MHI2Q CarPlay cluster integration

Bring CarPlay maps, turn-by-turn directions, calls and album art to your Audi Virtual Cockpit — the digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel. Cars with an external amplifier also get 5.1 surround sound.

This mod is for Audi MHI2Q infotainment systems. After installation, connect your iPhone by USB and use CarPlay as usual. See compatibility and installation before starting.

Use at your own risk. This mod changes the MMI system software. The installer saves backups of the system files it replaces, but these do not guarantee recovery from a failed installation. The authors are not responsible for damage, bricked units or warranty issues.

🎨 Gallery

Virtual Cockpit: CarPlay map on the cluster, route guidance beside it

Audi front PDC no longer hides CarPlay · Cover art on the cluster

CarPlay calls on the cluster phone tab

5.1 sound: CarPlay UpMix in the MMI · Spatial Audio from Apple Music

Head-up display

📍 Contents

• Gallery
• Installation · Compatibility · Uninstall
• Features · CarPlay settings
• Troubleshooting and logs
• Build from source · Technical documentation
• Help wanted · License · References

📦 Installation

[!WARNING] UPDATE YOUR MMI SOFTWARE BEFORE INSTALLING THIS MOD.

Your MMI must already be running one of the latest versions, example listed below. Installing on older or unsupported software can brick the MMI — it may stop at the Audi logo and no longer start normally. Use the correct firmware for your unit and region.

The CarPlay installer does not update your MMI firmware. If it warns about an unsupported version, stop and resolve that first. Do not run it again to bypass the warning.

Already stuck on the logo? Follow the recovery guide.

Check compatibility first

You need:

• An Audi MHI2Q infotainment system running one of the versions below. Check the full software version in your MMI's version information screen; the car model alone is not enough.
• Audi Virtual Cockpit, the fully digital instrument panel. Analog instruments are not supported.
• An SD card with M.I.B. (More Incredible Bash) already set up, and access to the Green Engineering Menu (GEM). This guide starts from a working M.I.B. setup.
• The prepared CarPlay installation archive (install_*.zip) from the Releases page. Download it from the release's Assets section. The Source code ZIP is not an installation package.

Region	Supported MMI software versions
US — North America	MHI2Q_US_AUG22_P5087, MHI2Q_US_AUG22_P5145
ER — Europe / rest of world	MHI2Q_ER_AUG22_P5092, MHI2Q_ER_AUG22_P5152
JP — Japan	MHI2Q_JP_AUG22_P1017
CN — China	MHI2Q_CN_AUG22_K1004

Sound system: 5.1 sound and UpMix are supported on all external amplifiers used with these MHI2Q systems, including B&O and Bose. Cars using the MMI's built-in amplifier keep normal stereo sound; the map, calls and other cluster features are still available.

Other CarPlay mods: uninstall any other CarPlay mods using their own uninstallers before proceeding. Conflicting mods can cause malfunctions or brick the MMI.

Install with M.I.B.

If you have not set up M.I.B. yet, follow the instructions in the M.I.B. GitHub repository first.

1. Unzip the installation package on your computer. Open the install_MoreIncredibleBash folder inside it.

2. Copy its mod folder to your M.I.B. SD card. Put it at the top level of the card, alongside the existing apps and esd folders. Merge the folders and replace matching files if asked. Keep all files inside carplay together.

text M.I.B. SD card/ ├── apps/ <- already on the card ├── esd/ <- already on the card └── mod/ ├── custom.sh ├── command.sh └── carplay/ <- copy this folder with all its contents

Check that custom.sh is directly inside mod. Do not put the outer install_MoreIncredibleBash folder on the card.

3. Disconnect your iPhone and insert the card into SD1. CarPlay must be disconnected while the installer runs.

4. Open the Green Engineering Menu and run the installer. Find the button combination for your car in the M.I.B. menu and reboot shortcuts. Select m.i.b. → Advanced Settings → Run Custom Script. On M.I.B. V3.7.1 and older, the same option is called Run individual script.

5. Wait for the completion message. The installer checks the files and saves backups before replacing system files. At the end, it spends another 20 seconds saving changes. Wait until you see:

text DONE (install). Reboot the HU to load.

Here, HU means the MMI head unit. Do not restart it or remove the card while the installer is still running. If it reports a failure, record the message and resolve it before continuing.

6. Restart the MMI with the iPhone still disconnected. Use the Reboot combination for your car in the same shortcut table. Once the MMI has fully started, reconnect your iPhone.

Check that it works

Open CarPlay and Apple Maps, then check the map in the Virtual Cockpit. Start a route to check the turn arrows and lane guidance. You can also check album art on the media tab and calls on the phone tab.

To adjust the map, route guidance or audio, see CarPlay settings.

Uninstall

1. Disconnect your iPhone.
2. Open uninstall_MoreIncredibleBash from the installation archive. Copy its mod folder to the top level of the M.I.B. SD card, replacing custom.sh and command.sh.
3. Insert the card into SD1 and run m.i.b. → Advanced Settings → Run Custom Script (or Run individual script) in the Green Engineering Menu.
4. Wait for the saving step to finish and for DONE (uninstall). Reboot the HU. to appear.
5. Restart the MMI.

The uninstaller restores the saved system files and removes the files added by this mod. M.I.B.'s conflicting NavActiveIgnore add-on is removed during installation and is not restored by uninstalling. See the installer details.

🎯 Features

🗺️ Maps and directions behind the steering wheel

• CarPlay map in the Virtual Cockpit. See the map even when no route is active. Classic, Sport and expanded map views are supported where available on your cluster. Press VIEW to change the layout; use the steering-wheel map zoom roller to zoom in or out.
• Turn-by-turn directions. See 3D turn arrows, roundabout exits, the distance to the next turn and recommended lanes beside the map. The distance bar fills as you approach the turn.
• Road names and arrival time. Long road names scroll. Press OK on the left steering-wheel roller to switch between road information and arrival time / time remaining.
• Head-up display. If your car has a HUD, turn arrows, lane guidance and distance also appear on the windshield.
• Album art. The Virtual Cockpit media tab shows the cover of the music playing in CarPlay.

What appears depends on the navigation app and the information it sends. Apps that provide route guidance let the car draw its own turn arrows and lane guidance. Other apps may show their own directions inside the map instead. Waze does not provide native cluster/HUD guidance in the versions examined by this project; do not assume every app supports every feature. See navigation app support.

The map requests up to 30 fps for smoother movement. The actual rate depends on the iPhone, app and connection; a steady 30 fps on the car has not yet been confirmed. Technical details.

🔊 5.1 surround sound and UpMix

These features work with external amplifiers, including B&O and Bose:

• Spatial Audio. Supported Apple Music Spatial Audio / Dolby Atmos tracks play in 5.1, with separate front, centre, rear and bass channels.
• UpMix for ordinary music. Expands stereo music from apps such as Spotify and YouTube Music into surround sound. Vocals stay focused at the front, while instruments and ambience can extend behind you. Choose Off, Normal or Intense in CarPlay settings.
• Normal voice audio. Calls, Siri and navigation prompts keep their normal voice playback.

Cars with the MMI's built-in amplifier keep stereo audio, and the surround options are hidden automatically. There is no amplifier type to select during installation.

On supported B&O systems, the Sound effects menu also offers a Surround On/Off switch and AudioPilot road-noise compensation. Amplifier sound controls differ between systems; B&O's surround bypass does not behave the same way on Bose.

See audio documentation for the audio processing and amplifier comparison for compatibility details.

📞 Calls and everyday controls

• Calls on the Virtual Cockpit phone tab. See the caller's name and number, call status, timer, recent calls and favourites. Answer, reject or end calls from the steering wheel; hold, mute, call waiting and keypad dialling are also available. Caller photos are not available.
• MMI touchpad navigation. Swipe to move the selection through CarPlay lists and buttons. Faster swipes move further.
• Siri with a short press. Press the steering-wheel voice button briefly to open Siri while CarPlay is connected. A long press still works.
• Parking sensors beside CarPlay. The parking sensor display can appear alongside CarPlay instead of covering the whole screen.
• Car information for the iPhone. Sends wheel speed, remaining fuel range, outside temperature and the low-fuel warning for apps that use them.
• Improved USB reconnection. Includes fixes for CarPlay failing to reconnect after the iPhone is unplugged and plugged back in.

⚙️ CarPlay settings

You can open these settings at any time, even when CarPlay is disconnected. Go to Main Menu → Settings → Connection manager, highlight Audi smartphone interface, push the rotary knob to the right, and select CarPlay settings.

Setting	What it does	When it takes effect
Spatial Audio — On / Off	Enables 5.1 sound in supported apps. External amplifier required.	Reconnect the iPhone
UpMix — Off / Normal / Intense	Sets how much surround sound is added to stereo music. External amplifier required.	Immediately
Maps on Cluster — On / Off	Shows or hides the CarPlay map in the Virtual Cockpit.	Reconnect the iPhone
Maneuver Cards Position — Left / Center / Right	Places the phone's turn cards and arrival time on the map.	Reconnect the iPhone
Route Guidance — On / Off	Shows or hides the car's 3D turn arrows in the Virtual Cockpit and HUD.	Immediately
Map Cards during Guidance — Hidden / Shown	Hides the phone's turn cards while the car shows its own guidance, or keeps both visible.	Immediately
Guidance Maneuver Preview — Always next maneuver / Follow road when far	Shows the next turn early, or a straight-ahead arrow until you get closer.	Immediately

📝 Troubleshooting and logs

If something goes wrong, include your full MMI software version, iPhone model, iOS version, navigation or music app, and the steps that caused the problem. For a wrong turn arrow, include what you expected to see and when it happened.

You can collect diagnostic logs with M.I.B.; no terminal connection is needed:

1. Copy the mod folder from logging_MoreIncredibleBash in this repository to the top level of your M.I.B. SD card, replacing the previous scripts.
2. Run it from the same Green Engineering Menu option used for installation. This saves the current logs and turns on more detailed logging.
3. Reconnect the iPhone and reproduce the problem.
4. Run the logging script again before restarting the MMI. Restarting clears the session logs.
5. Attach the newest numbered folder inside carplay_logs on the SD card to your bug report.

For log files, SSH commands and diagnostic details, see log collection and logging options.

🔧 Build from source

To compile your own installation package, start with the Build System guide. For package contents and manual installation over SSH, see Deploy and Release.

📚 Technical documentation

The guides in docs/ cover implementation, reverse engineering, test results and development work. Use the full topic index or start here:

Topic	Guide
Surround sound, UpMix and amplifiers	Audio
Turn arrows, lanes, HUD and calls	Cluster and route guidance
Cluster maps, video and steering-wheel input	AltScreen and video
USB connection and reconnection	Connect and USB
Emulators and test tools	CarPlay laboratory
Building and installing packages	Build and deploy
How the components work together	Architecture

Before changing the code, read known pitfalls.

🤝 Help wanted

Bug reports, fixes, documentation improvements and test reports from other cars are welcome. Please include your MMI software version and sound system, and describe what worked or failed. The log collection steps help us investigate problems.

📄 License

GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (LICENSE): use, change and share it, also commercially, as long as the source of what you distribute stays open under the same license and the copyright notices stay in place. Stock firmware files, jars, fonts and other third-party material in the repository keep their owners' terms; NOTICE lists them.

🔗 References

Thanks for the prior work and knowledge that helped figure this out:

• EthanArbuckle/iPhone18-3_26.1_23B85_Restore
• adi961/mib2-android-auto-vc
• OneB1t/VcMOSTRenderMqb
• @fifthBro
• xPaiiN for telephony magic
• Matze89x for actively testing experimental stuff
• thx to every contributor
• and everyone who reported their bugs