Connecting your mobile phone to the car – this is how it works

In most cars, you can connect your mobile phone to the car radio and use the hands-free system or play the playlist via the radio.

Connect your mobile phone to the car radio via Bluetooth

It’s easiest if your car has Bluetooth.

• Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and look for the Bluetooth settings in your car’s on-board computer

• Here you can search for available Bluetooth devices. By entering a code on the smartphone or on-board computer, the two devices can be paired with each other.

• Every time you get into your car and Bluetooth is activated on your phone, the devices will connect automatically. Select Bluetooth connection as the input source on the car radio and the music will be transmitted.

Connect mobile phone to the car radio without Bluetooth

Even if no Bluetooth connection is available, the music can usually be transferred via other means.

• Cable: First, check if there is an audio connector on the car radio. On some models, this is also located in the centre armrest. You can then connect the mobile phone and the radio with a simple audio cable.

• FM transmitter: If you can’t transmit music at all in your car, you can use an FM transmitter. The small device runs on batteries or your car’s power connection and is connected to your mobile phone via an audio cable. For example, if you set the frequency on the transmitter and the radio to 80.2, your music will be transmitted. The FM transmitter thus turns your smartphone into a small radio station for around 5 to 20 euros.

Connecting your mobile phone to your car: Smartphone instead of sat nav

Meanwhile, you can do without expensive navigation systems. Numerous smartphone apps offer the same functions, some even free of charge. If you connect your mobile phone to the car radio, you can transmit driving instructions as well as music.

• With Google Maps you can navigate worldwide completely free of charge. However, depending on the length of the route, a few MB of data volume may be required. Information on traffic jams and closures is extremely accurate with Google Maps.

• With TomTom GO you get a classic navigation system as an app for iOS and Android. Unlike Google Maps, TomTom also warns you of speed cameras. In addition, you can download complete maps for almost all countries in the world and thus do not consume any data volume on the road. The cost of the subscription is 19.99 euros per year (as of August 2023).