Nowadays, many cars have advanced infotainment systems like Carplay & Android Auto that can connect your smartphone with your car stereo to access some important apps while driving. You probably have heard about a smartphone integration feature named Zlink. Actually, besides the above popular systems, Mirrorlink is an important part of Zlink to enrich your modern car’s infotainment system. Through it, you can mirror the screen of your smartphone to your car head unit. It provides the possibility for you to turn your car into a family cinema during long and boring trips. Both IOS and Android users need Zlink to connect your phones and compatible vehicles.What is this Zlink indeed, how do we install it and let it work for us? This article will tell you how to setup it easier.What is Z-linkZLINK is an Android app that role as the bridge for drivers to use and enrich Carplay & Android Auto functionalities on incompatible displays. It is a valuable tool just as an intermediary, ensuring that core functions on the phones are also accessible in your car. Most Android car stereos are comes with a Zlink application, and it supports the intelligent connection and interaction between your phone and your car stereo via Bluetooth and WiFi hospot. More specifically, it allows you to mirror contents(such as videos on Youtube/Netflix, movies, TV shows and news broadcast) from your iPhone to your car display, access navigation apps, music apps, phone calls and more by wired&wireless Carplay/Android Auto. Then you can focus on the road without getting distraction. If you have a car stereo with Android system or plan to add a Android stereo for your car, this article is writing for you.Requirements to Use Zlink Carplay/Android Auto & MirrorlinkZlink only works on compatible vehicles and car stereos. Before connecting your phone and your car stereo through Zlink, there are some requirements you need to know.Your vehicle should has an Android car stereo that comes with Zlink(Zlink5 is recommended).Your vehicle must have a USB port that supports wired Carplay/Android Auto and wired Mirrorlink.You need a original USB cable to connect your phone to the car display.Make sure both your car stereos and your phone have the latest version of Zlink. If your phone doesn’t have Zlink5, please go for Play store and download it .If you are a Android user, your Android phone must running on Android version 11 and above.Your Android phone needs to support Google services and has Andriod Auto, Play Store and other software installed.If you are a IOS user, IOS 12-16.5 is required and the phone version should no less than iPhone 6.When using wireless Carplay/Android Auto and wireless screen mirroring, please make sure your smartphone is in good internet condition and has a 5 GHz Wi-Fi support.If you have got permissions listed above, now we move our steps to the specific integration process. Below we will introduce two simple methods to realize the integration between your car audio with your smartphones through a wired USB cable or a wireless Bluetooth connection.How to Use the Carplay/Android Auto via ZlinkIf you are going to establish connection for the first time, please note that the app needs to be activated which requires an internet environment. Therefore, your head unit needs to be connected to the internet frequency band, and then you should open the Zlink app to activate it. After that, just following the steps to begin your connection.USB ConnectionMake sure you phone has the Zlink app installed, and it has been upgraded to the latest version. If not, you can download it from APP Store or Google PLAY.Open the Zlink app in your car, choose the wired Carplay/wired Android Auto, then should use the original USB cable to connect plugs of your phone and your car stereo. If you are using a third-party USB data cable, it may leads to the delay or even failure on connecting.After the plugging, the icons of Carplay/Android Auto will automatically pop up both on your car stereo and your phone. Click the confirm on your phone interface, then wait for a success connection. Later, you will be asked for the agreement for visiting permissions such as access your location, phone contacts, messages and record the voice, etc. Just tap the Allow option on all pop-up prompts messages.Once the setup process completed, you will see the Carplay/Android Auto running on your car display.Bluetooth ConnectionTo start, you must make sure the WIFI and Bluetooth of your phone in ON.Turn on your stereo Bluetooth and ensure that it is visible and recognizable by other devices.Click the Bluetooth Settings to find out the Bluetooth name and password of car stereo.Find the Bluetooth name of stereo on your iOS/Android device, input password and then connect. Here iOS users should keep in mind that make sure the Carlay function of your iPhone is ON. You will easily find it in the connected device, then you need to authorize the using permission, remember to tap the “Sync Contacts” below so as to make phone calls on your car. Alternatively, you can search the Carplay directly and then tap the option to get a green “ON”.Once Bluetooth is successfully paired and connected, Zlink will automatically turn on on the car display, and then you can use the Carplay/Android Auto.After the first connection, the next time you start your car, the automatic connection can be realized without re-pairing when your phone Bluetooth is ON.How to Use the Airplay/Android Cast via ZlinkScreen projection(Mirrorlink) is also an interaction feature of Zlink. Similarly, it has both wired and wireless ways to cast the screen. And if your Android stereo and phone are in line with the preconditions to use wired/wireless Carplay&Android Auto, you also have access to this magical function. Now, let’s check out the guides.Make sure the Wifi & Bluetooth of your phone and car stereo are in active before connecting.USB ConnectionRegarding users who owns iPhone and want to use Airplay, you just need to connect your iPhone with your car’s USB OTG port through an original USB cable. The you can see the Phone screen from a larger display of your car.For Android devices users who want to use Android cast, you need to install a corresponding App on your phone to realize the casting. You can follow the car screen prompts to scan the QR code to finish downloading. Then enter this phone app to choose the connection way. When click the USB Connection on your stereo, it will appear a guide. Just plug the USB cable to the stereo properly then you will realize the screen mirroring.Wireless Bluetooth/WIFI ConnectionSteps for wireless connection are as follows:Click USB Connection on the stereo screen to get the USB connection wizard(For Android users only; iOS user can skip it and move to step 2)Click Step2 to connect the car Bluetooth( WIFI connection is required in some units)Your phone will then asked whether to start screen mirroring from your mobile phone to the carClick [Start Now], and the car will display the screen on your phone.Quick reminder 1: Whether it is a wired or wireless connection, remember to adjust your mobile phone to horizontal screen display so that you can get a full-screen viewing experience on the car screen.Quick reminder 2:Two-way control is supportive in Android phones, that is, when mirroring the content from phone to the car display through Android Cast, you can tap the car screen to operate the applications on your phone. It greatly facilitate people’s car life by creating the real-meaning of interaction between car stereo and smartphone.Through Z-Link, drivers can seamlessly share their smartphone to the car screen. Entertainment activities like watching movies, listening to live news, make the driving process more relaxed and enjoyable. If your car lacks a car stereo with intelligent smartphone integration solution, just consider PODOFO A3039 7-Inch Single Din Car Stereo with Mirror Link, HD Folding Touchscreen GPS Car Radio Receiver with the latest Zlink5 on the market as your ride’s fellow, you will meet surprise while on the go.Troubleshooting: How to fix Zlink Carplay not WorkingSometimes the Zlink isn’t connect with your car stereo due to some reasons from smartphones, cars or the Internet signal. If Zlink doesn’t work well for you, here are some factors and the methods you can check and try to fix it.Q: Why can’t I connect my phone with my car head unit?A: For wired USB connection, Please Check whether the USB cable you used for connection is an Original USB cable. If not, you should change it with a factory USB one. In addition, it is recommended to choose a 4-pin USB cable for Zlink connection since it performances a stable connection. For wireless Bluetooth connection, you had better check the steps again in case of missing essential steps, especially keep WIFI（Hotspot is required in some units) of your phone ON before you pair your smartphone and your car infotainment system via Bluetooth.Q: Why I suffer unstable the connection or sudden disconnect of the Zlink?A: Several factors are involved in this signal issue, we then have them eliminated one by one. For wired USB connection, two points need to be noticed. One is using the 4 pin USB cable for the most stable and smooth experience. The other is to check if there is a loosing wiring. Compatible cable and stable wiring are key to enjoy a smooth experience. For wireless Bluetooth connection, the common method we will try first is to disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth pair. The second is to ask the dealer for the related APK to update the Android OS and ZLINK software of car stereo or on your phone to the latest version. If the improvements of above methods is not significant, it's time for you to consider maybe there are metal parts among your center console that block the normal transmission of Bluetooth and WiFi signal.Q: Why can’t I search the Bluetooth of car stereo?A: You can try to restart your phone and car stereo system, and then search the Bluetooth again.Q: Why Zlink still unstable when connecting with my latest version of iPhone?A: Current Android car stereos may not compatible with latest version of iPhone like iOS 17 due to unsupported system settings.Our troubleshooting guide is able to fix main problems towards Zlink carplay not working.If you have any other confusions, please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Skip to content
