In this video, I bring you my Top 5 wireless Apple CarPlay adapters that you can buy in 2025. Links to buy each dongle mentioned, and view to each of their review videos and articles are also all linked below:
I’ve covered many wireless Apple Carplay Dongles on these very pages and on my YouTube channel, and a popular question I always get asked is, what is the best wireless CarPlay dongle? I last answered this question in 2022, but after some time I have not only reviewed many new adapters, I’ve also seen differences in these new adapters, so this topic now requires a long overdue revisit.
Since my last Top 5 round-up we have seen wireless Apple CarPlay adapters lose their attached cables and become the size of tiny USB thumb drives. They now integrate more than ever with in-car GPS systems, offer faster Wi-Fi generation specs, and give smoother frame rates. One even came with a full-colour display!
12 Wireless Apple CarPlay Adapters Tested
In this new Top 5 round-up of wireless CarPlay adapters, I have pulled together 12 of the latest adapters that I also reviewed on this channel. I made sure they were running the latest update and retested each of their launch and Bluetooth connection timings on my new Cupra Born test vehicle.
All of the previous Top 5 adapters weren’t as fast as these new adapters, and most of them aren’t available to buy anymore, so none of them made it back into this final gathering of adapters. First, I started to put them through my tests. I looked at their Wi-Fi specs, and timed their boot-up to launch screen, along with the time it takes to connect to them and launch CarPlay over Bluetooth. I also scored adapters on whether they had any key features, such as GPS passthrough support, the quality of their launch screens, the number of configuration options, their availability, and finally, their current price.
How Each Adapter Tested
Many of the 12 adapters featured a fourth-generation Wi-Fi spec, while the remaining adapters offer a newer fifth and sixth-generation Wi-Fi capability. Although the fourth-generation Wi-Fi spec is sufficient for wireless Apple CarPlay, having a fifth or sixth-generation Wi-Fi spec will improve general stability and, in some cases, general performance improvements in wireless Apple CarPlay.
Boot-up time to each adapter’s launch screen varied between 14 seconds for the slowest and eight seconds for the fastest adapter. Quite a lot of the adapters booted in around 12 seconds, with just a few booting in under 10 seconds.
Bluetooth pairing times were a little bit more consistent across the majority of the 12 wireless adapters. The slowest took 25 seconds, while the fastest connected in just six seconds. For a total boot time into wireless CarPlay, the majority of adapters were under 17 seconds. The fastest was 10 seconds, and the slowest took as long as 35 seconds.
Six of the 12 wireless adapters tested featured GPS passthrough support. Two were unofficial confirmations, while the others were confirmed by the brand maker themselves. I tested GPS passthrough using the Apple Maps app, which was able to show the correct car direction while stationary, matching my car’s navigation system direction. Other applications, such as Google Maps and Waze, don’t display this extra GPS data at app launch.
I found the majority of these wireless adapters use a similar software stack on-chip. As a result, they each share similar basic launch screens with little information on what Bluetooth profile to connect your iPhone to. A few adapters had extra detail added to their launcher screens, providing increased guidance on the adapter’s Bluetooth connection process instead of a simple blank menu screen.
Half of the adapters tested had a rather basic IP config menu of options, which allowed the ability to change the Wi-Fi channel, audio modes, delayed start, and more. Some adapters incorrectly displayed the GPS passthrough option, although their hardware didn’t support it. Only a couple of the adapters tested offered a richer configuration, with more options, including key features such as audio delay, display resolution, background mode, and forced display.
Finally, I looked at each adapter’s current price and availability. At this time of year, there are plenty of sales for these adapters, so the prices may appear different to you when you watch this video back, and this may sway your decision on which adapter to buy. The majority of adapters were priced around the $40 mark, another handful were around $60, and one adapter cost as much as $80.
The remaining adapters from the 12 tested that didn’t make the final 5 were: Ottocast U2-Air, Ottocast U2-Air Pro, Ottocast CarPlay Clip, Quad Lock CarPlay Adapter, Cuarko CarPlay Adapter, MSXTTLY CarPlay Adapter, and the Carabc CarPlay Adapter.
My Final 5 Wireless CarPlay Adapters
At the end of all these tests, I finally had my Top 5 wireless Apple CarPlay adapters. Any of these five wireless CarPlay dongles is worth picking up. However, some adapters do things better than others and can also cost less. After totalling up my test scores, the top three finalists shared similar features and came very close to each other.
5th Place: Playibox – Wireless CarPlay Adapter
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This adapter was marked down the most out of the remaining top 5 adapters due to its lack of GPS passthrough, a low number of configuration options, and a basic launcher screen. It features a fourth-generation Wi-Fi spec compared to the top three adapters in this list. However, it was the fastest booting wireless CarPlay adapter I have tested. If GPS passthrough isn’t as important as boot speed, this low-priced adapter could be a top contender for you.
4th Place: StageSound – Stage LinkFree Wireless Adapter
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This adapter shares similar characteristics with the fifth-place adapter, featuring a fourth-generation Wi-Fi spec, a basic boot-up launch screen, and a basic configuration menu. Although its GPS passthrough wasn’t officially confirmed, it locked my car’s direction correctly at launch, and the option was available in its config menu. However, its higher cost limits its appeal compared to the next top three adapters with cheaper price tags.
3rd Place: Bytewave – Mini Wireless Adapter
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This adapter, from Bytewave, a sister brand to Cuarko, shares the same hardware as the second-place adapter. Despite this, its performance was slightly less optimized. It has a better-looking launcher menu, average-performing boot-up, and pairing times, which positioned it in third place. Though not the cheapest adapter, its dual USB connector design, confirmed GPS passthrough and feature-rich configuration menu make it a strong all-rounder.
2nd Place: MMB – Mini Wireless Adapter
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The MMB Mini is the smallest wireless adapter I have tested. While it shares hardware with the third-place Bytewave adapter, it is less versatile if you have a USB-C CarPlay port. It paired the fastest with my iPhone but was the second slowest to boot into wireless CarPlay. Despite this, it offers the latest sixth-generation Wi-Fi spec, a rich configuration menu, and a competitive price, making it a strong finalist.
1st Place: CarlinKit – Mini 5 SE CarPlay Adapter
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The CarlinKit Mini 5 SE CarPlay Adapter is my winner of the 2025 Best Top 5 Wireless CarPlay Adapters. Its specs offer a fifth-generation Wi-Fi spec, confirmed GPS passthrough, a versatile dual USB connector design, and it features one of the richest configuration menus. Although its boot-up time was slower than others, and we’re just talking seconds difference, with its low price and impressive features it makes this adapter stand out as good overall value. Right now, it’s the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapter of 2024 and in early 2025.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:19 – 12 wireless CarPlay adapters tested
1:07 – How each adapter tested
1:29 – Boot-up times
1:42 – BT pairing times
1:51 – Total boot to CarPlay times
2:02 – Configuration & GPS passthrough support
2:27 – Boot menu screens
2:48 – Config menus
3:15 – Price & availability
3:39 – My Top 5 finalists
3:59 – Playibox Wireless CarPlay Adapter
4:32 – StageSound Stage LinkFree CarPlay Adapter
5:05 – Bytewave Mini CarPlay Adapter
5:43 – MMB Mini CarPlay Adapter
6:35 – CarlinKit Mini 5 SE CarPlay Adapter
7:42 – Summary of test results
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