2020 Tacoma and I am tired of tethering my Iphone to the head unit.

As the post says I am tired of it.
I have bluethooth so why doesn't the factory head unit have it? Am I mistaken?
I don't want to pay for wifi if it is coming from my phone either from wifi or bluetooth. This is 2023 by god. Does Toyota have their head so far up their @ss that it comes to this.
What is my fix? Buy a brand new aftermarket head unit to replace the one in the truck? I refuse to pay subscription fee.

I had one of those dongles that you connect and it received bluteooth albeit agonizingly slow. When I upgraded my phone the dongle no longer worked.

I am asking the TW collective for options.

 

There is Bluetooth

 

You might need to enable bluetooth on your head unit. Blue tooth has been standard in almost all vehicles for a long time now. Might want to play around with settings and turn it on.

 

Bluetooth to headunit or one of those wireless android auto/carplay adapters

 

Even my '13 5 lug non-entune has a fine working Bluetooth.

Maybe you need to visit your owners manual?

 

All the above

 

This works great for me.

Carlinkit 2025 3.0 Wireless CarPlay Dongle Adapter U2W (Type C Design) for Factory Wired Cars, Fit for iOS Version and Cars From 2025

Limited-time deal: 2023 Carlinkit 3.0 Wireless CarPlay Dongle Adapter U2W (Type C Design) for Factory Wired CarPlay Cars, Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iOS Version, Fit for Car from 2022

 

Try starting here:

https://youtu.be/P8dy7oPUf9E

 

Did you buy your truck new from a dealership? If so, they should have walked you through all of electronics and unique features like craw control and other traction settings. If they didn't do that, go back and bitch about it. It's included in the price.

And yes there is bluetooth since forever. Some early adoption issues but current offering works.

 

RTFM

 

Not Toyota's fault you didn't read the manual. If you dont have one they are online.

 

Part out

 

My 2020 has bluetooth and works just fine. Maybe you need to crack the owners manual open...

 

I have the same dongle.

Will review the instructions from the video and check the Bluetooth.

 

Yes it has Bluetooth, unfortunately it doesn’t work with Apple CarPlay. Perhaps that is what the OP is referring to?

 

I just added my iPhone (via Bluetooth) in my Sport...all good except...

I don't have Navigation in my Sport.

I use the Dongle to connect via Bluetooth to my iPhone to use Apple CarPlay and Google Maps.

That and also to connect Spotify or iHeart radio via Dongle.

The reason I have the Dongle, (I know I keep saying that) is because I messed up my connection point when I dropped my phone at the beach.

The hard-wire connection did not work well after that...so the Dongle allows me to connect to Google Maps without having to be hard-wired to USB.

I use the battery charger in the center console if I need to charge my phone...I don't keep it on that charger long because it heats up fast.

 

I could only get this to work for Apple. Would never connect or work with my Androids. Also they are an absolutely awful company to deal with when returning this crap. Do not recommend to anyone looking to pair with Android.

 

I had Bluetooth in my 2016 and 2020. RTFM.

That said, Bluetooth is unreliable compared to a cable, doesn’t charge the phone, and isn’t compatible with Apple CarPlay. I rarely ever use it.

 

Can you provide some specifics on exactly what you're trying to use the connection between your phone and the head unit for? I ask because, at least with Android, the only thing you need to use a cable for is maps, and I have NAV, so I literally never use a cable.

 

as others have said the Bluetooth should work. I connect via usb for apple CarPlay. Is that what you want to accomplish wirelessly?