Is it safe to use CarPlay or Android Auto in a car sharing, rental or other vehicle?

With CarPlay and Android Auto, you can make your car experience more tolerable. Through the car’s built-in screen, you can see directions on a map, listen to music or podcasts, know what tasks or appointments you have for the day, and much more. Plus, connecting your phone to your car is relatively easy. Is it compatible as standard or is it a screen you installed. But, What happens when you travel in a foreign car or a rented car? Is it safe to use CarPlay or Android Auto in leased, car-shared or third-party vehicles?

With some frequency, we are advised not to plug our phones into public charging stations or use Wi-Fi in libraries, airports or cafes. The reasons for this are that someone could install malicious applications via USB or intercept data sent and received via Wi-Fi. Therefore, it is not surprising that we have some reluctance to do the same on someone else’s car.

But there are many benefits to integrating your phone into your rental car. So, beyond suspicion or unfounded fears, let’s see what’s true and what we can do to enjoy all the possibilities that modern cars offer thanks to CarPlay and Android Auto, without giving up keeping the data on our smartphone from prying eyes.

Precautions to take before using Android Auto or Apple Carplay

To access Android Auto or Carplay, the first thing you need to do is connect your mobile phone to the respective car’s operating system via USB or wirelessly. Each of these paths is connected an asterisk when it comes to safety.

When using the USB connector, It’s best to use your own cable.. This way you will avoid getting caught by a tricky cable that might insert malware on your mobile phone. Another point of risk is the car’s USB connector, which may have been modified to accommodate some malware. However, in this case there is little that can be done preventatively.

If you choose to use wireless connectivity, you will need to first connect your mobile device to your vehicle via Bluetooth. During the process, pay attention to the data being synced. The vehicle operating systems themselves are sometimes request permission to import contacts or recent calls from your mobile phone. This information is then stored in the vehicle’s memory. Since we don’t want this to happen, please reject any related requests that may appear on your mobile phone.

In both cases, as an additional security measure You can delete the car memory after completing your trip.. You will usually find this option in the car settings.

Everything you do in Carplay or Android Auto is safe (even in a rental car)

Once the device is connected – wirelessly or via USB – to the car’s operating system, it will prompt you to launch the Carplay or Android Auto apps. Wherein You will find yourself in a new safe environment, free from risks and worries. With Android Auto or Carplay, you can open any app, access your contacts, or make calls without worrying about your privacy.

The key point is that all Carplay and Android Auto processing happens in smartphone. Once started, the car only projects the image signal received from it, but never stores or processes the data. Both systems also use encryption at all times and are subject to strict security regulations.

Use Carplay and Android Auto in your rental car, car sharing or alien, therefore very safe. These are encapsulated environments that do not transmit information to the vehicle.. Of course: During the connection process before launching Android Auto or Apple Carplay, it is important to take the above precautions to protect our privacy as much as possible.