cash . This is the whole foundation of your in - car setup and you need to get it right , and good — taking your eyes off the road even for a split - s is enough to get into a shunt or something worse .
As for actual mount , you ’ve got a emcee of selection . Our friends at Lifehackerrecommend theiOttie Easy One Touch($25 ) or theRam Mount RAM X - GRIP($25 ) for your windshield , theMpow Grip Magic Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount($8 ) or theKenu Airframe+($30 ) for your air vent , or theMountek nGroove Grip($22 ) for your CD player . All are secure and suit a variety of headphone .
The ever - reliable Wirecutter paint a picture theTechMatte MagGrip CD Slot($11 ) or theExogear ExoMount Touch CD($29 ) , meanwhile . All prices cite are from Amazon and are accurate at the clock time of committal to writing .
The other option is to utilize your earphone through your machine ’s built - in dashboard , as you may with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay , in which case it does n’t really matter where your phone is physically sitting ( as long as it ’s in the railcar ) . We ’ll pass over this a fiddling later .
Setting up your phone
There are a kind of way to get your sound car - quick and dependable for habit . On Android , the most obvious is to downloadAndroid Auto , which can lean independently on earpiece as well as automobile dashboard systems .
The app applies a chunky new interface to your phone that ’s forgiving to inaccurate stabs at the video display while you ’re on the move . It also sprain on voice control , if it was n’t already activate , and makes the concealment easier to read — heavy cards showing weather condition , destinations , and substance take up the front cover , while apps likeSpotifyandGoogle Mapshave limited interfaces adjusted for Android Auto .
plunk into the setting for the app and you’re able to flip off message notifications if you do n’t want to be disturbed or congeal up an auto response ( like “ ca n’t reply , driving ” ) which works across multiple apps including Google Hangouts andFacebook Messenger . you’re able to also have the interface launch mechanically when a Bluetooth stereo is detected .
It ’s not your only option on Android . AutoMateandDrivemodeboth take a similar attack , with AutoMate feature the more intuitive user interface and Drivemode having the better functions — it fundamentally removes the motive to see at your phone ’s projection screen , because you could reply to messages , change your seafaring directions , and more using your voice .
Do n’t get complacent though — you may still be distracted while talk to the Google Assistant or listening to euphony . Your master focussing has to be driving and if your sound is bear on that , change over it off .
You do n’t get the same tractableness on iOS — CarPlay demand a right head unit , of which more in a moment — but you’re able to definitely get your iPhone secure for driving by making sure “ hey Siri ” detection is always enable via the Siri option in configurations . The situation willimprove in iOS 11later this year , as it includes a driving mode that blocks incoming notifications and can respond to messages automatically .
Until iOS 11 arrives , you may practice Siri to look up directions , broadcast messages , and make calls rather than looking at your phone or reaching for the concealment , which again puts you and your passenger at endangerment . If you do n’t need to use Apple ’s built - in options , the expert alternative we ’ve seen isiCarMode — it add outsized control buttons to the interface , like Android Auto , and makes it easier to dig into apps like Music and Contacts .
Dashboard options
Of naturally Apple and Google both have their own motorcar splasher options you’re able to expend , if you ’ve got a compatible head unit fit . fundamentally , they both beam your telephone ’s display to the principal unit , tweak the interface along the way so it ’s more convenient to apply on the move — that means you ’re still relying on your phone for computing power and data point .
CarPlay prioritise Apple ’s own apps , as you would await , and use either a USB cable connection or Bluetooth tohook up to the head unit . Using the family release on your iPhone or the tantamount release on your dashboard , if there is one , you may give up Siri and begin sustain focus , sending messages , making calls , or playing music with the relevant voice commands .
Android Auto does everything we advert above for the headphone app , but displays it on the dashboard rather of your French telephone : information notice apprisal pop up as you drive , controls are simplify , vox ascendence is prioritized and you may reply to incoming messages with reply templet , if you need to . At the momentonly wired connectionsare patronise , but wireless capacity are on the way .
What Apple CarPlay and Android Auto ca n’t do is control the options on your car , like air conditioning ( which might be one reason to keep Android Auto running separately on your phone ) . Compatible apps need to be approved by either Apple or Google too , which means you might not be able to use your favored music or navigation app the right way now .
Most young auto now add up with drumhead units supporting Apple CarPlay , Android Auto , or both , but if you ’re need to upgrade an older fomite then something like thePioneer SPH - DA120for CarPlay ( $ 400 ) or theSony XAV - AX100($400 ) for both CarPlay and Android Auto would gibe the bill .
Whether you ’re buying new or upgrade your current car , you ’ve gravel all sorts of option when it comes to making salutary use of your phone on the move , and making sure it ’s not a threat to yourself and others .
AndroidAndroid Auto
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