RS Nav

CarPlay & Android Auto • S3, S4 & S5: 0.2.21-rsnav-beta16-rc9 (build91) • 2 November 2026

Use your iPhone or Android phone on your RSNAV screen. RSNAV SmartLink brings the CarPlay or Android Auto interface to your existing S3, S4 or S5, so you can use compatible navigation, music and communication apps from the dashboard. It is an alternative to Zlink, with one main menu for both phone types.

What can you do with SmartLink?

• Maps and directions: Use compatible phone apps such as Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze, with turn-by-turn guidance on the RSNAV display. Available apps depend on your phone and projection platform.
• Music and voice control: Play music, podcasts and spoken directions, and use your phone’s supported voice assistant. Calling and messaging depend on the phone, app permissions and audio setup; hands-free call routing is still being validated in this beta.
• USB or wireless connection: Choose a wired connection or wireless projection on supported setups. Earlier S3 and S5 builds passed wireless screen, touch, sound and reboot automatic-connection tests on our benches. Build91 passed local unit tests and APK build checks; this packaged release has not received a fresh in-vehicle acceptance test. S4 wireless Android Auto remains unsupported.
• RSNAV and Audi audio choices: Play media through RSNAV and the car’s AUX input, or choose the Audi Bluetooth output channel where supported. S5 Settings v9 provides this choice in Audio → CarPlay audio & microphone and works with SmartLink or Zlink. Call and Siri routing follows the phone’s audio choice; keep the Audi pairing for factory hands-free. Independent automatic Audi microphone selection is not promised.
• Controls and reverse-camera integration: Use the touchscreen and, with the matching controller update, supported steering-wheel and MMI controls. Compatible setups give the configured reverse-camera view priority, then return to the phone screen when reversing ends.
• A clearer setup experience: Automatic preparation for identified stock S3/S4/S5 firmware, remembered connection choices, multilingual menus and built-in diagnostic reports simplify setup. Wireless operation uses the unit’s own Wi-Fi connection; a home router is not required.

SmartLink is developed from open-source projects and adapted for RSNAV hardware. We offer it free of charge to support existing RSNAV owners and improve everyday usability, with thanks to the open-source developers behind it. It uses your phone’s apps and services, so their normal data requirements and subscriptions still apply.

This is optional public-beta software, provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Features, stability and compatibility are not guaranteed, and some configurations may need additional setup. Earlier wireless CarPlay worked on our S4 bench, but the S4 automatic setup retained from the earlier build has not been tested on physical S4 hardware. S4 USB Android Auto remains a test candidate.

Firmware compatibility: Automatic preparation recognizes stock S3 SC60A/Android 9, S4 SC665/Android 10 and S5 SC668/Android 13 configurations. The tested S3/S5 configurations can start basic phone projection with the SmartLink APK alone; a full firmware update is not a blanket requirement. Older, modified or restricted firmware may need assisted setup. Keep your original recovery files, and use only firmware for your exact model and screen.

Choose the package for your RSNAV

Open the SmartLink download folder — or select your package below:

• S3 — build91: RSNAV_S3_SmartLink_Preview_APKs.zip
• S4 — older 8.8-inch, 1280×480 only — build91: RSNAV_S4_1280x480_old8.8inchonly_SmartLink_Preview_0.2.21.zip
• S4 — C7 9-inch 1280×720 and 1920×720 models — build91: RSNAV_S4_9inch_and_1920x720_SmartLink_Preview_0.2.21.zip
• S5 — integrated build91: RSNAV_S5_SmartLink_Preview_APKs.zip

S3/S4 packages: include the same build91 SmartLink app and their existing model-specific Maincontroller, preserved byte-for-byte. S3 uses the inspected 202202211456 controller family; S4 older 8.8-inch uses the 202403072009 family; S4 9-inch/wide uses the 202409131407 family. Companion selection requires the exact installed controller hash and signature to match; screen size or version text alone is insufficient. No S5 system app is included in these packages.

S5 integrated package: 01 SmartLink 0.2.21-rsnav-beta16-rc9 (build91), 02 Settings 2026103103-audio109-output (versionCode 9) and 03 Maincontroller 202610140616, unchanged from build81. Settings v9 retains the original system signature and permissions and exposes the supported AUX/Audi output choice. These system apps are for the matching S5 SC668/Android 13 September 12 firmware family. Confirm the exact firmware and screen; retain newer or custom controller, audio or screen-fold packages.

Before you install

1. Read the included guide, confirm the model and screen, and keep your original app/update files.
2. S5: update 01 SmartLink, then 02 Settings in place. Update 03 Maincontroller only if the included compatible version is not already installed, then restart. For S3/S4, install or update 01 SmartLink first, then restart. Updating an existing SmartLink installation does not require uninstalling it, clearing its data or factory-resetting the unit.
3. On recognized stock firmware, SmartLink selects the model and prepares MFi access and the competing Zlink services automatically. If preparation is blocked, follow the displayed message. Settings → RSNAV setup also offers an optional “Force connection setup (one click)” action with a confirmation and a result for each step. On S5 this disconnects the unit from Wi-Fi internet and resets its hotspot to 5 GHz; check the unit’s time zone/region first. Do not delete system files.
4. For wireless use, enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the phone, pair and connect it in the original RSNAV Bluetooth app (GOCSDK), then accept the phone’s CarPlay/Android Auto prompts. Disconnect USB for a wireless test. Existing automatic-start choices are preserved.
5. S5 includes the matched Settings/Maincontroller maintenance apps for vehicle integration; use them only on compatible stock firmware. S3/S4 companions remain unchanged and optional; confirm the exact installed controller hash and signature before replacing one. If an update reports a signature conflict, stop and contact RSNAV; do not uninstall system apps or clear their data to force installation. Do not mix model packages. No MCU or full Android firmware is included.
6. Test the phone connection, audio, vehicle controls and reverse-camera return while parked. Call routing and every firmware/phone combination have not been fully validated.

What changed in build91?

• Connection setup you can re-run: an owner-confirmed setup action reports each preparation step. S5 can reset its AP to 5 GHz after disconnecting the unit’s Wi-Fi internet connection. S3/S4 record MFi bus/address responses where the firmware tool is available; this does not change the configured MFi backend or guarantee authentication.
• S5 wireless Android Auto: startup derives an unset Wi-Fi country from the unit’s time zone/locale and restarts an existing 2.4 GHz AP before requesting 5 GHz. This addresses identified setup conditions; successful connection on every affected phone is still unverified.
• Voice and audio: 48 kHz CarPlay microphone packets now fit the network MTU, and S5 96 kHz voice/echo processing was revised. The S5 Settings v9 menu retains the supported AUX/Audi output choice and removes ineffective independent call/Siri selectors. Actual microphone routing remains the phone’s choice.
• Connection controls: repeated Android Auto start taps no longer start parallel attempts, and CarPlay retries stop for a phone identified as non-iPhone. The CarPlay car icon returns to SmartLink home.
• Korean menus: SmartLink and Android Auto translations were revised.
• Model-specific packages: S3/S4 keep their existing matching controllers. S5 includes Settings v9 and the unchanged compatible Maincontroller; corresponding SmartLink source and hashes are included.

Local unit tests and APK build checks passed. This packaging task did not include a fresh in-vehicle acceptance test. Reported S5 wireless-AA and S3 MFi failures need fresh post-update evidence; neither is declared universally resolved. S4 wireless Android Auto remains unsupported.

Existing build76 features remain available: Android Auto offers Connection & audio settings in its exit menu, so you can open SmartLink settings and diagnostics without force-closing the app or disconnecting. Swipe two fingers from the far left edge towards the right to open that menu. Reports identify the actual installed APK build and include display geometry.

Still under investigation: occasional Android Auto Maps-only layouts without the taskbar, and brief wireless audio gaps. The release improves diagnosis; it does not claim those intermittent symptoms are resolved.

For beta feedback, use Settings → Diagnostics in SmartLink and send the report with your model, firmware and phone details to info@rsnav.com. Reports are sent only when you choose to share them.