New “AirFly Drive” accessory turns wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay

Twelve South, a well-known accessory manufacturer for Apple products, has launched a new AirFly Drive accessory that turns wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay.

AirFly Drive uses Wi-Fi to establish a connection between your iPhone and the vehicle, eliminating the need to use a USB-C cable for CarPlay.

Priced at $39.99 in the US, the AirFly Drive plugs into a USB data port on your vehicle. The accessory is essentially a compact aluminum cube with a USB-A port, with a USB-C adapter included in the box. It’s designed to stay plugged in, so you can get in your vehicle and use CarPlay wirelessly immediately every time.

You only need to pair your iPhone with the AirFly Drive once, then it will offer a quick automatic reconnection every time the vehicle is started, with no apps, accounts or charging required. A button on the accessory allows you to switch between two paired iPhones with a single press, which is useful if two people share the same vehicle.

Before the first setup, you must disconnect your iPhone from your vehicle by choosing “Forget this device” in the vehicle’s Bluetooth settings.

Twelve South says the AirFly Drive works with any iPhone running iOS 10 or newer and any vehicle that already has factory support for wired CarPlay.

Similar wired-to-wireless CarPlay dongles from other brands are available on Amazon, but Twelve South is a reputable manufacturer of accessories for Apple products. AirFly Drive is available to order now in white or black.