What Is AAGearUP? Features and AAAD Alternatives
AAGearUP is a new browser and home screen for Android Auto with YouTube, Stremio, Plex and live radio. See every feature, how the KingInstaller and Shizuku installs work, and which AAAD apps do the same jobs.
Quick answer: AAGearUP is a web browser and home screen for Android Auto. It opens YouTube, Stremio, Plex and other websites on the car screen, adds live radio and lets the phone act as a remote. It is not on Google Play. For YouTube, local video, IPTV or full screen mirroring, AAAD installs CarStream, Fermata Auto, AABrowser and mirroring apps instead.
Last updated: November 2026
Android Auto still won't open a web browser or YouTube on most car screens, so new apps like AAGearUP (also written AA GearUp) keep appearing to fill the gap. It is very new, with its first release on 25 October 2026 and seven releases in about ten days, so details change fast.
This article covers what the app does, every feature, how installation works, whether it is safe, and how it compares with the apps you can get through AAAD. Video on the car screen is for passengers, or for when the car is parked.
Prefer to start free? install AAAD.
What Is AAGearUP?
AAGearUP is a web browser and home screen for Android Auto car displays. It lets passengers, or drivers when parked, open websites, watch videos and listen to live radio on the car screen, with the phone working as a remote.
The app is made by the GitHub account "lsprobe", with no company named. It is independent and not affiliated with Google, YouTube, Stremio, Plex or Volkswagen.
It needs Android 8.0 or later, internet on the phone, and Android Auto, wired or wireless. It fits 800 x 480, HD and widescreen head units.
It is proprietary, not open source, even though the GitHub repository is public. You can see every release on the official GitHub page.
Where to Download AAGearUP
Download the AAGearUP APK only from the developer's official sources: the GitHub Releases page or aagearup.com. It is not on Google Play, so avoid copies on other APK sites. Every release lists a SHA-256 checksum you can compare with your downloaded file.
AAGearUP Features (and the AAAD App That Does the Same Job)
Home Screen and Favorites
AAGearUP gives you a car home screen with favorite and pinned sites, plus a "Continue" button that resumes your last site or video position. It has six colour themes and screen scaling from 60% to 150%.
YouTube on the Car Screen
In AAGearUP, passengers, or drivers when parked, can open YouTube full screen with one tap and pick fill, whole frame or stretch. The app presses YouTube's Skip button for you, and wide screens get a layout with the next videos on the right.
AAAD alternative: CarStream on Android Auto for Android 12 to 15, or Fermata Auto's YouTube module, which also runs on Android 16 (see how to use Fermata Auto).
Stremio, Plex and Any Website
AAGearUP's full browser lets you search with the Android Auto keyboard, and Stremio lists scroll on wide screens. Signing in to a service on your phone also signs in the car screen. Playback depends on each service, and subscriptions are not included.
AAAD alternative: the AABrowser APK, which you can install through AAAD.
Steering-Wheel Controls and Audio Delay
In AAGearUP, steering-wheel buttons handle play, pause, previous, next and 10-second skips. An audio delay setting of up to ±500 ms, with a test video, fixes sound that lags behind the picture on wireless Android Auto.
AAAD alternative: Fermata Auto lets you map steering-wheel buttons, so this is a partial match.
Live Radio
AAGearUP plays live radio from Radio Browser. It picks stations for your country, and you can search by name or genre. Favorite stations switch with steering-wheel buttons.
No AAAD equivalent. This is one area where it is ahead.
Phone Remote and "Show in Car"
With AAGearUP, you can browse on your phone and tap "Show in car" to send the page to the car screen. There is also a Follow mode and a YouTube remote.
AAAD alternative: full phone screen mirroring with Screen2Auto or AA Mirror Plus, which shows any phone app, not only web pages.
YouTube on a VW Virtual Cockpit
In VW Group cars whose Virtual Cockpit is modified with MIB Cluster Map, YouTube can play on the instrument cluster at 70% to 155% size. One button moves the video between the cockpit and the car screen. Turn it on in Settings, then Virtual Cockpit.
No AAAD equivalent. It only helps if your VW Group car already has the MIB Cluster Map modification.
What AAGearUP Doesn't List
The developer doesn't list local video file playback, IPTV playlists or full phone screen mirroring.
AAAD alternative: Fermata Auto plays local video and IPTV (M3U) lists. Screen2Auto and AA Mirror Plus mirror the whole phone.
How to Install AAGearUP
AAGearUP is not on Google Play. The developer's only supported method is installing the APK with KingInstaller, because Android Auto won't show the app if you tap the file in a browser or file manager. The developer estimates about 10 minutes for the classic method and about 20 minutes for the Shizuku method.
Classic Method (Samsung and Most Phones)
The developer tested this method on a Samsung phone with KingInstaller v2.4 and Android Auto 17.9. The steps below summarise the official install guide.
- Pause install blockers. Turn off Samsung Auto Blocker. In Play Protect, pause scanning and turn off "Improve harmful app detection".
- Download KingInstaller from its GitHub Releases and give it "All files access" and "Install unknown apps". Download AAGearUP.apk, but don't open it.
- In KingInstaller, select the APK, leave Root and Shizuku unchecked, tap "Install as king", then confirm.
- In Android Auto settings, tap "Version and permission info" 10 times to turn on developer settings, then tick "Unknown sources".
- Go to Display, open Customize launcher and tick the app.
- Connect to the car, open the app and allow car speed access on the phone. Android shows this as Location.
- Clean up. Turn Auto Blocker and Play Protect back on, remove the extra KingInstaller permissions, and keep "Unknown sources" ticked.
Before installing, check the APK's SHA-256 checksum against the one on the release page.
Shizuku Method (Google Pixel and Some Other Phones)
The developer says the classic method may install the app on Pixel and many non-Samsung phones without it appearing in Customize launcher. This method was tested by the developer on a Google Pixel 10 Pro.
It adds a few steps: turn on the phone's Developer options, install Shizuku from the Play Store, turn on Wireless debugging over Wi-Fi, pair it with a 6-digit code, start Shizuku, then install with KingInstaller's Shizuku option. Android Auto developer settings and "Unknown sources" are still needed.
Without root, Shizuku stops after a reboot, so you restart it when you install or update. Xiaomi, POCO and Redmi phones need KingInstaller's Root mode instead.
If AAGearUP Doesn't Show Up
If the app installs but doesn't appear on the car screen, the developer lists five fixes:
- Install blocked or nothing happens: Auto Blocker turned itself back on. Turn it off and retry.
- Missing from Customize launcher: it wasn't installed with KingInstaller, or your phone needs the Shizuku method.
- In the app list but not in the car: check "Unknown sources" and the launcher tick, then reconnect.
- Gone after an Android Auto update: confirm developer settings are still on, then use "Check and Reinstall App" in KingInstaller.
- Car shows "Waiting for speed data": open the app on your phone and allow car speed access.
For more fixes, see third-party apps not showing. To update, install the new APK over the old one with KingInstaller. Don't uninstall first, or you lose your favorites and settings.
If the app you need is already in the AAAD catalog, you install it from AAAD instead, with no root and no PC.
Is AAGearUP Safe?
There is no public security audit of AAGearUP, and its source code is not public, so its safety can't be checked independently. What the developer does offer is transparency on downloads.
The official install guide asks you to pause Play Protect and Samsung Auto Blocker during install. Do the clean-up step afterwards and turn them back on. Download only from the official sources, check the checksum, and sign in only to services you'd use in a phone browser.
AAGearUP vs AAAD: Which Should You Use?
AAGearUP is one app for browsing, YouTube and radio. AAAD is an installer for several apps built for Android Auto, including CarStream, Fermata Auto, AABrowser, Screen2Auto and AA Mirror Plus, and it has a free tier with one app download every 30 days.
| Feature | AAGearUP | AAAD |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One browser and home screen app | An installer for a catalog of Android Auto apps |
| Apps you get | Just the one app | CarStream, Fermata Auto, Screen2Auto, AA Mirror Plus, AABrowser |
| YouTube | Yes, in the browser, Skip pressed for you | CarStream (Android 12 to 15) or Fermata Auto |
| Stremio, Plex, websites | Yes | AABrowser |
| Local video files | Not listed | Fermata Auto |
| IPTV | Not listed | Fermata Auto |
| Full phone mirroring | No (phone remote only) | Screen2Auto, AA Mirror Plus |
| Live radio | Yes | No |
| VW Virtual Cockpit video | Yes (MIB Cluster Map needed) | No |
| Install method | KingInstaller, plus Shizuku on Pixel and some phones | The AAAD app |
| Root | Not needed on most phones | No |
| PC | Not needed | Not needed |
| Android version | 8.0 or later | Varies by app |
| Source code | Proprietary | Fermata Auto is open source |
| Best for | One app for YouTube, streaming sites and radio | Several purpose-built apps from one installer |
Choose by What You Want to Do
| If you want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Watch YouTube (passengers or parked) | AAAD with CarStream or Fermata Auto, or AAGearUP |
| Play videos saved on your phone | AAAD with Fermata Auto |
| Watch IPTV channels | AAAD with Fermata Auto |
| Open Stremio, Plex or any website | AAAD with AABrowser, or AAGearUP |
| Mirror your whole phone screen | AAAD with Screen2Auto or AA Mirror Plus |
| Listen to live internet radio | AAGearUP |
| Show YouTube on a modified VW Virtual Cockpit | AAGearUP |
The two do different jobs, and you can have both on your phone. Start with AAAD if the app you need is in its catalog. The free tier gives you one app download every 30 days, and Pro is $9.99 one-time for unlimited downloads. install AAAD
New to sideloading? Read how to install third-party apps on Android Auto.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who makes AAGearUP?
AAGearUP is published by the GitHub account "lsprobe". No person or company is named. It is an independent project, not affiliated with Google, YouTube, Stremio, Plex or Volkswagen. Support is by email at support@aagearup.com, and there is a public community on GitHub Discussions and Reddit (r/AAGearUP).
Does AAGearUP need root?
No, AAGearUP doesn't need root on most phones. The developer's install guides leave the Root option off. Xiaomi, POCO and Redmi phones running MIUI or HyperOS are the exception: they need KingInstaller's Root mode, or Shizuku started with root, because Shizuku without root doesn't work on them.
Does AAGearUP work on Android 16?
The developer gives no Android 14, 15 or 16 notes. The minimum is Android 8.0, and the Shizuku install guide was tested on a Google Pixel 10 Pro. Until there are version notes or test results, Android 16 support can't be confirmed or ruled out.
Is AAGearUP on Google Play?
No. The app is only available as an APK from the official GitHub Releases page and aagearup.com. The developer says to install it with KingInstaller, because Android Auto won't list the app if you open the APK from a browser or file manager.
Does AAGearUP work with wireless Android Auto?
Yes. AAGearUP works with both wired and wireless Android Auto, according to the developer. Wireless connections can make sound lag behind video, so the app includes an audio delay setting of up to ±500 ms, with a built-in test video to help you line them up.
What is the best AA GearUp alternative?
The best AA GearUp alternative depends on what you want. For YouTube, use CarStream or Fermata Auto. For local video and IPTV, use Fermata Auto. For websites, use AABrowser. For mirroring the whole phone, use Screen2Auto or AA Mirror Plus. All of them install through AAAD.
AAGearUP is a solid single app if you want live radio, YouTube on a modified VW cockpit, or one app for browsing and YouTube.
For local video, IPTV and screen mirroring, AAAD covers more, and you can start on its free tier. install AAAD. Remember that video on the car screen is for passengers, or for when the car is parked.
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