Headunit Revived

Headunit Revived is an Android app that allows you to turn your Android tablet or phone into an Android Auto receiver. This project is a revived version of the original headunit project by the great Michael Reid. The original project can be found here: https://github.com/mikereidis/headunit

Screenshots

How to use

Check out the Wiki for detailed documentation, setup guides and troubleshooting!

Wired USB Connection

• Connect your Android device (phone) to the tablet running Headunit Revived via USB cable.
• Make sure that Android Auto is installed on your phone.
• Set your phone to Host-Mode if nescessary and select Android Auto
• Click the USB Button in Headunit Revived, find your phone and click the right button to allow connection
• Click on your phone in the list and wait for Android Auto to start

Wireless Helper (Recommended)

This is the most reliable way to connect wirelessly. It uses our companion app on your phone to trigger the connection.

• Download: Wireless Helper on Google Play Store
• Features: Minimal configuration, supports NSD, Wi-Fi Direct Auto-Connect, and Bluetooth Auto-Start.

Setup:

• In Headunit Revived Settings: Set Wireless Mode to Helper Mode.
• Ensure both devices are in the same network (Hotspot or WiFi).
• Open the Wireless Helper app on your phone and start the service.
• The helper will find your headunit and initiate the connection automatically.

Legacy Wireless Options

• Wireless Launcher: You can still use the original Wireless Launcher by Emil Borconi.
• Manual / Native: Uses the native "Headunit Server" built into Android Auto developer settings (may fail on 10.x.x.x networks).

Connect Wirelessly via Intent (Power Users)

You can trigger a wireless connection attempt using an Android Intent. This is useful for automation tools like Tasker, MacroDroid, or via ADB.

URI Scheme: headunit://connect?ip=<PHONE_IP>

Example ADB Command:

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "headunit://connect?ip=192.168.1.25"

Known Issues

• Google Maps in Portrait Mode: Touch interactions (searching, scrolling) within Google Maps may not work as expected when using Portrait Mode on some devices. Fix: Try reducing the Pixel density (DPI) setting to below 200 (e.g., 190) in the app settings. This often restores full functionality.

Changelog

v.2.0.0

• Wi-Fi Direct (P2P) Support: Connect your phone to the headunit without a shared network or hotspot. The headunit now automatically becomes visible as a P2P peer.
• Refactored Connection Core: Complete rewrite of the internal connection handling using the new CommManager. Improved stability, faster handshakes, and better coroutine integration.
• Enhanced Fullscreen Logic: Choose between "Immersive" (hide all), "Status Only" (keep navigation bars), or "None". Improved compatibility for devices where buttons were previously obscured.
• Auto-Optimization Wizard: Automatically recommends the best Resolution, DPI, and Codec for your specific hardware.
• Early MediaSession Initialization: Fixes audio routing issues where the phone would sometimes play sound through its own speakers instead of the headunit.
• GPS Speed Fix: Accurate speed reporting for navigation apps by correcting unit conversions.
• New Logging System: Integrated log level control and file capture for easier debugging.
• IMPORTANT Fixing Android Auto 16.4 intents for selfmode. In Wireless Helper too. Please update to 1.2.0

v.1.15.1

• Added arabic language thanks to A5H0
• Added new intent for setting day/night mode for maps
• Added new window flags for older devices to finally fix fullscreen issues
• Added new intents to make the headunit recognize the app as navigation app
• Added LegacyOptimizer which will handle things directly and faster for single core cpus. Should improve the performance on Android 4.1 - 4.4 Devices
• Fixed BT Permission Bug
• Changed the Twilight-Calculator for better switch to day/night on auto mode to prevent to bright display
• Added more mediasession logic to gain audio focus and audio routing
• Merged Retry Button on connect screen, thanks to @andrecuellar
• Merged auto connect usb feature, thanks to @andrecuellar

v.1.14.3

• Automation: Added App Shortcuts for Samsung Modes & Routines support.
• Navigation: Officially registered as a navigation provider (compatible with NAV buttons).
• Stability: Fixed rare app freezes by improving internal data handling and memory hygiene.
• Compatibility: Improved hardware support for Amazon Fire Tablets and GPS-less devices.

v.1.14.2

• Bugfix: Notification and Exit Button do not close the app
• Improvement: Removed old legacy Invisible Bluetooth Setting to prevent Bluetooth from start on the whole time

v.1.14.1

• Improvement: Integrated USB Auto-Connect into "Auto-Connect Last Session". App now behaves like a native headunit and connects automatically on startup or USB plug-in.
• New Feature: Added USB Soft-Reset logic. Automatic recovery from USB "stalls" without needing to replug the cable.
• Major Improvement: Audio focus and routing overhaul. Added MediaSession support and immediate focus response to phone. Fixes issues where background apps on the tablet would block Android Auto audio.
• Improvement: Robust Task Switching. Leaving the app via Home button or clicking the Launcher icon no longer breaks the connection. Music continues in background, and clicking the icon/notification correctly returns to the projection.
• New Feature: Enhanced Key Debugger ("Key-Sniffer"). Prominent display of all key events, including special characters (ö, ü, ß) and proprietary steering wheel intents (MTC, FYT).
• New Feature: Official Navigation App Registration. HURev is now recognized as a navigation provider (geo:, google.navigation:, android.intent.action.NAVIGATE). Compatible with hardware "NAV" buttons.
• Bugfix: Removed redundant "Already connected" and "Reconnection required" alerts for a smoother user experience.
• Localization: All new strings translated into 10 languages.

v.1.14.0

• Added Separate volume setting #91
• Added Auto-Start on Bluetooth Option
• Merged PR #134 - Fixing Connection on Mediathek Headunits
• Merged PR #131 - Fixes SystemUI on < Android 6 Devices
• Merged PR #127 - Fixing Audio Truncation

v.1.13.3

• Fixed Screen Issues on Android 4 with header and navigations #114
• Fixed Night-Mode Bug #116
• Merged several PR for better Language Handling with a new language selector. Thanks to @andrecuellar

v.1.13.2

• Fixed margins now working for devices prior Android 5 Lollipop
• Fixing warnings
• Fixing broken colors on mixed daynight values
• Fixed a bug where a message is bigger than thought after about 20 minutes and connections closes

v.1.13.1

• Fixed Custom Insets Dialog with a Scrollview
• Fixed 4 app crashes listed in play console
• Fixed 2 warnings in play console for edge-to-edge display
• Fixed a race condition in ssl read/write
• Preventing disconnect if just one package was broken/corrupt in ssl transfer

v.1.13.0

• Improvement: USB stability overhaul (implemented 16KB internal buffer)
• New Feature: Custom Insets (Margins) setting with live preview
• Fixed: Video decoder blackscreen on some AI-Boxes (H.264 NAL padding)
• Fixed: UI focus issues in Settings causing system bars to reappear
• Fixed: Native SIGABRT crashes during reconnection
• Cleaned up Debug settings

v.1.12.0

• Major Improvement: Wireless Connectivity overhaul (Socket Reuse, better Handshake)
• New Feature: Wireless Mode Switch (Manual, Auto-Scan, Wireless Helper Support)
• Added: Support for Wireless Helper companion app
• Fixed: Android 15 (16KB page size) compatibility for native libraries

v.1.11.1

• Improvement: 1440p and h265 are now checked both. Some old devices have more than 1080p but no h265 support and android auto crashes with Error 11
• Fixed bug in Kitkat Devices on search for wireless devices
• Merged PR #94 - Fixed blurry icon. Thanks to @nicoruy
• Merged PR #95 - Make Settings own View to apply directly. Thanks to @nicoruy

v.1.11.0

• New Feature: Advanced Night Mode (Light Sensor, Screen Brightness, separate thresholds, manual time)
• Improvement: Audio Stuttering fixed (Optimized ACK handling)
• Improvement: USB Reconnection stability (Added "Reconnection Required" dialog for stuck sessions)
• Improvement: WiFi Discovery (Added Multi-Interface Scan and NSD/mDNS support)
• New Feature: Enhanced Service Notification (Reduced noise, added Exit button)
• Added: Spanish translation 🇪🇸 thanks to @andrecuellar
• Added: Ukraine translation 🇺🇦 thanks to welshi32
• Bugfix: Non-Fullscreen View was stretched, touch could be off
• Bugfix: Wifi with Headunit Server now works with hotspot

v.1.10.4

• Added: Dutch translation 🇳🇱 thanks to safariking
• Several black screen and connection error enhancements
• Bugfix: Crash in Background if not started as foreground service

v.1.10.3

• Bugfix: Force Software Decoder wasn't getting always the sw decoder
• Added: Russian translation 🇷🇺 thanks to @prostozema
• Enhancement: Fixing small issues in the video-decoder which should help lower spec devices to render properly (but act a little bit slower perhaps)

v.1.10.2

• Bugfix - Button Mapping ignored #71
• New Feature: Screen-Orientation Feature to lock to a certain orientation (Landscape/Portrait) #69 thanks to @JanRi3D
• Enhancement: SSL will now attempt multiple times and not break instantly thanks to @MicaelJarniac
• Added: Chinese(Traditional) translation 🇹🇼 thanks to @GazCore
• Added: Czech translation 🇨🇿 thanks to @teodortomas #75
• Fixed brazilian portuguese folder name

v.1.10.1

• Bugfix: Added missing 3 Byte startcode which stops some devices to start the projection
• Added PR #68 - Fix Wifi Direct detection thanks to @rakshan-kumr
• Added PR #67 - Brazilian Portuguese translation 🇧🇷 thanks to @MicaelJarniac
• Added PR #66 - Add conscrypt to fix error 7 on lower Android versions 🚀, thanks to @JanRi3D
• The old jni files and c code can maybe be removed when PR #66 is performing great. So we can get rid of that again :)

v.1.10.0

• New Feature: Portrait Mode Support (Dashboard & Projection) with smart resolution scaling Known Bug is, that map is unresponsive to touch. That is in all HU apps
• New Feature: Redesigned Keymap Screen (easier configuration)
• New Feature: Right Hand side driving setting (#63)
• New Feature: Auto-Connect last session (Thanks to @JanRi3D) (#21)
• New Feature: Auto-Selfmode if enabled in settings
• New Feature: Allow sideloaded apps (#57)
• Localization: Added German Translation 🇩🇪 Other translations are highly appreciated
• Improvement: TextureView is now the default renderer (better compatibility for most devices)
• Improvement: Fixed Dashboard layout rotation
• Rewrite: Completly Rewrite the Video-Decoder as it was undebuggable. Removed the async mode and more

v.1.9.0

• New Feature: GLES20 Video Renderer (Fixes black screen/artifacts/scaling on older Head Units)
• New Feature: In-App Log Export (Save to file/Share) for easier debugging
• Improvement: Audio Sink Logic fixed (System Audio always advertised) -> Fixes black screen when Audio Sink is disabled
• Improvement: Video Decoder optimized for legacy devices (Buffer size adjustments, Overflow handling)
• Hopefully Fix: Audio Stuttering resolved (Buffer/Queue logic reverted to stable state)
• Fix: Video Fragmentation on some devices (Support for split frames/Offset 2 headers)
• Fix: Crash on Android 5.1 (NoSuchMethodError)
• Fix: Audio-Sink disable not working
• UI: Consistent Dialog Theme (Teal/Rounded) and improved list buttons
• Compatibility: Verified support for Android 4.1+ (minSdk 16)
• Compatibility: Bring back native SSL Support (JNI) for better performance on older devices (Toggle in Debug Settings)

v.1.8.1

• Fixed Fullscreen/Non-Fullscreen layout issues (black bars, overlapping)

v.1.8.0

• Added Audio Sink Setting (Enable/Disable routing audio to HU)
• Added AAC Audio Support Setting (Experimental)
• Fixed audio stuttering issues by reverting buffering logic to v.1.4.1 defaults
• Restored robust video decoder logic (SPS Parsing) to fix black screen/crashes on Mediatek devices
• Fixed visual glitches on navigation bar and fullscreen transitions
• Improved list item UI with better click feedback
• Fixed SSL decryption crash (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException)

v.1.7.0

• Added WiFi Network Discovery (Port Scan) with Auto-Connect
• Added Intent Support (headunit://connect?ip=...) for automation
• Added Wifi-Launcher Support with new setting
• Updated README

v.1.6.3

• Added mandatory Safety Disclaimer on first start
• Improved audio stability and fixed stuttering issues
• Enhanced full-screen stability with transparent system bars
• Fixed WiFi disconnection synchronization issues (ByeBye request)
• General UI and stability improvements

v.1.6.2

• Fixed critical screen flickering during startup and fullscreen transitions
• Resolved video decoder freezing issues on tablets and older devices
• Improved system bar handling for a more stable projection experience

v.1.6.1

• Added "About" page with version info, changelog, and license
• Added "Force Legacy Decoder" (synchronous mode) setting to fix issues on some devices (e.g., Mediatek)
• Improved surface handling to prevent crashes on decoder reconfiguration
• Fixed "Unsaved changes" dialog in settings
• Updated UI with consistent back arrows and theming
• Fixed black screen issues on some devices by optimizing decoder initialization

v.1.6.0

• Fixed the selfmode not working outside the wifi bug
• Redesign of App, Look and feel with modern Material 3
• Better Settings
• Huge Android Auto Protocol Updates
• Clicking Exit in Android Auto now closes the projection

v.1.5.0

• Complete Rewrite of the Video decoder for better Video-Performance
• Updated Android-Auto Protocol with the latest available codecs (h265 for example)
• Added 1440p Video-Option(Note this only works with h265!)
• Added FPS-Setting
• Added Codec-Setting
• Added Force to Use Software decoder Setting
• Merged the Android Native SSL Library and get rid of the old jni files

v.1.4.1

• Fixing Touch-Events for devices with higher resolutions
• Removing file-log and logging is only enabled if debug is on

v.1.4.0

• Added Selfmode
• Better Close App

v.1.3.0

• Changed the Settings Layout Look and feel
• Added DPI Option
• Added full screen option
• Fixing Keymap Changes and button recognition

v.1.2.1 - Resolution enhancement

• Just a minor enhancement for the resolution. Not yet perfect in my opinion but better than before
• The is the last release for this year. Happy Holidays to all and a happy new year

v.1.2.0 - Bugfix Release

• Added Exit button to app
• Added resolution settings back for better compatibility with different screen sizes
• Added Option for which texture to use. Some devices perform better on SurfaceView, some on TextureView
• Fixed keymapping
• Fixed a lot of color issues
• Fixed a bug where the app crashed on startup on some devices
• Fixed Layout on wider screens
• Some rewrite, and small bugfixes

v1.1.0 - New Design

• Changed the basic design to a modern look and bigger buttons
• Hopefully fixed audio-stutters with audio thread and some logs
• Removed some deprecations

v1.0.0 - Initial Revived Release

• Updated dependencies to latest versions.
• Improved compatibility with newer Android versions.
• Added Multitouch-Support
• Some sort of wireless support with Headunit-Server on Phone

Contributing

Creating release apk needs a keystore file. You can create your own keystore file using the following command in root folder: keytool -genkey -v -keystore headunit-release-key.jks -alias headunit-revived -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 -validity 10000

After that you need to set the env variables depending on your OS: MAC: open ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc

sudo nano ~/.zshrc or sudo nano ~/.bashrc
export HEADUNIT_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD="YOUR_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD" export HEADUNIT_KEY_PASSWORD="YOUR_KEY_PASSWORD"

Original Headunit

Headunit for Android Auto (tm)

A new car or a $600+ headunit is NOT required to enjoy the integration and distraction reduced environment of Android Auto.

This headunit app can turn a Android 4.1+ tablet supporting USB Host mode into a basic Android Auto compatible headunit.

Android, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Play Music and Android Auto are trademarks of Google Inc.