How to turn an old tablet into a car dashboard

That old Android tablet in a drawer can have a second life as a car dashboard, and a bigger screen than your phone means a more readable cockpit. It is a genuinely great reuse for aging hardware. Here is how to do it properly, including the pitfalls a tablet brings that a phone does not.

We make a dashboard app that scales to a tablet (Car Dashboard), so this has a stake, but the setup advice is general.

Why a tablet makes a good dashboard

• Bigger, more glanceable. A 8-10 inch screen shows a large speedometer, a full map, and media controls without crowding.
• It is a spare. You are not tying up your daily phone; the tablet lives in the car.
• Landscape-native. Most tablets are happiest in landscape, exactly what a dashboard app wants.

The tablet-specific pitfalls

A tablet is not just a big phone in the car. Plan for these:

• Mounting. A tablet is heavier, so you need a proper tablet dash mount, not a phone clip. Mount it low and central so it does not block your view.
• Power and battery. Many old tablet batteries are tired. Hardwire power or use a solid charger, and expect to leave it plugged in.
• Connectivity. A Wi-Fi-only tablet has no mobile data. Either use offline maps or share your phone's hotspot for live maps and radio.
• GPS. Some Wi-Fi-only tablets lack a real GPS chip. If yours does, the tablet can show speed and navigation on its own; if not, tether to your phone.
• Heat. A big screen in the sun gets hot. Keep it out of direct sunlight and near a vent.

Step by step

1. Mount it. A sturdy tablet mount, low and central, in landscape.
2. Power it. Hardwire to a 12V line or run a good charger; don't rely on the old battery.
3. Sort connectivity. Download offline maps, or set up your phone's hotspot for live data.
4. Install a dashboard app and set it up parked, units, dark theme, default map and music.
5. Enable auto-start so the cockpit appears when the tablet powers on.

The result

Car Dashboard scales to a tablet's landscape screen for a spacious cockpit: a big speedometer, clock, weather, 3D maps, music, radio and hands-free calling, with plenty of room to read each at a glance. An old tablet plus a good app can beat a built-in head unit for a fraction of the cost, and it is a great way to keep old hardware out of a drawer. Coming soon on Google Play.

The short version: a spare Android tablet makes a bigger, better dashboard than a phone, so long as you mount it securely, keep it powered, and solve GPS and data with offline maps or a hotspot.