Volkswagen Polo 2024’s CarPlay & Android Auto How-to Connect & Review

In this video, I show you how to connect your iPhone or Android phone to the Volkswagen Polo Life TSI S Edition infotainment system for wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 – Brief overview
0:17 – Wired Apple CarPlay
2:14 – Wireless CarPlay performance
4:10 – Wired Android Auto
5:43 – Wireless Android Auto performance
6:49 – Android AI Box Adapter
9:43 – HDMI to CarPlay Adapters

If you would like to see other demonstrations similar to this one in other vehicles, please let me know in the comments down below and I will do my best to make it happen.

How to connect Wired Apple CarPlay to Volkswagen Polo

1. Locate the CarPlay USB-C ports on the lower front of the central dashboard. The USB port to use is usually the one nearest to the driver’s side.
2. Select App-Connect from the main menu
3. Connect your iPhone USB-C to USB-C or Lightning to USB-C cable to this USB-C port and the other end into your iPhone.
4. Wait a few seconds and an onscreen prompt asking “Connect iPhone via Apple CarPlay” will display. Tap the [Use Apple CarPlay] button on this prompt. You may also be asked to unlock your iPhone to start CarPlay.
5. Once unlocking your iPhone you should see Apple CarPlay appear on the main display.
6. Tap the VW app icon on the CarPlay home screen or the Menu button on the driver’s side of the display to exit Apple CarPlay and return to the car’s main system screen.
7. Tapping on App-Connect/CarPlay options on the main menu will take you back to Apple CarPlay.

How to connect Wireless Apple CarPlay to Volkswagen Polo

1. Select App-Connect from the main menu
2. Make sure both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are active and discoverable on your iPhone and go into the Bluetooth settings area on your iPhone.
3. Wait for the VW system Bluetooth ID to appear in the searchable devices. It will look like My VW 8608 or similar with different numbers. Select this option to begin pairing.
4. Select [Pair] on the iPhone screen, followed by the [Pair] prompt on the car screen. A passkey will display on both the iPhone and the car display. Confirm both codes should be the same.
5. It may ask to “Allow Contacts and Favourites Sync?” on your iPhone. This is asking if you wish to share your phone’s contacts with the car. Pressing [Allow] is recommended and it makes it easier to make calls directly from the car display.
6. The Car system will ask you to “Select connection technology”, on this prompt select the [Apple CarPlay] button.
7. Wireless CarPlay will now connect with the car system display.

How to connect Wired Android Auto to Volkswagen Polo

1. Locate the Android Auto USB-C ports on the lower front of the central dashboard. The USB port to use is usually the one nearest to the driver’s side.
2. Download Android Auto from the Google Play store if it isn’t already installed on your phone. You can check this by going into Settings on your Android phone, going to search in settings and entering the word “Auto”. If the option for Android Auto appears you have it installed.
3. Connect your Android USB-C to USB-C cable to the car USB-C port and the other end into your Android.
4. In a few seconds, you should see Android Auto appear on the main display.
5. If you don’t see Android Auto, go to the home screen and look for App-Connect. Select this to view Android Auto.

How to connect Wireless Android Auto to Volkswagen Polo

1. Download Android Auto from the Google Play store if it isn’t already installed on your phone. You can check this by going into Settings on your Android phone, going to search in settings and entering the word “Auto”. If the option for Android Auto appears you have it installed.
2. Follow the above procedure to easily connect your Android wired first, and then remove the cable and select your Android again that’s still present on the display to connect to your phone wirelessly and enable wireless Android Auto.
3. To connect wirelessly directly without doing the above step. Enter the App-Connect section of the car system menu. This can be either via the home screen or app shortcuts you may have set up elsewhere on the system menu screen.
4. Make sure both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are active and discoverable on your iPhone and go into the Bluetooth settings area on your iPhone.
5. Now, look for a new VW Bluetooth profile to appear on your Android Bluetooth settings screen, it will likely have My VW 8608 in the title or similar with different numbers. Once it appears tap on it to start the Bluetooth pairing process.
6. Select [Pair] on the Android screen, followed by the [YES] or [Android Auto] prompt on the car screen.
7. In a few seconds, your Android phone will connect to the car display for wireless Android Auto.