I wasted a year and a half regretting my purchase. Learn why I did a 180° turn to loving it:

My vehicle was supported, I have an electronics background. Easy purchase. Then I struggled, and even went out of the return period.

My prob was I couldn't get Android Auto to work even via USB-C direct connection. So Magic Brand couldn't wirelessly fix what wasn't working direct-connect.

I hated every time I got marketing texts, but I never unsubscribed.

Then, on a whim, I plugged my phone in to charge in the data-USB in my vehicle. Android Auto connected!

So what changed? It wasn't my phone or my truck. Then I plugged in the Magic Brand device. IT TOO WORKED!

What most likely happened is a carrier-phone update finally fully supported Android Auto. It's not an old phone, but I got a "deal" at my wireless carrier.

Updates on discount phones prioritize security and software adds you didn't ask for. Occasionally, they fix functionality.

So if you're struggling to connect, and you think you should be able, try someone else's phone before blaming Magic Brand or your vehicle.

Next time, buy/bring your own mobile phone to the carrier.

Scott Burns, then the Financial reporter for the Dallas Morning News once wrote, "A luxury, once sampled, becomes a necessity." That's what wireless CarPlay is for me. Could I live without it? Yes. I did before. But now that I've tasted that forbidden fruit, I really can't live without it. Now if life were fair, I suppose every car radio would have wireless CarPlay built in. But life isn't fair. So I did some research. Sadly I found a competitor's product that was cheaper, and tried it first. When it worked, it was great. When. Which wasn't often. I lost count of how many times I had to reboot it, restart my car, or even disconnect everything and start over. Of course, then I discovered their tech support was virtually non-existent, and excelled at passing-the-buck. I finally got fed up completely, and discovered The Magic Link.

I was first drawn to the product when they announced they were ditching Amazon, because their products were being overwhelmed in a sea of Chinese copycat ripoffs. So even though their product was more expensive, I went ahead and ordered one. Installation was flawless. And in fact, using it has been too, save for one scary moment that seemed like a trip down nighmare memory lane - however. since then, we're back to 99.999% reliable. The joy of not having to get my phone out of my pocket and unlock it, in order to connect is nothing short of thrilling. That it "just works" is high praise. So yeah, I don't regret my purchase in the least, and would…