Sideloading Third-Party Apps onto the Stock Honda Connect Head Unit

This method only works on the genuine Android Honda Connect unit used from the 9th-gen Civic facelift onward (and shared with the Jazz, HR-V and Civic Tourer). Pre-facelift cars used a non-Android Honda/Alpine system, and aftermarket head units such as the Kenwood DMX7017DABS cannot sideload APKs at all. The unit runs Android 4.0.4, so only older, compatible app versions will install and launch. Firmware release level is the deciding factor: RC6 permits sideloading, while RC7 and RC8 block it and leave the install button greyed out. If your unit is already on RC7/RC8 and a factory reset does not restore installation, the only route is the separate rooting procedure through the debug port behind the screen. If needed, enter developer mode by holding power, menu and brightness together for two to three seconds.

Later Honda software updates patch the unit to block custom app installation. A factory reset rolls the software back to a state that once again accepts APKs. From the head unit's Android settings, choose the option to reset to factory defaults. This is destructive: every stored preference, saved default, trip record and navigation entry on the unit is wiped and cannot be recovered, so note anything you need beforehand. The built-in factory Garmin navigation is not removed by the reset and will remain available afterwards.

After the unit restarts, return to the Android settings and open the Security section. Turn on the setting that permits apps from unknown or unrecognised sources. Without this enabled the unit will detect the APK on your USB drive but refuse to install it, so confirm it is switched on before continuing.

Use a USB stick of 32 GB or less, formatted as FAT32; larger or differently formatted drives are frequently unreadable by the unit. Place the FileCommander APK in the root of the drive, and put each application you want to install in its own clearly named subfolder. The unit will only install a file named HondaAppCenter_A1.apk, so rename each installer to exactly that; because they share one filename, never keep two of them in the same folder. Always include the Honda Permissions app (PERMISSIONS 1.1 S_Mike). Sourcing APKs from the CMdroid catalogue is safest, as those builds are known to run on the unit's old Android version. To confirm the drive is being read correctly, drop a music file into a subfolder first: if the unit plays it, it will also see your APKs.

Insert the USB stick and open FileCommander on the unit. Browse to the folder for the app you want, then use the Install option in the second-level menu to run the installer. Work through your apps one folder at a time, which avoids the download-and-delete shuffle of installing them individually over the air. Install the Honda Permissions app first, since you will need it to make the other apps usable on the move. If the install button appears greyed out and double-beeps when pressed, the unit is on RC7/RC8 or an updated RC6 and must be reset again or rooted before it will accept installs.

Open the Honda Permissions app and select application permissions at the top left, then use the plus button at the top right to create a new permission set. Enter the app's process name and package name; for these units the two values are identical, so the same string goes in both fields (for example, use com.waze for both when setting up Waze). Type the name exactly, with no leading or trailing spaces, as an incorrect or too-short entry is rejected. Assign the audio permissions the app needs, then save. Repeat this for every app that must run while driving, and verify each one the next time the car is in motion.

Three audio permissions control how an app shares the speakers. Soundout gives the app exclusive output: opening it silences other sources such as DAB radio or USB media, which suits a music or media app. SoundInterrupt lets the app play short notifications without seizing the audio, so your existing music keeps playing and prompts come only through the driver-side speaker; this is the right choice for turn and speed-camera alerts from a navigation app. SoundInterruptMute works alongside SoundInterrupt and additionally mutes the driver-side speaker while the prompt plays, which is best for a voice-guided navigation app. Note that Google Maps and Waze route their guidance through the navigation sound setting rather than the normal media audio channel.