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AndyRen
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Post by AndyRen »

Just a quicky - thinking of getting Android Auto installed at MOT time in the next month or so, what's the situation as far as playing music from a usb stick - or even a CD? Is it still possible with the new hardware?
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jtonline
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Post by jtonline »

Yes, you can hold the Home button (by the Commander Knob) down for a couple of seconds to switch from Android Auto (AA) or Apple CarPlay (ACP) to the standard Mazda menu you're used to, and select Entertainment to choose your music source and then hold Home down again to switch back to where you were in ACP/AA and your chosen music continues.

I do this to play music from an existing USB memory stick or DAB radio, rather than from an App on my iPhone.
Julian.
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AndyRen
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Post by AndyRen »

Thanks Julian.... So will the car remember the settings once switched off and back on again, ie, will my music still be playing from usb and also the AA (or ACP) menu (or where it left off?) appear on the screen?.... And to switch tracks/albums it's necessary to hold home button every time etc....?

And now the big question..... Does the Mazda unit now support AA wirelessly?? If not I don't think I'll bother :(
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jtonline
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Post by jtonline »

I only use ACP, and only for Waze sat nav application, so can't speak for AA usage.

The majority of the time it remembers the audio source last used, but if you start MZD Connect without the 'phone connected but it was connected when you last had the ignition on, it will search, fail and default to FM radio. Changing track on USB stick music can be done with the steering wheel buttons, but in my experience, for album or source change you'd need to hold Home to go into MZD Connect to do it if you don't want to use a music app in ACP/AA.

The Mazda ACP/AA upgrade solution does not officially support a wireless connection. I have a Brodit mount on the dash and slot my iPhone into that, so it's no problem.
Julian.
Sept. 2015 CX-3 Sport Nav, Dynamic Blue Mica, 1.5 Diesel, AWD, Automatic
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AndyRen
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Post by AndyRen »

Thanks again for your help Julian, decided against it due to the lack of wireless connection - I understand there's various dongles available to achieve this but can't really justify the extra costs etc.
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Boyle de Cabbage
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Post by Boyle de Cabbage »

Remember if you use AA/CP you have access to apps on your phone and files stored therein. USB sticks quickly become a thing of the past when you have voice commands to 'Play Music', select albums or artists. Regard your phone as your USB stick; the AA/CP interface is far better than Mazda's.

I've said this before but I can press the talk button on my steering wheel, say "switch the coffee on" and my espresso machine is already hot when I get home. Mazda can't even get close to doing stuff like that. My experience is with AA, proprietary Apple devices may be more restricted.
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AndyRen
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Post by AndyRen »

Understood Boyle and if I did more mileage per year and was out n about in the car more I would think differently - we've only just clicked over 21.5K and it's a 16 year model! I'd be spending more time plugging and unplugging the phone than driving :lol:
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Boyle de Cabbage
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Post by Boyle de Cabbage »

AndyRen wrote: Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:44 pm Understood Boyle and if I did more mileage per year and was out n about in the car more I would think differently - we've only just clicked over 21.5K and it's a 16 year model! I'd be spending more time plugging and unplugging the phone than driving :lol:
Well Ok; we are all different. But also similar; my plate is 15 and mileage is 23K.

I leave a coiled USB lead plugged permanently into my car and don't find slotting my phone into it's cradle and fitting the USB C a chore. I found Mazda's navigation system to be a real chore though, to the extent of being unusable. And the problems Mazda has of reading a fully loaded USB music stick and finding what to play took forever. Voice commands "play music by <whoever>" ; "navigate home" or to get round a local road blockage telling google to "navigate to ~" , brings in the real power of the internet and the fact that traffic disruptions are known about almost as soon as they happen.. Mazda or any car manufacturer cannot ever hope to beat that. And selling map updates after three years is money grabbing tosh.

But what is Mazda's response to all of this modern technology? Locking down their firmware so third party improvements on the rubbish presented by Johnson Controls is impossible. They are on the wrong side of history though; The Right to Repair (firmware too) is becoming a thing.. My car is fully paid for, I should be allowed to make add-ons in any way I see fit. #Mazda Shame On You!
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AndyRen
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Post by AndyRen »

Thanks again for your input Boyle, I'll give it more thought.
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