How to Play Music From Your Phone in the Car via Bluetooth

If your car is from 2012 or later, there's a very good chance it has Bluetooth audio built in. This lets you pair your smartphone to the car's sound system and play music, podcasts, or navigation voice directions through the car's speakers — no cables needed.

The setup process — called pairing — only needs to happen once. After that, your phone connects automatically every time you get in the car (as long as Bluetooth is on).

Here's what you can play over Bluetooth in your car: - Music from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, or any other streaming app - Podcasts - Audiobooks from Audible or Libby - GPS navigation voice directions from Google Maps or Apple Maps - Streaming radio from iHeart Radio or TuneIn

You control playback from your phone screen, or in many cars, from the steering wheel buttons or center console controls. Some cars show the song title and artist on the dashboard display.

If your car is older and doesn't have Bluetooth, an FM transmitter (a small device that plugs into the cigarette lighter and your headphone jack) is a low-cost alternative. But for cars made in the last 10+ years, Bluetooth is almost certainly available. It may just be labeled "audio streaming" or "media audio" in your car's Bluetooth settings.

The phone's music keeps playing through the same Bluetooth connection used for phone calls. So you can also receive hands-free calls without touching your phone.