AutoBeYours MFD 4G2

Questions

Does the MFD support Android Auto?

No, Android Auto isn't supported on this unit.

Android Auto isn't something a display maker can simply add. To offer it, a head unit has to be certified by Google through an approved testing lab, with both bench and in-vehicle testing. That program is built for automakers and large head-unit companies, and it isn't open to a small specialty product like ours today.

Our MFD also uses a purpose-built embedded controller rather than a phone-style media processor. That choice is what lets it start fast, run reliably in the car, and talk directly to your Prius's climate, audio and display systems. Android Auto streams full-screen video from the phone, which needs a different class of hardware.

What you do get:

• Built-in Bluetooth audio. Pair your phone once and stream music, podcasts or navigation voice straight through your Prius's factory speakers, with no adapter, no cable, and nothing plugged into the 12 V socket. It works with any phone, Android or iPhone, and it doesn't depend on Google or Apple keeping an app compatible.
• Built-in Wi-Fi for updates you control. You can install software updates yourself, right from the car. When we release an update, you decide if and when to install it. Nothing on your unit changes unless you start the update, and there's no need to remove the MFD from the dash or ship it back to us.

Can the MFD show a webpage from my phone?

Not a full, live webpage, but a limited version is possible.

A full web browser isn't practical. A real webpage needs a complete browser: page layout, scripts, fonts, plus scrolling, video and ads. That takes the same kind of hardware as Android Auto. Phone screen mirroring (such as Miracast or AirPlay) isn't supported for the same reason, because it sends a continuous video stream.

What could work over the MFD's built-in Wi-Fi:

• Snapshots of a page. Your phone could capture a page as a picture and send it to the MFD every few seconds. The MFD decodes pictures quickly, so this works well for things that don't need to move, like a weather radar, a trail map or a checklist. You could tap to refresh, but you couldn't click links on the MFD screen.
• Information, not pages. If you want specific information, such as fuel prices or a score, your phone sends just that data and the MFD shows it in its own style, so it matches the rest of the screens. Each kind of information needs its own screen built for it.

Neither of these is available yet. If one of them would be useful to you, let us know what you'd want to see. Customer requests help us decide what to build next.