Android radio question

DXP55 · 7 May 2020 at 21:46

I have a double din Pumpkin android radio with android 8 or 9 on it . I would like to put the Tom Tom speed camera app on radio and run it from the data on my smart phone - I now have 1gb per month.

I would guess this is totally doable but I have no idea where to start. I have spent a good hour googling but it seems my foo is poo

I did install the app once and it worked while there was a WiFi signal but obviously once out of my drive no signal.
Thanks

jsmoke · 7 May 2020 at 21:55

So you want to install this app on the pumpkin then tether the pumpkin to your phone to use the data is this right?

DXP55 · 8 May 2020 at 09:44

That is basically the idea.

Now you have said tether I will have another search - it is one word I didn't use.

DazQ87 · 8 May 2020 at 10:42

I used to have an android head unit in my previous car, whenever I wanted to navigate I would just turn the wifi access point on my phone and my head unit would automatically connect to that. It is also possible to download areas of the UK in advance using google maps.
I don't know how the TomTom speed camera app works but you might be able to download some portions of maps ahead of time.

jpaul · 8 May 2020 at 15:39

good site on this kind of issue - usb tethering maybe the strategy
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...head-units-qa/help-reverse-tethering-t3260614
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2287494&page=11

Temujin · 8 May 2020 at 16:33

Create a mobile hotspot on your phone, connect to it from the android head unit..
This should solve your issue i think, it's how I use spotify on my android HU because doing so over bluetooth degrades the audio quality significantly (because the controller in the HU is crud)

DXP55 · 8 May 2020 at 16:47

Thanks for the help - It looks like I am going to do a lot of reading and most of this is over my head - Thought it would be a 1-2-3 and done. Just looked at phone wifi and as soon as I saw word create network my eyes just rolled - I am a plug and play man.
But I will plod on and try to get my head round it.
By the way my phone as a Honor 8X

Temujin · 8 May 2020 at 16:51

It should be fairly intuitive, guide here.
Once you've set that up and give it a password, then just go to your car and connect to it!

BananaDunka · 9 May 2020 at 00:50

What phone is it? If Samsung then you can create a Bixby Routine (don't need to use Bixby itself to use routines) which automatically enables HOtSpot on your phone the moment it connects to your car stereo's bluetooth. Other phones may have similar features. When you leave the car and bluetooth disconnects, hotspot turns itself off. Once set up you should never have to touch your phone in the car again.

DXP55 · 9 May 2020 at 09:34

mrk - Phone is a Honor 8X - Thanks I will look later.

Kenai · 9 May 2020 at 10:19

If it doesn't have anything natively, Tasker should be able to create a similar routine.

The first bit you need to get sorted is to have your phone broadcast a WiFi Hotspot - this is very easy and will be pretty much completely preconfigured in your phone, you just need to turn it on in settings and then connect to it on the head unit. Once set up you may find your phone has a quick button to turn on/off called 'mobile hotspot' in the notification panel that you swipe down from the top of the screen.

The routines mrk refers to essentially just automate the process of going to the settings/notifications to turn the hotspot on or off based on the phone recognising it has connected to the cars Bluetooth.

Only thing to bear in mind is that constantly broadcasting a mobile hotspot will probably hammer the battery life of your phone, so you'll want somewhere to plug it in.

andy_mk3 · 9 May 2020 at 10:26

DXP55 said:
on my smart phone - I now have 1gb per month

Come on, it's not 2008 any more. Do yourself a favour and get a new tariff, you can get 12gb or more for like £14 a month with unlimited calls and texts. Take the worry out of a rediculously low data cap.

DXP55 · 9 May 2020 at 14:00

I am a old diehard stuck in the corded phone era. I have just renewed my BB and line rental package with BT and came out with a deal for free 24/7 landline calls (Wife to her sister) and a sim card with free calls - text and data for less than I paid last time.
Mobile phones have always been a back up to me and also most of the people I knew do not need phones anymore - my phone list is very short.

I am ok with the PC but anything to do with network does my head in- I can get there in the end but it hurts my head in the process.

My Android car radio does have a icon for easy connect - the same sort of thing mrk described but I haven't tried it yet - I have the phone manual up and I am reading it at the moment.

This will be a long thread so if all goes quiet I am sitting here cussing.

Thanks for everyones help

Kenai · 9 May 2020 at 14:08

You don't need to know a thing about networking to do what you want.

Step 1 - turn on the 'Mobile Hotspot' on your phone - here's a simple step by step to do that - https://www.hardreset.info/devices/huawei/huawei-honor-8x/portable-hotspot/ - this is a 2 minute job if it's never been set up before

Step 2 - on your headunit, connect to the WiFi network your phone is now broadcasting however you connected it to your home WiFi in the first place

Done

Step 3 - for quick access, you may already have (or can add) a button in your notifications swipe down on your phone to turn the Portable Hotspot on or off quickly

Step 4 - use something like Tasker when you're fed up of turning it on and off manually to automate the process

Get the simple stuff working before getting involved in the automation etc.

DXP55 · 9 May 2020 at 18:49

Sorted guys - thanks

I spent 10 min writing a essay and forgot to log in :rolleyes: