A ten-inch Galaxy Tab from 2020 has a bigger screen than most factory car head units. It has GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and enough compute to run Android Auto’s projection stack for years. If your car still ships with a 6-inch resistive screen and no wireless Android Auto, the tablet in your drawer is the cheapest upgrade you will ever do. A magnetic dashboard mount is $15. A power cable is $10. Software is free.
The seven best apps for turning an old Android tablet into an Android Auto head unit below cover the projection app itself, the wireless bridge, mapping, media, and the automation that makes the tablet turn on and connect to the car on its own. Everything runs on Android 8 or newer, so a 2018-era tablet is fine.
What to look for
- Wireless projection that mirrors what your phone would show in a real head unit.
- A stable mount that survives Californian potholes.
- Auto-launch on car Bluetooth connect, so the tablet is not something you have to touch.
- Offline maps for the days when the cellular link on the tablet or the phone is unreliable.
- Media apps that keep playing when the screen dims.
- A power path that neither cooks the battery nor lets it die at a rest stop.
- A physical parking-brake or driving-mode signal, so no video app plays a movie while you drive.
Quick comparison table
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android Auto | The projection host | Free | Free | 4.4 average across stores |
| Headunit Reloaded | Turning the tablet into an AA head unit | Free demo | $9.99 one-time | Community favourite |
| AAAD Free | Free open-source AA host | Free | Free | Rough but usable |
| Waze | Navigation with live hazards | Free | Free | 4.4 stars, huge user base |
| Google Maps | The default nav | Free | Free | 4.5 stars |
| Spotify | Music that AA respects | Free (ad-supported) | $12.99 | 4.4 stars |
| Tasker | Auto-launch and driving profile | Paid | $3.49 one-time | Power-user classic |
The apps
1. Android Auto – the projection host
Android Auto is Google’s official projection app. Installed on your phone (not the tablet), it produces the head-unit UI that Headunit Reloaded or AAAD receive over Wi-Fi. Keep it up to date on the phone; the tablet-side app connects to whatever version the phone speaks.
Where it falls short: Google does not officially support projecting Android Auto to a non-certified tablet, so a Play Store update on the phone occasionally breaks Headunit Reloaded until its maintainer patches. Expect one such window per year.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Android (on the phone).
Download: Play Store
Bottom line: Update on the phone, do not touch on the tablet, and every other app on this list works.
2. Headunit Reloaded – best for turning the tablet into an AA head unit
Headunit Reloaded is the paid, actively maintained app that runs on the tablet, speaks the Android Auto projection protocol, and displays the phone’s Android Auto UI in full. Setup is: install on tablet, connect USB or pair Wi-Fi with the phone, allow projection prompt, done.
Where it falls short: Not on the Play Store; sideload from the developer’s site. Setup guide is technical for first-timers. Wireless mode wants Android 11+ on both devices for reliability.
Pricing:
- Free: 10-minute demo per session.
- Paid: $9.99 one-time.
Platforms: Android (on the tablet).
Download: Headunit Reloaded on XDA
Bottom line: Headunit Reloaded is the reason the whole “tablet as head unit” idea works.
3. AAAD Free – free open-source alternative
AAAD Free (Android Auto Any Device) is the community-maintained free option. It does the same job as Headunit Reloaded, mostly. Rendering is slower, and complex apps like Waze can lag on older tablets, but the price is right and the source is open.
Where it falls short: Development is intermittent; expect one or two rough weeks after a major Android Auto update. No official wireless mode; use USB.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Android (on the tablet).
Download: F-Droid
Bottom line: AAAD Free is the “try before you buy Headunit Reloaded” option.
4. Waze – best for live-hazard navigation
Waze shines on a big tablet screen where the crowd-sourced hazard alerts (police, potholes, stopped vehicles) fit alongside the map without covering it. Android Auto renders Waze in the head-unit style automatically once you set it as your default nav.
Where it falls short: Offline maps are minimal; Waze needs data. Voice prompts occasionally interrupt music without Auto’s mixing on some tablet setups.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Android (on the phone), rendered on the tablet.
Download: Play Store
Bottom line: Pick Waze if your commute benefits from real-time hazard warnings.
5. Google Maps – best for offline nav
Google Maps is the default choice with the best offline map coverage on Android Auto. Download the metro you drive in and the map keeps working through tunnels and dead zones.
Where it falls short: Fewer live hazard reports than Waze in North America. The lane-guidance visuals want a screen of at least 8 inches to shine.
Pricing:
- Free.
Platforms: Android (on the phone), rendered on the tablet.
Download: Play Store
Bottom line: Google Maps is the default for a reason. Set it and forget it.
6. Spotify – best media app that AA respects
Spotify is the media app with the smoothest Android Auto integration. Voice commands work, the tablet screen shows large album art and next-track lists that a factory head unit will not, and playback resumes when you plug in.
Where it falls short: Free tier interrupts with ads; Premium is $12.99/month. Voice control across AA works but occasionally misfires on artist names with accented characters.
Pricing:
- Free (ad-supported).
- Paid: Premium at $12.99/month; Family at $21.99/month.
Platforms: Android (on the phone), rendered on the tablet.
Download: Play Store
Bottom line: Spotify is the default for AA media because Google made it easy first.
7. Tasker – best for auto-launch and driving profile
Tasker makes the tablet behave like an actual head unit. Profile: when the tablet connects to the car’s Bluetooth, turn Wi-Fi on, launch Headunit Reloaded, set brightness to 80%, and disable notifications. When the connection drops, undo all of it. Once configured, you never touch the tablet again.
Where it falls short: Learning curve is real. Tasker’s UI is dense and every profile is trial-and-error the first time.
Pricing:
- Paid: $3.49 one-time.
Platforms: Android.
Download: Play Store
Bottom line: Tasker is what turns “an app I have to open” into “a head unit that just works.”
How to pick the right one
- Everyone needs Android Auto on the phone.
- Everyone needs Headunit Reloaded on the tablet, unless the AAAD Free trade-offs suit you.
- Pick Waze or Google Maps based on whether you value live hazards over offline coverage.
- Pick Spotify for music unless you already pay for another service (YouTube Music and Apple Music both work on AA too).
- Add Tasker once the setup works, to make it automatic.
Do not skip Tasker. The five seconds you save every drive add up, and a tablet you have to unlock in a parked car every morning becomes a chore very fast.
FAQ
Can any Android tablet run Android Auto as a head unit?
Any Android 8 or newer tablet with GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi can. Older tablets (7.x and earlier) miss the projection APIs and cannot host Android Auto reliably.
Do I need to root my old Galaxy tablet?
No. Headunit Reloaded, AAAD Free, and the standard Android Auto app all run on stock Android without root. Sideloading Headunit Reloaded needs “install unknown apps” enabled for the browser, which is a settings toggle.
Will this drain the tablet battery on long drives?
Not if you power it. Any 5V/2A car USB charger keeps a mid-range tablet at full charge. Keep the tablet out of direct sun on hot days; long exposure at 40°C degrades the battery whether or not it is charging.
Is it legal to use a tablet as an Android Auto head unit?
In every jurisdiction we checked, yes, as long as the tablet is mounted, not held, and does not obscure the driver’s view. Local rules for suction-cup placement on windshields vary; a dashboard mount is universally safe.
What about wireless Android Auto without a dongle?
Headunit Reloaded supports wireless projection over Wi-Fi Direct on Android 11+ phones and tablets. On older phones you may still need a USB cable or an AAWireless-class dongle. Google’s certification is picky; if wireless fails, a USB-C cable is the reliable fallback.
