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With Subaru, the model year tells you less than the Starlink generation. CarPlay arrived with the 2017 Impreza and the 2018 Outback, Legacy and Crosstrek, and Subaru says it has been standard on every new Subaru since the 2019 model year. Cars on older Starlink versions have no CarPlay, and a dongle cannot add it.
Where Subaru stands
| 2017 Impreza, 2018 Outback, Legacy and Crosstrek, 2019 Forester and Ascent onward | Starlink with wired CarPlay. A dongle converts it to wireless |
|---|---|
| Newer models with the 11.6-inch screen | Wireless CarPlay often built in (see the model-year table below) |
| Earlier Starlink | No CarPlay. A dongle will not help |
Because Subaru rolled the newer Starlink out model by model rather than across the range at once, two cars of the same year can differ. Use the model-year table below as a starting point, then confirm on the car itself.
One Subaru specific advantage
Newer Subarus have over the air update capability, with the car pulling firmware through its built in communication module. That means the infotainment software on a recent Subaru can change without a dealer visit, so a feature list from launch is not always the current state of your car. Worth checking the system version in settings before concluding anything.
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+ →Subaru Model-Year Guide: Does Your Subaru Already Have Wireless CarPlay?
A wireless adapter only works if your Subaru already has wired Apple CarPlay, because the adapter plugs into the USB port and pretends to be an iPhone on a cable. So the two questions are: when did your model get wired CarPlay, and did it already get factory wireless CarPlay? Subaru’s own support page says every new Subaru has come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard since the 2019 model year, and that wireless depends on model year and trim. The table below is built from Subaru’s US pricing press releases for each model.
| Model | Wired CarPlay from | Factory wireless CarPlay | STARLINK screens by era |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outback | 2018 | 2023, on the 11.6-inch system (from Premium trim) | 2018 to 2019: 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch. 2020 to 2022: dual 7.0-inch (Base) or 11.6-inch, cable only. 2023 on: 11.6-inch wireless; Base keeps dual 7.0-inch |
| Legacy | 2018 | 2023, on the 11.6-inch system (from Premium trim) | Same pattern as the Outback |
| Forester | 2019 (earlier years: check your owner’s manual) | 2025, on the 11.6-inch system (from Premium trim) | 2019 launch: 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch. 2025 on: dual 7.0-inch (Base, USB-based CarPlay) or 11.6-inch |
| Crosstrek | 2018 | 2024, on the 11.6-inch system (from Premium trim) | 2018 launch: 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch. 2024 on: dual 7.0-inch (Base) or 11.6-inch |
| Impreza | 2017 | 2024, on the 11.6-inch system (Sport trim) | 2017 launch: 6.5-inch base screen. 2024 on: dual 7.0-inch (Base) or 11.6-inch |
| Ascent | 2019 | 2023, standard on every trim | 2019 launch: 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch. 2023 on: 11.6-inch on all trims |
Two takeaways. First, the biggest group of adapter candidates is the 2020 to 2022 Outback and Legacy: they already have the large 11.6-inch screen, but Subaru only added wireless CarPlay with the 2023 refresh. Second, a brand-new Subaru is not automatically wireless. On the 2025 Forester, Subaru’s release describes the Base trim’s dual 7.0-inch screens as having “USB-based” CarPlay, and the 2023 Outback and 2024 Crosstrek releases tie wireless CarPlay to the 11.6-inch system rather than the Base screens. If your car has two stacked 7-inch screens, assume it needs a cable (or an adapter) until your owner’s manual says otherwise.
Quick check from the driver’s seat
- One large portrait screen (11.6-inch) on a 2023 or newer Outback, Legacy or Ascent, a 2024 or newer Crosstrek or Impreza, or a 2025 or newer Forester: you very likely already have wireless CarPlay. Look under Settings on the iPhone (General, CarPlay) after pairing by Bluetooth.
- One large 11.6-inch screen on a 2020 to 2022 Outback or Legacy: wired only, so an adapter makes sense.
- A 6.5-inch or 8.0-inch landscape screen: wired CarPlay, so an adapter makes sense.
- Dual 7.0-inch screens: treat as wired only.
- Older STARLINK units (6.2-inch or 7.0-inch on a 2017 Outback or Legacy): CarPlay arrived with the 2018 screens, so these units lack it and an adapter cannot add it.
Subaru-specific troubleshooting
Use the right USB port. Subaru’s support page tells owners to connect to “the USB port labeled for CarPlay.” The press releases draw the same line: the front center console has an “input/charging” port, while the rear console ports are listed as “charge ports.” An adapter plugged into a rear port will get power and light up, but the head unit will never see it.
Update the head unit before blaming the adapter. For 2020 to 2022 Outback and Legacy models with the Gen 4 (Denso) head unit, Subaru’s service bulletin 15-261-20R lists a series of software updates that fixed, among other things, “CarPlay Unavailable” when connecting over USB, CarPlay stopping after a hands-free call ends, and black screens or reboots when the USB connection is pulled during an active CarPlay session. Because an adapter relies on that same wired CarPlay connection, an out-of-date unit can look like a faulty adapter. A Subaru retailer can install the update by USB, and the bulletin notes that a later update enabled over-the-air (FOTA) updates on these cars.
For 2017 to 2018 Impreza and 2018 Crosstrek, Outback, Legacy and BRZ models with navigation, Subaru’s support instructions describe two update paths: over Wi-Fi (Settings, General, Check for Updates) for system software, or a USB drive prepared with the Subaru Map Downloader from subaru-maps.com, plugged into the front USB port, for software plus maps. Subaru says to unplug other devices from the USB ports during the update, so remove the adapter first.
- Check your software version under Settings, General, System Information before and after any update.
- Run updates with the engine idling outdoors (never in a closed garage), as Subaru’s instructions require.
- If CarPlay worked with a cable but stopped after an update, delete the car from the iPhone’s CarPlay list and pair the adapter again.
Sources: Subaru of America press releases for each model year, Subaru’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto guide, and Subaru service bulletin 15-261-20R as filed with NHTSA.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Subaru have CarPlay?
It depends on the Starlink generation rather than the badge. CarPlay arrived with the 2017 Impreza and the 2018 Outback, Legacy and Crosstrek, and Subaru says it has been standard on every new Subaru since the 2019 model year. Earlier Starlink versions have no CarPlay.
Can I add CarPlay to an older Subaru?
Not with a dongle. A dongle only converts existing wired CarPlay to wireless. Older Starlink head units have no CarPlay to convert.
Will a wireless adapter work on a 2020 Subaru?
Yes, if CarPlay currently appears when you plug your phone in. That is the test that matters.
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