How to Enhance Your CarPlay AI Box

In this guide, I’ll share tips to improve your CarPlay AI Box experience. Many AI Boxes have subpar interfaces and lack some easily installed features, these steps will help you significantly enhance their functionality.

! Warning !

Making changes to your AI Box is at your own risk. Adjusting settings beyond those recommended in this guide may cause issues or render your AI Box unusable. If problems arise, check for a reset switch to restore factory settings.

With that out of the way, let’s get started!

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1. Replace the Launcher

Many AI Boxes come with uninspiring default launchers. Since the AI Box adapters run Android, you can replace the launcher with one that better suits your needs.

Recommended Launchers

• Smart Launcher 6 – Clean and intuitive, my top pick.
• Nova Launcher – Feature-rich and highly customizable.
• CarWebGuru – Car-themed layouts but tricky customization.
• AGAMA Launcher – Simple but limited options.

Installation Steps

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for “car launcher.”
3. Download and install your preferred launcher.
4. Open the launcher app and customize it.
5. To set it as default:

• Open Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Launcher.
• Select your chosen launcher and save.

• For my Smart Launcher 6 install I made the following changes:
  • Change the background wallpaper
  • Moved selected icons to the lower part of the screen and removed any I do not use by tapping and holding on the icon and selecting delete from its pop-up menu.
  • Removed the default search bar 
  • Removed the app dock in the Launcher settings area
  • Edited the time widget font, and temp value and turned off the calendar connection
  • Downloaded Meteord weather app and used its widget on the Home Screen
  • Created shortcuts to Wi-FI and Settings and customised their icon style

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2. Customize App Icons

Customising your launcher is only just the start. You can add some more personalisation by changing the app icons on your home screen.

To go with my minimal theme, I wanted some line icons. Simple line-shaped icons match the simple layout of my new launcher home screen. Searching for a ‘free line icon pack’ brings up a lot of free and premium options, and I found Arcticons – Line Icon Pack was a great free app with plenty of line art replacements for most popular apps. Most of my installed apps were covered by this icon pack, with plenty of generic icons to choose from that replaced Wi-Fi and Settings shortcuts on the home screen.

Recommended Icon Pack

• Arcticons – Line Icon Pack (Free) – Minimalist, clean design.

Installation Steps (Smart Launcher 6)

1. Download Arcticons from the Google Play Store.
2. Tap and hold an app icon.
3. Select Edit Icon.
4. Choose an alternative icon from the installed pack.
5. Repeat for all desired apps.

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3. Add AI Assistance

Upgrade your AI Box with Google’s Gemini AI assistant for smarter voice interactions. The Google Assistant can be a helpful hands-free assistant, but in today’s new Artificial Intelligence era, we can give your AI Box some actual AI assistant, by integrating Google’s Gemini AI assistant and having deep AI assistance at your fingertips.

Installation Steps

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Search for Gemini and install it.
3. Ensure your AI Box is connected to Wi-Fi or via mobile data via an inserted SIM.
4. Launch Gemini and log in with your Google account.
5. Use the dictate button to interact via voice.

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4. Assign AI Assistant to Steering Wheel Controls

Make Gemini even more accessible by mapping it to your steering wheel buttons. With Google Gemini installed in tip #3 above, you can proceed to add extra functionality to your wheel controls. This allows for easier interactions and better conversations with the AI assistant running on your AI Box without reaching out to your touchscreen display. 

Steps

1. Open Settings → Apps → Default Apps → Digital Assistant App.
2. Select Google.
3. Press the settings (cog) icon next to the Default Assistant App.
4. Choose Gemini from the list.
5. Press your steering wheel’s voice button to activate Gemini.

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5. Expand Storage Capacity

Most AI Boxes come with 32, 64 or 128GB of internal storage. This is mostly enough for many users, but if you need more, you can expand on the internal storage by inserting a compatible TF/SD card into the AI Box. 

Most AI Boxes have a card slot, a pull-out card tray or a full-size USB port on the side of the AI Box that allows you to insert an expanded storage card or dongle to increase its total storage capacity, for things such as more video or music files, to additional apps and games.

Steps

1. Check if your AI Box has a TF/SD card slot or USB port.
2. Purchase a compatible 64GB–128GB TF/SD card or USB drive.
3. Insert it into the AI Box.
4. Use the expanded storage for media, apps, or additional files

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7. Unlock Developer Mode

Many AI Box adapters allow the ability to unlock developer mode – a menu of options and customisations that can help you learn more about how the AI Box is running, and more importantly, through enhancing the usability and layout of installed applications.

Steps

1. Open Settings → About [AI Box Name].
2. Find the Build Number and tap it 7 times.
3. A popup will confirm Developer Mode is enabled.
4. Go back to Settings → System → Developer Options.

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7. Monitor Performance (FPS Counter)

If you wish to check up on how the AI Box performs in apps without installing extra apps, you can toggle this free feature in the developer settings menu area.

Steps

1. Enable Developer Mode (see Step #6).
2. Scroll down to Show Refresh Rate and toggle it ON.
3. A green (60 FPS) or red (30 FPS) number will appear in the top left corner.

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8. Improve Display Quality

Many AI Boxes display a mobile or low Dots Per Inch (DPI) default setting, which will give a chunkier user interface in apps such as YouTube, Spotify and Netflix, and also in some games. This is to best suit a small car display, but when viewed on a larger car display, this interface could be much smaller, and by doing so, you’ll see more app elements displayed on the screen with a higher DPI setting.

Steps

1. Enable Developer Mode (see Step #6).
2. Scroll to Smallest Width in Developer Options.
3. Note the current DPI value (in case you need to revert).
4. Increase the value between 500–800 to show more content on screen.
5. Test apps to ensure buttons remain usable while increasing screen draw real estate.

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Do you have any customization tips? Please post them in my video comments—I’d love to feature them in my next guide!

Happy customizing!