How to watch TV on Toyota Tundra CarPlay Stereo?

I've successfully integrated this unit into my 2023 Toyota Tundra CarPlay Stereo. Using double-sided tape, I positioned it on the roof of the console box to avoid interference with the charging surface on the floor. On the whole, it functions admirably as promised. After plugging it into our Tundra, obtaining a SIM card from TMobile, and inserting a 256GB TF card (though not entirely necessary), the device booted up flawlessly during the initial attempt. It promptly established connections with my Android phone for Android Auto (AA) and my wife's iPhone for CarPlay.


One of its standout features is enabling wireless Apple CarPlay functionality. This means that for my short commute to work, my wife’s iPhone 12 mini can remain in her pocket. Primarily using CarPlay for podcasts and navigation, both features now work seamlessly wirelessly via this device. The Android menu typically loads by the time I've reversed out of my driveway, allowing me to easily connect to CarPlay on my iPhone by pressing the AutoKit button on my Toyota Tundra CarPlay Stereo screen. (An additional note: I discovered that you can set a default startup app in the Android settings for automatic CarPlay loading.) While the Bluetooth connection to my iPhone sometimes takes a bit longer, I almost always have access to the CarPlay menu before I've driven a full block.


Major hitches have yet to surface, but there are a few trifling observations to note:

• Pre-download Netflix and YouTube, make it easy to watch the playoff if you are not at home. Oh mu god, do you know what does that mean? You are going to have a mini theater in your car.

• It's perplexing why there's a profusion of sellers, all asserting affiliation with the Binize store, offering the product at varying prices that ultimately converge after applying the coupon. Apprehensions about acquiring an underground or grey-market model were present, yet the product received appears authentic.

• Activating Google Assistant ("Hey Google") perpetually seemed to bewilder the car's head unit, causing it to anticipate a voice prompt consistently. This inadvertently obstructed the instrument cluster's normal functions, reducing it to displaying a small microphone icon, and disrupted volume control for device applications. Fortunately, it is possible to deactivate Google Assistant.

• I use an Android device while my wife employs an iPhone. It was my hope to seamlessly switch between the two, but once the Autokit app is paired with one device, there appears to be no straightforward method to dynamically switch to the other without disabling Bluetooth on the connected phone. It's my request to incorporate this functionality (or provide instructions if available).

• The presence of a built-in phone app is a nice touch. However, it's imperative to acquire a phone SIM (rather than a tablet SIM) to enable phone functionality when obtaining a SIM card. Making and receiving calls seems to function without any issues. The anticipated functionality of steering wheel controls for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is realized. Boot-up time is commendably swift, and reliable connections are established with both the car's head unit (via USB) and our smartphones.

• Updating to the latest firmware was a hassle-free process. Utilizing a 256GB TF card formatted with ExFat posed no complications.

 

Prior experiences include experimentation with the "Magic Box" (overpriced and lacking SIM support) and another box (essentially a rebranded autobox) fraught with significant connection problems. This Binize AI box for Toyota Tundra CarPlay Stereo surpasses both alternatives by a significant margin.