Android Auto/Apple Car Play Head Unit Upgrade for 2011 Prius

Unfortunately, Toyota didn't add Apple Car Play/Android Auto to the Prius until 2020. Thankfully, with a little wire work and A LOT of patience, we can fix that ourselves on a pretty reasonable budget.

At least, a reasonable budget in October 2020. This article was written in January 2022 when consumer electronics prices weren't too consistent.

This project is more of an outline and is meant to be used in tandem with whatever manuals came with your stereo/wiring harness. This project also assumes that you are already comfortable stripping and connecting wires.

This project should be fairly identical for any 2010-2015 Toyota Prius. For older Prius', the philosophy is very much the same and this guide should still be plenty helpful. I can't confidently say the same for any newer models, as car electronics are getting more and more complicated.

• A way to reliably connect two wires
• I used a soldering iron
• Your new head unit
• I used this one from Pioneer: https://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/POCEN/Car/NEX/DMH-1500NEX
• A wiring harness
• Needs to be compatible with both your vehicle and your head unit
• I used this one from PAC audio: https://catalog.pac-audio.com/catalog/radiopro-digital-radio-interfaces/rp42-ty11
• A 10mm socket

This is definitely one of those projects where you read the manual. At least once. Get everything in order, read the directions a couple times through, and make sure you have a clear plan in your head. While mistakes are always a part of the process, mistakes in this process are often extremely time consuming, so best to be diligent.

Most wiring harnesses have more connections than any individual would need, so that they can be as widely compatible as possible. I would recommend figuring out what you don't need and removing it. It'll reduce the chaos of wires quite a bit.

Label all the connections that you will be using.

You're ready to start wiring! Match the coloring diagrams from both of your manuals, and connect everyone to their pair!

In my case, I had to wire up the audio out, microphone/audio in, backup camera, and steering wheel controls.

NOTE: Same color doesn't always mean those two should connect! It usually does, but when it doesn't it'll be a nightmare to track down. Follow the manuals and make no assumptions.

Apologies for the lack of in-progress pictures on this one. I didn't take enough when I was working on this and at the time of writing I have sold the car. What I do have is a picture with all the necessary panels removed. I'd recommend looking on YouTube for a better step-by-step guide of taking everything off.

Everything should come off relatively easily. I would recommend using only finger strength or plastic prying tools. Anything metal (even a flathead screwdriver) would likely scratch the plastic.

This is where you're going to need the 10mm socket. There are four by each corner of the head unit.

Once done, gently slide out the old head unit and disconnect all the sockets. Connect those sockets to your wiring harness, and your wiring harness to your new head unit.

Once everything is wired, safely turn on the car to test that the audio is working. Once verified, tuck your wires away, re-attach the bolts, put the paneling back on, and enjoy the technology of today in a car of yesterday.