MirrorLink lets you connect your mobile phone to the car and use many of its apps safely while driving. The service was switched off in September 2023, with Android Auto being the obvious replacement.
Mirrorlink works with many Android smartphones and lots of automotive manufacturers use this operating system as they are part of the Car Connectivity Consortium. This is a non-profit organisation set-up to offer a simple way to connect a mobile device to any car. It evolved from a project originally set up by Nokia to offer the same functions of its phones through a car’s infotainment, which led to the MirrorLink name. It is now run by a mix of car manufacturers and mobile phone producers such as HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung and Sony.
With MirrorLink, you can use apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Spotify and Stitcher, as well as using it for phone calls, messaging and maps.
What is MirrorLink?
- How Do I Use MirrorLink?
- What Can MirrorLink Do?
- Can I Use MirrorLink in an Older Car?
- Is it Safe to Use MirrorLink While Driving?
- What Phones Work with MirrorLink?
- MirrorLink's Expiry Date
- Car Companies that Use MirrorLink (before it expires)
How Do I Use MirrorLink?
MirrorLink works in much the same way as Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which are the main alternatives. You will need a compatible smartphone that uses either the Android or Symbian operating systems, though almost any Android phone should be able to support MirrorLink. You cannot connect an Apple iPhone to MirrorLink as they don’t work with each other.
The key difference between MirrorLink and its rivals is that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only work with their own in-built software for connectivity like voice control or satnav. With MirrorLink, it can be used with a much wider range of apps because it was developed from the outset to be as simple and easily compatible as possible. This is why MirrorLink is available in cars as diverse as those from Citroen, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Subaru among many others.
Once you have downloaded the MirrorLink app to your phone and you know your car’s infotainment system has the connectivity to work with it, you connect the smartphone using a USB cable or Bluetooth. As the name suggests, you will see the same screen on the infotainment display as on your phone.
However, the display on the car’s screen will be a simpler version of what is on the phone. Only apps with the right connectivity to work with MirrorLink will be shown, and you can check these on the MirrorLink website. If your car also has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto installed in its infotainment, you may need to adjust the car’s settings to make MirrorLink the preferred option when you connect the phone to the car.
When your phone is hooked up to the car’s infotainment, you cannot use the phone’s screen, which means it’s hands-free and safe to use when driving. However, you must also avoid using any apps that might distract you when driving such as social media or video streaming.
As well as the car’s infotainment touchscreen - if fitted - to use MirrorLink, you can also scroll and select functions with remote steering wheel buttons, or the dials and rotary controls for the stereo. Another option is to use voice commands just like you would with an Amazon Alexa smart speaker.
What Can MirrorLink Do?
MirrorLink offers much of the functionality and connectivity of your smartphone through the car’s own infotainment system. Once your phone is connected to the car with a cable into the USB port or by Bluetooth, any MirrorLink-compatible apps will show up on the car’s infotainment screen. This lets you make hands-free phone calls and answer incoming calls without touching the device, which means you avoid the risk of a fine and points on your driving licence.
One of the most popular uses for MirrorLink is to use apps as an alternative to the car’s satnav. There are several mapping apps that provide directions and onscreen maps, such as Car Navigation or BringGo. Another useful app available with MirrorLink is Parkopedia that will guide you to an available parking space near to your destination. You can also access Glympse so you can let family or friends know where you are, and they can track your journey to know when you’ll arrive. There are other apps that that will suggest fuel stations, restaurants and places of interest as you drive.
Just like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, MirrorLink gives you access to almost unlimited music choice as you drive using apps like Spotify or RockScout for songs and Stitcher for radio.
All of the apps available with MirrorLink have to be approved by CCC (the Car Connectivity Consortium), so you know they are easy and safe to use. MirrorLink lets you access social media feeds such as Facebook and Twitter through the car’s infotainment, but you must not use these while driving. However, MirrorLink does offer apps that will let you dictate a reply using voice control to a text message.
Can I Use MirrorLink in an Older Car?
Many new car makers include MirrorLink as standard in their cars, but it is also possible to access it in older models. You will need to buy a compatible head unit, which may need to be professionally installed to your car.
With a suitable head unit, you can connect your smartphone to the car with a USB cable or Bluetooth in the same way you would with a new car. There’s a wide range of head units from the likes of Alpine, Clarion, Pioneer and Sony.
It’s worth remembering that if you fit the latest head unit to your car but your phone is running an older version of MirrorLink, you may not be able to make the most of what the new in-car infotainment is capable of.
Is it Safe to Use MirrorLink While Driving?
Like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, MirrorLink is as simple and safe to use as any car’s built-in infotainment system. By using the car’s infotainment screen, stereo controls or steering wheel buttons, it means you can use your smartphone completely hands-free. However, it is always the driver’s responsibility to keep their attention on the road ahead and not be distracted. This is part of the reason that MirrorLink won’t let you use the phone’s screen when it’s connected to the car.
As well as the onscreen icons on an infotainment touchscreen and the steering wheel or stereo controls, you can also use voice commands to work MirrorLink. There are apps for this you can download to your phone if it doesn’t already have this function, either through MirrorLink or the Google Play store.
What Phones Work with MirrorLink?
You will need an Android phone to use with MirrorLink and it needs the Android or Symbian operating systems. You cannot use an Apple iPhone with MirrorLink and the iOS operating system will not connect.
This isn’t a big issue for many drivers as Android devices account for around 90 per cent of smartphones in the world. There’s a huge choice of phones from manufacturers such as Fujitsu, HTC, Huawei, LG, Samsung and Sony.
MirrorLink’s Expiry Date
The Car Connectivity Consortium said it would “terminate all Mirrorlink operations” by September 30 2023. The website does not explain why, but it is believed that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were so popular by this point and used by a greater number of car manufacturers and drivers, that they had eclipsed MirrorLink. Android Auto is the obvious replacement for anyone who previously used Mirrorlink.
Car Companies that Used MirrorLink (before it expired)
- Citroen
- DS Automobiles
- Fiat
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Kia
- Mazda
- Mercedes-Benz
- Peugeot
- Seat
- Skoda
- Smart
- Subaru
- Suzuki
- Toyota
- Volkswagen