Connecting iPad Mini to a car stereo can be as simple as connecting an audio cable with 3.5mm jack each end between an auxiliary in and the headphone socket.
For me however this wasn’t quite good enough so I’m now using the following bits and pieces:
- Apple iPod Lightning to 30-PIN Adapter [US Link]
- 1.2m iPhone 3.5mm Audio and USB Dock Cable [US Link]
- Heavy Duty 5V 2.1A USB Car Charger [US Link]
- Arkon Windscreen Car cradle [US Link]
With these components I can connect my iPad Mini to the USB charger plugged in below the dashboard and connect to the Auxiliary In which is located within the glove box. You may need to hunt around for these sockets in your car and if they are not near the front you may need cable extenders. Once setup though the iPad Mini sits in a cradle that is attached securely to the windscreen and now acts as my SatNav and music player (courtesy of Spotify Premium).
This is how all the bits fit together:
What is particularly nice about this setup is that you get really large maps to follow and get to top up charge your device wherever you happen to be going. Spotify and other music apps go quieter when maps is talking so you don’t miss an important turn in the road. The car cradle also holds the iPad Mini very safe and secure so I’m not nervous about it dropping out whilst driving around.
A word of caution if you are planning to scrimp on the lightning adapter then think again. The cheap imports don’t include the right chip that enables the audio to pass through. You could use a cheap alternative if all you wanted to do was charge but this isn’t so much fun.
Here is an instagram video (my first ever in fact) which quickly shows you what it looks like:
5 Responses
So how do you get it to shut off automatically when you turn the key off & start playing again when you turn the key on?
I can’t do that myself as my car radio doesn’t support Bluetooth audio. Instead I have to pull out the cable which does the job just as well.
This is ingenious. Gone are the days of me having to squint to read the directions from my iPhone. Also doubles up for keeping passengers entertained! Thanks for the life hack 😉
[…] Just follow the instructions above or read the full article her for the set-up video: http://www.head4space.com/connecting-ipad-mini-to-car-stereo […]
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