Mazda Connect Explained: What It Is and How to Add CarPlay

If you drive a Mazda built in the last decade or so, you've been using a system called Mazda Connect, even if you've never heard it called that. 

It's the infotainment system behind the screen on your dash, and most people only go looking for what it actually is when they're trying to work out one thing: how to get Apple CarPlay in their Mazda.

This guide explains exactly what Mazda Connect is, how to tell if your car has it, why so many Mazdas didn't come with CarPlay, and how to add it if yours is missing it.

What is Mazda Connect

Mazda Connect, sometimes written MZD Connect, is Mazda's infotainment system. It first arrived in Australia in early 2014, launching on the Mazda 3, and was rolled out across the range over the following years.

If you've sat in a Mazda from this era, you'll recognise it. There's a screen perched on top of the dash, and instead of relying only on touch, you control it with a round dial between the front seats called the Commander. 

The touchscreen works when the car is parked, but once you're moving it switches off for safety and you use the Commander dial instead.

Out of the box, Mazda Connect handles the usual infotainment jobs: radio, Bluetooth phone and audio, media from a USB, the reverse camera, vehicle settings and, on most models, factory navigation. It's a capable system. 

The one thing it was missing for years was the feature everyone actually wanted, which brings us to CarPlay.

How to tell if you have Mazda Connect

Working out whether your car has Mazda Connect is pretty easy.

The giveaways are the screen sitting on top of the dash and the Commander dial near the gear shifter. The menus have a distinctive look, often shown with red highlights. If your Mazda has that setup, you've got Mazda Connect.

As a rough guide by year, it's fitted to most Mazdas built between 2014 and 2020, across the Mazda 2, 3 and 6, the CX-3, CX-5, CX-8 and CX-9, and the MX-5. 

If you want to check exactly whether your specific car came with CarPlay, we've got a full year-by-year breakdown in our guide on whether your Mazda has Apple CarPlay.

Why doesn't Mazda Connect have Apple CarPlay

If your Mazda Connect car doesn't have CarPlay, you're in the majority, and there's a simple reason for it.

When Mazda Connect launched in 2014, it didn't support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto at all. Mazda stuck with its own system for years while other brands added phone mirroring, which frustrated plenty of owners.

That finally changed in late 2018. From then on, Mazda began fitting CarPlay and Android Auto as standard on new cars, starting with the updated CX-9. 

So if your Mazda was built between 2014 and 2018, it almost certainly left the factory without CarPlay. But CarPlay can be added, and it's more straightforward than most people expect.

Mazda Connect software versions (and why they matter)

Here's the part that trips people up, and it's the key to the whole thing.

Mazda Connect runs on versioned software, loaded onto the system's main unit, sometimes called the CMU or Connectivity Master Unit. Over the years Mazda released newer versions of this software, and Apple CarPlay support was added in a later update.

To run CarPlay, your Mazda needs to be on software version 70 or higher. The problem is that most Mazda Connect cars from 2014 to 2018 shipped with an older version, somewhere in the 50s or 60s, which is why they don't have the CarPlay option. 

The final and most up-to-date version Mazda ever released is 74.00.324, and once you're on it, you're fully up to date for good.

You can check your own version in one minute. Go into your system settings, scroll down to About, and open the version information. If the number starts with something in the 50s or 60s, you're on the older software and CarPlay isn't available yet. If it's 70 or above, your system already supports it.

How to add Apple CarPlay to Mazda Connect

Adding CarPlay to a Mazda Connect car is a two-part job, and it's an official, Mazda-supported upgrade rather than a workaround.

The first part is the software. Your system needs to be updated to version 70 or higher, using the correct file for your region, since the Australian software is different to the versions for other markets. 

The second part is a small piece of hardware: the factory USB hub gets swapped for an upgraded one that supports CarPlay.

Because it's a proper supported upgrade, you don't lose a single factory feature. Your steering wheel controls, reverse camera, factory navigation and the entire Mazda Connect system all keep working. You simply gain a CarPlay icon on your existing screen, in either wired or wireless form.

Our DIY Mazda kits handle both parts for you. They include the correct region software on a ready-to-go USB and the upgraded hub, along with a step-by-step tutorial, so you can do it yourself at home in under an hour. 

What about newer Mazdas (2019 and later)

Around this time Mazda moved to a newer generation of infotainment on many models, and most of these cars came with Apple CarPlay already built in.

So this upgrade is aimed at the Mazda Connect cars from roughly 2014 to 2020 that missed out. If you've got a newer Mazda and you're not sure whether CarPlay is already there, the quickest check is to look for the icon on your screen or plug your phone in.

Bringing it together

Mazda Connect is a solid system that was let down, for a few years, by one missing feature. If you've got a 2014 to 2020 Mazda without CarPlay, the fix is a straightforward software and hardware upgrade that keeps everything factory and brings your dash right up to date.

Not sure where your car stands? Start by checking your software version and looking for that CarPlay icon, then take a look at our Mazda range or get in touch and we'll match you with the right kit for your car.