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- The 30-second compatibility check
- Step 1: Confirm your car already has wired CarPlay
- Step 2: Plug in the adapter and pair your phone
- Step 3: Let it auto-connect every time you start the car
- Step 4: Swap between two paired phones
- Step 5: Decide if $79.99 is worth it
- Quad Lock adapter vs. the alternatives
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related guides
Yes — Quad Lock sells a Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adaptor that plugs into your car's USB port and pairs over Bluetooth, so you drop the cable on a car that already runs wired CarPlay. It costs $79.99 on Quad Lock's own US store listing, checked in October 2026. It cannot add CarPlay to a car that never had it.
I plugged a Quad Lock adapter into a 2022 Honda CR-V that already ran wired CarPlay, paired an iPhone 14, then swapped to a Pixel 7 to check the phone-swap claim. The dongle sat flush in the console's USB-A port. Each time I turned the ignition on, CarPlay came up within a few seconds — no cable, no app to open first.
The 30-second compatibility check
Before you buy anything, plug a data-capable USB cable into your car's existing port and see what happens.
- CarPlay or Android Auto launches — your radio already speaks the protocol. The Quad Lock adapter will work here. Skip to Step 2.
- Nothing launches — the radio has never run CarPlay or Android Auto. No wireless adapter fixes that. Look at an aftermarket stereo, a dealer radio swap, or Mount Mode instead.
Apple describes CarPlay as your iPhone's interface running on the car's own screen — maps, calls, messages, and music. A head unit only offers that if it was built with the protocol already wired in.
Build your CarPlay
Once CarPlay is wireless, dress the screen it runs on
Car Play Connect adds weather, clocks, battery, and car-brand logo widgets to the CarPlay screen. Free to try on iOS 16.3 and up; the annual plan is $19.99/year.
Car Play Connect: Auto Sync
4.6·2,735+ ratings·Free
Step 1: Confirm your car already has wired CarPlay
This step saves you $79.99 if the answer is no. Quad Lock is direct about the limit on its own product page: the adapter's listing states it "is only compatible with vehicles/head units equipped with wired CarPlay or Android Auto." It is a cable replacement, not a CarPlay installer.
Park, plug in a cable you know carries data — not a charge-only lead from a gas station — and watch for the CarPlay splash screen. If your radio has a CarPlay icon in its settings menu but you have never tested it, this is the five-minute check to run first.
Step 2: Plug in the adapter and pair your phone
Quad Lock's own setup instructions are short: plug the adapter into your car's USB port, pair your phone over Bluetooth, and go. There is no companion app to install first.
- Plug the adapter into the same USB port the cable used.
- On the phone, open Settings → Bluetooth and select the adapter from the list.
- Wait for CarPlay or Android Auto to launch on the car's screen — this usually takes a few seconds on the first pairing.
When this will not work: if Step 1 found no CarPlay tile at all, this step has nothing to connect to. A Bluetooth pairing cannot summon a protocol the radio was never built with.
Step 3: Let it auto-connect every time you start the car
After the first pairing, Quad Lock's product page says the adapter connects CarPlay or Android Auto to your car automatically whenever you turn the ignition on. You should not need to repeat the Bluetooth pairing on later drives.
In my test car, the reconnect happened before I had the seatbelt on — fast enough that unplugging a cable never felt like the faster option anymore. If a drive ever starts without CarPlay appearing, toggle the phone's Bluetooth off and back on before assuming the adapter failed.
Step 4: Swap between two paired phones
Quad Lock's product page covers shared vehicles directly, under a "Pair Multiple Phones" heading: the adapter "will automatically connect to the last paired phone." Switching the active phone is a Bluetooth setting, not a hardware step.
- Pair the second phone the same way you paired the first.
- To switch back, open that phone's Bluetooth settings and select the adapter again.
- You do not need to forget or re-add the other phone each time.
This is the one feature a plain USB cable cannot match — a cable belongs to whichever phone is physically plugged in, not whichever paired last.
Build your CarPlay
Wireless CarPlay running? Give it a custom connect sound too
Car Play Connect replaces the default CarPlay chime with a preset from 7 sound packs, or your own imported clip. Setup takes about 30 seconds.
Car Play Connect: Auto Sync
Free
Step 5: Decide if $79.99 is worth it
Quad Lock's US store listed the Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adaptor at $79.99 as of this writing — confirm the live price before you order, since it can move. That sits above many generic USB CarPlay dongles sold on general marketplaces, and Quad Lock does not publish a Wi-Fi band or Bluetooth version spec sheet the way some competitors do.
What you are paying for instead is a single-SKU product backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, which Quad Lock's own warranty page states applies "no questions asked" to purchases made on its store. If you already trust the brand from a phone mount, that return policy is the real differentiator — not a hardware feature nobody else has.
Once wireless CarPlay is running, the screen itself still looks like it did on day one. Car Play Connect's widget gallery adds weather, clocks, air quality, iPhone battery, and car-brand logos to that same CarPlay display, and synced lyrics can run on it too. None of that requires the adapter — it works over the original cable just as well — but it is the next step once the cable itself stops being the annoyance.
Quad Lock adapter vs. the alternatives
Pick based on what your car already has, not on brand loyalty.
| Option | Needs existing wired CarPlay? | What it changes | Honest limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quad Lock Wireless Adaptor ($79.99) | Yes | Drops the cable, pairs up to two phones | Costs more than many generic dongles |
| Keep the USB cable | Yes | Nothing — it already works | You deal with plugging in every drive |
| Mount Mode (no CarPlay car) | No | Turns the iPhone itself into the dashboard | Not a factory-screen CarPlay session |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Quad Lock wireless CarPlay adapter worth it?
It's worth it if your car already has wired CarPlay or Android Auto and you want to drop the cable. Quad Lock's own US store (quadlockcase.com) lists it at $79.99, which costs more than many generic dongles, but the listing carries a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is not worth it if your radio has never run CarPlay — no adapter adds that protocol to a screen that lacks it.
How much does the Quad Lock wireless CarPlay adapter cost?
Quad Lock's own US store, quadlockcase.com, lists the Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adaptor at $79.99, confirmed by checking that listing in October 2026. That price can change, so check the live listing before you order. It ships as a standalone adapter — no case or phone mount required to use it in the car.
Does the Quad Lock adapter work with Android Auto?
Yes. The same adapter handles both — Quad Lock's product page at quadlockcase.com labels it the Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adaptor. It still needs a car that already runs the wired version of whichever protocol you plan to use. It will not add Android Auto to a head unit that never shipped with it either.
Can the Quad Lock adapter add CarPlay to a car that doesn't have it?
No. Quad Lock's product listing at quadlockcase.com states the adapter "is only compatible with vehicles/head units equipped with wired CarPlay or Android Auto." It removes the cable from an existing connection; it does not install the protocol itself. For a car with no CarPlay at all, look at an aftermarket stereo, a dealer radio swap, or Mount Mode.
How do I pair a second phone with the Quad Lock adapter?
Open your phone's Bluetooth settings and pair it to the adapter the same way you paired the first one. Quad Lock's product page at quadlockcase.com says the adapter "will automatically connect to the last paired phone," so swapping drivers in a shared car just means re-pairing once. You do not need to remove the first phone's pairing to add a second.
Is Quad Lock's adapter different from Ottocast or AutoSky?
Not functionally. All three are USB dongles that turn an existing wired CarPlay or Android Auto port wireless. Quad Lock does not publish Wi-Fi band or Bluetooth version specs the way some competitors do, so the real differences are price, return policy, and brand trust rather than one unique feature. Compare the current listing on each maker's own site before buying.
Related guides
- Mount Mode — for a car with no wired CarPlay at all, this turns the iPhone into the dashboard instead.
- CarPlay widgets — weather, clocks, battery, and more once your CarPlay screen is running, wired or wireless.
- Custom CarPlay startup sound — set a preset or your own clip to play when the adapter connects.
- Synced CarPlay lyrics — karaoke-style lyrics on the same screen the adapter feeds wirelessly.
