Touch when you want it; the knob stays
Everything the commander knob does keeps working; AA Touch adds an input rather than replacing one. The first target is the case even knob loyalists concede: parked, typing an address, dragging a map.
BETA/02 A Miatafy product in closed beta
Android Auto,
with touch.
The same glass accepts touch in CarPlay and goes dead in Android Auto, even parked, because Mazda’s Android Auto config never declares the touchscreen. The touch handling ships inside the unit’s own Android Auto service, disabled. AA Touch switches it on and feeds it the factory touchscreen in the protocol it expects: tap the map, swipe the list, type the address.
- Firmware v74.00.324A
- Android Auto only
- Knob keeps working
- No extra hardware
§1 · What it does
Mazda shipped the wiring. AA Touch connects it.
Two missing pieces, both supplied
The head unit tells Android Auto it has only keys and a rotary controller, and the factory touchscreen emits a single-touch stream Android Auto’s reader ignores. AA Touch enables the touch declaration, then re-emits the panel’s stream as the multitouch protocol Android Auto listens for, rescaled to the AA surface, on its own virtual device.
One small program, nothing patched
Read, transform, write. It doesn’t modify Android Auto, doesn’t replace the factory touchscreen driver, and leaves the commander, wheel controls, and voice input exactly as they were.
Nothing to buy or wire
Software only, installed from a USB stick with the same flow ScreenTune uses, and removable the same way. Works with Android Auto however your car got it, factory or retrofit hub.
§2 · Where it stands
Confirmed, in progress, up next.
Touch transform written, passing unit and smoke tests Confirmed
Deploy path built: two ScreenTune install tweaks, each reversible on its own Confirmed
ARM build for the head unit In progress
On-car checks: panel orientation, input device, startup order Up next
First invites go out when an on-car build is ready.
§3 · How the closed beta works
Small groups, real cars.
Ask for an invite
Pick your car and leave your email above. It costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
We invite in small batches
Invites follow the beta's hardware coverage: the right car on firmware v74.00.324A, and an owner comfortable running pre-release software.
Install from USB, then tell us
Beta builds install from a USB stick, the same flow ScreenTune uses, and remove the same way. Feedback goes straight to the developer by email.
- The current beta build and step-by-step install instructions
- A direct email line to the person who wrote it
- A say in what ships in the release version
- Reversible: remove it the same way you installed it
Tell us what you drive and where to reach you. Any supported Gen 6 car on v74.00.324A with Android Auto qualifies, factory or retrofit.
§4 · FAQ
Common questions.
Why doesn’t Android Auto have touch on these cars in the first place?
Two gaps stacked. The head unit’s Android Auto config declares only key and rotary input, and the factory touchscreen speaks a single-touch protocol Android Auto’s reader doesn’t parse. The touch handling itself ships inside the unit’s Android Auto service, disabled: Mazda never declared it or fed it usable input. Background: how touch works on these units.
Can it pinch-zoom?
No. The factory panel reports one finger, so AA Touch delivers tap, swipe, and drag. Google Maps zooms with double-tap and the on-screen buttons.
Is this the same thing as TouchTune?
No. TouchTune removes the speed lockout so the native screens and CarPlay accept touch while moving; Android Auto’s problem is different: it never receives touch at all, even parked. AA Touch builds that missing connection.
Does it work while driving?
Parked touch is the first milestone. How it behaves while moving, and whether it wants TouchTune alongside, is one of the questions the beta answers on real cars.
Does it change CarPlay?
No. CarPlay already accepts touch on these units. AA Touch feeds the touchscreen to Android Auto only.
Do I need extra hardware?
No. It installs from a USB stick and runs on the head unit. You do need Android Auto working in the car already (it’s wired on all Gen 6 units).
What does the beta cost, and what am I committing to?
Nothing and nothing. Signing up puts you on the invite list. If we invite you, you get the build and instructions by email, and what we ask for is feedback: which car, which screen, and whether taps land where your finger does.