Make your Mazda
a little faster.
We make deep owner guides, free tools, and upgrades for the Gen 6 Mazda Connect screen, the same computer in the MX-5, CX-5, Mazda3, Mazda6, CX-3, and CX-9.
Two products now. Three in closed beta.
One you buy, one that's free and open source, and three you can help test before they ship.
ScreenTune
A prepared USB that wakes up the factory screen. CarPlay shows up about 16–20 seconds sooner, the startup disclaimer is gone, and the touchscreen works while you drive. Plug it in, start the car, wait a minute.
See ScreenTune → Free · open sourceTouchTune
The factory screen won't let you touch it while the car is moving. TouchTune turns that back on. It's a small shell script you can read before you run it, and undo the same way you installed it.
Get TouchTune →TrackTune
Logs the car’s own telemetry and shows track gauges on the factory screen. MX-5 first.
See TrackTune → Closed betaAA Touch
Gives Android Auto a working touchscreen. Tap the map instead of scrolling the knob.
See AA Touch → Closed betaHotkeys
Makes mute a real CarPlay play/pause. Button remapping follows.
See Hotkeys →Will any of this work on my Mazda?
Tell me what you drive. Two dropdowns, done.
Pick a model and a year.
No VIN, no email.
Same car. 16 fewer seconds staring at the boot screen.
Seconds from key-on to a live CarPlay session, measured back-to-back on one bench unit.
See the full benchmarks →The MX-5 Miata, in deep.
The one car here that gets the full treatment: track, autocross, mods, and maintenance, on top of the infotainment everything else shares.
ND MX-5 (2016–2023)
NA to ND lineage, what makes the ND tick, and how to tell ND1 from ND2 from ND3.
Buying an ND
Best years, known issues, soft-top vs RF, and what to check before you sign.
Track & autocross
HPDE prep, tires, alignment, brake cooling, and data logging that holds up.
Mods that matter
Where to start (suspension, sways, wheels, intake, exhaust) and what each changes.
The screen, figured out.
Every supported car runs the same Gen 6 CMU on the v74.00.324A baseline. These answers apply whether you drive a Miata or a CX-9.
Kill the warning screen
The disclaimer that blocks the display every start: what it is and how to clear it.
Common problems
Bluetooth drops, freezes, beeps, reboots: what's fixable and what needs a dealer.
Why it's so slow
Why the CMU takes around 48 seconds to wake up, and what can be done about it.
CarPlay & Android Auto
What's available by model year, retrofit paths, and why it won't connect.
Browse by vehicle.
Model hubs for the rest of the Gen 6 lineup: overview, common complaints, buying, and the model-year screen details.
CX-5
2016–20202016–2020 is Gen 6; 2021+ is Gen 7. Differences, issues, and your options.
Mazda3
2014–20182014–2018 runs Gen 6; 2019+ moved on. Generation guide and known issues.
CX-9
2016–2020The three-row. Overview, common complaints, and what fits the screen.
CX-3
2016–2021The subcompact crossover. Generation notes, issues, and buying advice.
Mazda6
2016–2021The flagship sedan. Overview, common complaints, and buying notes.
Car photos via Wikimedia Commons: Dinkun Chen, Navigator84 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Mr.choppers, Aero777 (CC BY-SA 3.0); TuRbO_J (CC BY 2.0).
Poke around. It's all free.
What we've been pulling apart.
How the TouchTune Installer Works
TouchTune installs through the car's own USB updater: an open source shell script gated to firmware v74.00.324A that backs up the factory setting first.
Read it → Jun 23, 2026Mazda Connect v74.00.324A: What the Final Free Update Fixes
The final free Mazda Connect update, v74.00.324A, fixes echoey calls, startup freezes, and backup-camera bugs. Mazda's bulletins tell dealers to install it.
Read it → nextWhatever we break next
New teardowns, tools, and the next product land here first. Want a nudge when they do?
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