CarPlay Screen Head Unit for Audi: model-by-model compatibility and installation guide

An A3, an A4 or a Q5 from a few years back still has an interior that ages far better than average. Materials, panel fit, the feel of the switchgear — all of that holds up. What doesn't hold up is the MMI, with its small screen poking out of the dashboard and maps you have to buy at the dealer every so often.

With Audi you need to be more precise than with other brands, because the original system varies a lot from model to model: an A3 8P with a Concert radio is nothing like an A4 B8 with MMI 3G. This guide sets out, model by model, which solution each car needs.

Which Audis come with CarPlay as standard?

Audi called its smartphone integration Audi smartphone interface, and it only arrived with the MIB platform. Everything before that was left out:

• Chorus, Concert and Symphony radios: cassette, CD and a monochrome display. No CarPlay, no touchscreen and no upgrade path.
• RNS-E: the double-DIN navigation unit of the A3 8P and the A4 B7. Highly regarded in its day, with DVD maps that are useless now.
• MMI 2G and 3G: a fixed screen on top of the dashboard and a rotary controller in the console. In-house paid navigation and no smartphone integration.
• MMI 3G+ and MIB: a faster interface, and from here on CarPlay appeared, always as a paid option. On a great many cars it simply wasn't ticked by the first owner.

Practical conclusion: if your Audi has Concert, Symphony, RNS-E, MMI 2G or MMI 3G, no software update will add CarPlay. It takes hardware.

The two solutions for an Audi: screen head unit or interface

Here the choice depends mainly on where the screen sits:

• Model-specific screen head unit (full replacement). This is the option for Audis whose unit sits in a slot in the centre console (A3 8P, A4 B6 and B7, A6 C5, TT MK2) and also for those with a fixed MMI screen: on those, the original display is replaced by a larger screen with the same profile, so the dashboard keeps its lines. Many of these units run on Linux, a lighter system that boots very quickly and keeps the MMI rotary controller for moving through the menus.
• CarPlay interface (the original screen stays). This is the option for MIB models where the factory screen is still good and only smartphone integration is missing. A hidden module is fitted that injects CarPlay and Android Auto, operated with the MMI rotary and the original controls.

Audi compatibility, model by model

These are the detailed guides. Each one explains the original system, the exact compatibility and the installation steps:

Compacts

• Audi A1 (2012-2018)
• Audi A3 8P (2003-2013)
• Audi A3 8V (2012-2020)

Saloons, estates and coupés

• Audi A4 B6 and B7 (2000-2008)
• Audi A4 and Seat Exeo
• Audi A4 B8 (2009-2016)
• Audi A5 (2009-2016)
• Audi A6 C5 (1999-2004)
• Audi A6 C6 and Q7 with MMI 2G/3G (2005-2009)
• Audi A6 C7 and A7 (2011-2019)
• Audi TT MK2

SUVs

• Audi Q2 (2016-2021)
• Audi Q3 (2013-2018)
• Audi Q5 (2009-2016)
• Audi Q5, Q5L and SQ5 (2017-2021)

With a built-in MIB screen (interface)

• CarPlay interface for Audi A3, Q2, A4, A5 and Q7 (2013-2018)

If your model isn't on the list, get in touch: the Audi head units and screens catalogue covers more references than fit here, and we can confirm compatibility from your chassis number.

What is the installation like on an Audi?

In every case it is a plug & play installation: no original wiring is cut and the process is reversible.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
2. Get to the original unit. On models with a console radio it comes out with release keys (included). On MMI models you have to carefully remove the cover around the fixed screen, always with plastic tools.
3. Disconnect the Quadlock, the Fakra aerial and the LVDS video cable coming from the MMI control unit.
4. Splice in the harness and the CAN Bus decoder, which is what keeps the MMI rotary, the steering wheel controls and the trip computer information working without any diagnostic coding.
5. Check the sound system. This is the critical point on an Audi: many models have an amplifier connected by fibre optics (common with Bose and Bang & Olufsen systems). In that case a fibre optic decoder is needed so you don't lose your speakers. It's a separate part and worth confirming before buying.
6. Position the GPS aerial and the microphone, seat the screen and reconnect the battery.

On models with an interface the process is simpler: the module is spliced into the original display connector and stays hidden behind the dashboard.

How much does it cost to install CarPlay in an Audi?

Through official channels, there is no CarPlay retrofit for a car with MMI 2G or 3G. Where there is MIB, activating the Audi smartphone interface means a module, wiring and workshop programming — and even then you keep the small factory screen. What you'll always be offered is a map update for the MMI, an expense that comes round every few years.

Model-specific hardware is a single outlay, leaves an integrated finish that respects the dashboard's lines, and navigation that updates itself forever. All our Audi units come with a 3-year warranty, shipping from Spain and technical support in Spanish during installation. Up-to-date prices for each reference are on its product page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether my Audi has MMI 2G, 3G or MIB?
You can tell from the menu typography, the console button layout and the screen size. Send us a photo of the screen switched on and of the MMI controls and we'll confirm before you buy.

Do I lose the MMI rotary controller?
No. Model-specific screens keep it working for navigating the menus, alongside the touchscreen.

I have a Bose or Bang & Olufsen system, will I lose sound?
No, as long as the fibre optic decoder is added. It's the first thing to check on a well-equipped Audi.

What are these Linux screens?
They are units that, instead of full Android, run a lighter system focused on CarPlay and Android Auto: they boot faster, run very smoothly and integrate better with the MMI. Each model's product page states whether the reference is Android or Linux.

Can the car be put back to how it was?
Yes. Since no wiring is cut, keeping the original unit means the installation can be reversed at any time.

Browse CarPlay head units for Audi

You can see every available unit, with its screen size and memory configuration, in the full collection of CarPlay head units and screens for Audi. If you have any doubts about your original system or your sound system, write to us before buying and we'll confirm the exact reference.