Affiliate disclosure: RoadGearLab is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This never affects which products we recommend.
Before buying anything, check whether your car qualifies for a free update. Hyundai and Kia both ran programmes adding CarPlay to older cars by software, at no charge. Kia covered a range of 2014 to 2017 models with UVO3 or compatible navigation, Hyundai covered some 2015 and newer models.
Why these two share a page
Hyundai and Kia sit under the same parent company and share infotainment platforms, so the CarPlay situation is close to identical across both. Writing them separately would mean saying the same thing twice.
Your three situations
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Older car, no CarPlay on screen | Ask a dealer to check your VIN against the free software update. This was a genuine programme, not a rumour, and it costs nothing to ask |
| Wired CarPlay working | A dongle converts it to wireless |
| Newer car with the 12.3 inch ccNC system | Wireless CarPlay may already be built in, or may arrive by software update, depending on the model and the market. Check your VIN on Hyundai’s or Kia’s update site before buying (see the model-year guide below) |
A fair warning on the update programmes: they date from roughly 2016 and 2017, so whether they still apply is uncertain. Ask before assuming either way.
Not sure what your car has?
Three questions, about 30 seconds, and you will know whether an adapter helps before spending anything.
Check my car →The 30 second test
Plug your iPhone into the USB port with a proper data cable. If CarPlay appears, you have wired CarPlay and a dongle will make it wireless. If nothing happens, the car has no CarPlay and no dongle can add it.
If your car does have wired CarPlay, these are the adapters we rate. Prices move, so check before buying.
CarlinKit Mini Ultra 3 →OTTOCAST Mini Cube 3.0 →AAWireless TWO+ →Hyundai and Kia Model-Year Guide: Standard 8-Inch Screen vs Navigation Screen
Hyundai and Kia have an unusual quirk that decides whether you need a wireless adapter: for several model years, the cheaper screen had wireless CarPlay and the more expensive one did not. As 9to5Mac summarized it in 2023, Hyundai cars with factory navigation supported only wired CarPlay, while cars without built-in navigation supported both wired and wireless. Kia followed the same split. So on many 2021 to 2023 models, the buyer who paid for the bigger navigation screen is the one who still has to plug in.
| Model | Wired CarPlay | Factory wireless CarPlay | Screen that stays wired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Sonata | 2015 (Navigation) and 2016 (Navigation or Display Audio) via Hyundai’s free update; wired in the 2020 redesign | 2021, on Display Audio | Navigation unit (10.25-inch on the 2020 Limited) |
| Hyundai Elantra | 2016 Elantra GT with Navigation via free update | 2021, on Display Audio | Navigation unit |
| Hyundai Tucson | 2016 with Navigation via free update | 2021; for 2022, standard on the 8-inch screen (SE, SEL, Blue) | 2022 Limited 10.25-inch navigation screen (wired at launch) |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2017 from the factory (7-inch or 8-inch navigation) | 2021 | Navigation unit |
| Hyundai Palisade | 2020 launch model (see owner’s manual) | 2021, on Display Audio | Navigation unit |
| Hyundai Venue | 2020 launch model (see owner’s manual) | 2021, on Display Audio | Navigation unit |
| Kia K5 | 2021 launch | 2021, on the standard 8-inch screen | 10.25-inch navigation screen (UVO Link with Navigation) |
| Kia Sorento | 2021 redesign | 2021, on the 8-inch screen (LX, S, EX) | 10.25-inch screen on SX and up |
Navigation-unit entries for the Sonata, Elantra, Santa Fe, Palisade and Venue follow the general split Hyundai used in those years, so confirm yours in the owner’s manual. The clearest adapter candidates are the 2020 Sonata, the 2022 Tucson Limited, and the 2021 Kia K5 and Sorento with the 10.25-inch screen, plus navigation-equipped Hyundais of the same era. Owners of the standard 8-inch Display Audio units from 2021 on usually already have wireless CarPlay and only need to pair once. For models and years not listed, the owner’s manual (search “Phone projection”) is the reliable answer.
Free updates: what Hyundai and Kia actually offered
The older free update was for wired CarPlay. In 2016, Hyundai let US owners of the 2015 Sonata with Navigation, the 2016 Sonata, 2016 Elantra GT and 2016 Tucson with Navigation, and 2015 to 2016 Genesis download CarPlay at no cost from MyHyundai.com using the VIN and a USB stick or the navigation SD card; dealers installed it for a fee. If your 2015 or 2016 Hyundai has never shown CarPlay, that update is the first step, since an adapter needs wired CarPlay to work.
Wireless CarPlay for navigation units is less clear-cut in the US. In late 2023, Hyundai and Kia began offering a navigation software update that adds wireless CarPlay to navigation-equipped models, but PhoneArena reported it was for European drivers, with no confirmed date for the US and Canada. J.D. Power’s 2021 Sorento review also notes Kia said wireless was coming “soon” to the larger screen. Before buying an adapter, enter your VIN at update.hyundai.com or update.kia.com and read the release notes for your car. If wireless CarPlay is not mentioned, do not count on it.
Hyundai and Kia troubleshooting
- Find the data port. Many of these cars have two front USB ports where only one carries data. MacRumors noted the 2020 Sonata has a pair of front USB-A ports, “one for data and one for charging only.” Look for the port with the data or phone-projection symbol.
- Native wireless dropping out? Hyundai bulletin 21-01-007H (campaign T5T) covers 2021 Elantra, Sonata, Sonata Hybrid, Palisade and Venue Display Audio cars where wireless CarPlay disconnects with “Phone Not Responding.” The dealer fix is a USB software update, which Hyundai says reduces the drops but does not fully eliminate them. Ask about it before paying for an adapter.
- Re-pair cleanly. Kia’s K5 bulletin PS669 says to pair through the car’s phone-projection menu rather than the iPhone’s Settings, General, CarPlay path, and to delete old Apple device profiles on both the car and phone if the car was previously used with wired CarPlay.
- Software updates. Hyundai’s update site offers the Navigation Updater download for PC-based updates and lists over-the-air updates for newer models. Kia’s US guide says over-the-air updates require an active Kia Connect (formerly UVO) subscription.
What owners report after head-unit updates
On the Telluride Forum, one 2021 Telluride owner with the older navigation unit reports that after a Kia software update, their adapter got stuck on a “Reading USB” message while wired CarPlay still worked; the adapter maker’s firmware update did not fix it. Another owner reports an adapter stopped connecting after a Hyundai map update and recovered after the adapter’s own firmware was updated from a computer. A 2024 Telluride owner reports connection in under 30 seconds after updating adapter firmware. One owner notes that a short press of the steering-wheel voice button opens the car’s voice system, while a long press brings up Siri. The takeaway from these reports: after any head-unit update, check for an adapter firmware update before assuming the adapter has failed.
Sources: Hyundai bulletin 21-01-007H and Kia bulletin PS669 as filed with NHTSA (Hyundai, Kia), Hyundai and Kia update sites, and model-year reviews from J.D. Power, Motor1 and MacRumors.
Frequently asked questions
Did Kia offer a free CarPlay update?
Yes. Kia released a free CarPlay and Android Auto software update for a range of 2014 to 2017 models fitted with UVO3 or a compatible navigation system. Owners registered through the UVO site and were sent the update with installation instructions.
Did Hyundai do the same?
Hyundai offered a comparable free software upgrade adding CarPlay and Android Auto to some 2015 and newer models in the US.
Is the free update still available?
These programmes date from around 2016 and 2017, so availability now is uncertain. It costs nothing to ask a dealer to check your VIN before you buy hardware, and it is the first thing to try.
My Hyundai or Kia already has wired CarPlay. Can I make it wireless?
Yes, that is exactly what a dongle does. Newer models with the 12.3 inch ccNC system have also received wireless CarPlay through a software update.
Other brands: Toyota · Honda · Ford · Mazda · Volkswagen · Subaru