Not all cars and phones can connect to each other through AUX cables and Bluetooth. So, how can you play music from your phone to your car without these?
There are many methods you can play music from your phone to your car, but the one you use will depend on your car. You can use an FM Radio transmitter or cassette tape adapter if you have an older car. If your car is newer, you can use a USB port or an app to play your music.
So, there are several ways you can get your music playing out your car audio system from your phone, but how do these methods work, and how easy are they to get up and running? We will discover everything you need to know about these methods in this article!
Can You Play Music From Your Phone To Car Without AUX & Bluetooth?
Nothing is better than cruising down the road with your favorite playlist playing in your car and you singing your heart out with your friends. This is a picture of bliss for many people, as it’s extremely fun and makes you feel free.
Many people keep their playlists on their cell phones, and it shouldn’t matter if you are driving an old or new car; you should be able to connect your phone to your car and play your music.
Many new cars nowadays generally use Bluetooth or AUX cables to connect phones to them, but what if your car is not compatible with these methods? Can you still connect your phone to your car and play your music, or should you give up on your dream and be content with the music on the radio?
Thankfully, this is a dream you can still fulfill no matter the car you drive. You can use methods to play your music through your car stereo system from your phone.
How To Play Music in Your Car With No AUX Or Bluetooth
So, you can still have those blissful days of driving around with your friends whether your car has Bluetooth, AUX cables, or not. The methods you can use to play music from your phone through your car stereo are fairly easy to get and use.
Some of these methods do require you to purchase certain equipment to utilize. The equipment is usually affordable and can be found at your local electronics stores.
The methods we will go through in this article are using a Cassette Tape Adapter, an FM Radio Transmitter, USB Connection, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and a Sound Routing App. These options should cover all the methods you can use to play music from your phone through your car stereo system without Bluetooth or AUX cables.
You will no longer have to play the same cassette tape or CD on your next fun and exciting road trip. Let’s go through these options in more detail so that you can choose the right one for your car.
Cassette Tape Adapter
If you have an older car, your car’s audio system might include a cassette tape player. These tape players were extremely popular back in the day and were placed in most cars. If your vehicle has a cassette player as the audio system, you can buy a cassette tape adapter to connect your cell phone to your vehicle’s audio system.
These adapters are cheap as not many cars today have cassette tape players, making this adapter an item that is not sort after by many people. The cassette tape adapter will come with a cable that you will plug into your phone’s headphone jack.
Then you place the adapter in the cassette player slot in your car. On your audio system, you then need to go through the menu and find the tape mode that is available. Once you have located the tape mode, press it. Your phone should now be connected to your car’s sound system.
Now, on your phone, you can browse through your playlists and choose the one you wish to play. The sound should come through your car, and you can adjust the volume as usual. The cassette tape adapter is a great option and works efficiently so you won’t be left without your favorite music.
FM Radio Transmitter
The FM Radio transmitter is another excellent option to connect your phone to your car’s sound system. Most older cars have a cigarette lighter in the car and an FM radio; these are the devices in your car you will need for this method.
This method will require you to have a smartphone as you will still need to utilize Bluetooth slightly for this method to work. You need to buy an FM transmitter, which can generally be found at your local electronic stores.
Once you have the FM transmitter, you can connect it to the cigarette lighter port in your car. This will give the FM transmitter power so it can work correctly. Then in your car’s sound system, choose the FM radio mode and search through the channels until you locate one that a radio station does not use.
Leave your radio on this frequency and match it to your FM transmitter. Then using your smartphone, connect your phone via Bluetooth to the FM Radio transmitter. You would be able to play your music through your car’s sound system now.
USB Connection
If you are driving a modern car, your vehicle might have a USB port somewhere in the center console by the radio. This USB port in your car can be used as a charging outlet for your phone during long trips, but it can also double as a data connection port; all you need is a USB cable.
USB cables are readily available at most stores across the country and are usually cheap. To use the USB port in your car to play music from your phone, you need to find the USB port. Depending on the type and model of car you have, you can locate the USB port in one of several locations.
The areas most likely to have the USB port include the center console, audio system head unit, the center armrest, the dashboard, or the glove compartment. Check all these locations to ensure your car has a USB port before you purchase a USB cable for your car.
Plug the USB cable into the port in your car and plug the other end into your phone. When your phone establishes a good connection with your car through the cable, you will be given other steps through your phone or your car’s center console.
Follow these steps to access the music from your phone and have it play through your car’s sound system. This is an easy method to connect your phone to your car.
Android Auto Or Apple CarPlay
If you drive a new car, your car might feature an Android Auto App or an Apple CarPlay app that you can use to connect your phone to your car’s head unit. Through these applications, you have more features than playing music from your phone through your car’s sound system.
These apps allow you to display your phone screen on your car’s center console (if your car has one), send messages to people, and view your navigation system to help you easily find your way while driving.
With these applications, you can also integrate your voice with Google Assistant and Siri to make searching for locations and music on your phone easier while driving. If the App you are using is giving your trouble, you can also connect your phone through a USB cable and have all the same functions mentioned above, but apple phones won’t allow you to do this.
For older cars that don’t have app capabilities, you will need to try one of the other methods mentioned in this article to play music from your phone through your car’s audio system.
A Sound Routing App
The last method you can try to use to play your music from your phone to your car is by using a sound routing app on your phone. This will require your car to be hands-free Bluetooth compatible, but even older models of BMWs, Fords, Hondas, Chevys, Toyotas, Mercedes-bens and Lexus have this capability.
The hands-free Bluetooth in these cars will allow you to make and receive calls but won’t let you play music. However, downloading a sound routing app will trick the system into thinking you are making a call when you are playing music from your phone.
This will allow the music to come through your car’s sound system through the hands-free Bluetooth device in your car. Obviously, this does require Bluetooth, but we still put this option in this article as not many people know it’s an option to use the hands-free system in their car to play music from their phones.
Which Option Is The Best?
The best option out of these methods for you will depend on the car you have and the devices you have access to in your car. If you have a pretty old car, then the FM Radio transmitter or the cassette tape adapter would probably work the best for you as your car might not have any new technology in it to use the other options.
Alternatively, you can look at upgrading your sound system in your car to accommodate the new technology, which is cheaper than buying a new car. If you have a newer car, you can try any of the other methods mentioned to connect your phone to your car.
Conclusion
Many people wish to connect their phones to their cars as it’s easier to play their music in their cars this way. Using your phone stops you from messing around with CDs and cassettes while trying to drive, which is dangerous.
Thankfully, there are a few ways you can connect your phone to your car to play music through your car’s sound system without the need for AUX cables and Bluetooth. These methods are easy to use and install, and they are relatively cheap.
Hopefully, the information in this article has helped you so you can enjoy your next road trip with your favorite playlist from your phone. Have fun!