In the U.S., Netflix dominates the video streaming industry while the Honda Civic leads in compact car sales. It's not far off that many Civic owners want to enjoy their favorite Netflix shows while in their favorite Japanese compact. So how do you watch Netflix in a Honda Civic? We've done the research for your convenience.
Your Civic's infotainment system does not allow you to play videos through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. However, you may try using some third-party apps or aftermarket plug-in devices to bypass this restriction. Alternatively, you can also upgrade to a rear entertainment system.
Would you like to know more about the different ways to watch Netflix in your Honda Civic? Do read on, because we've prepared some great tips and choices for your car's infotainment system.
Can I Watch Netflix In My Honda Civic?
Since 2016, the Honda Civic has been the top-selling compact car in the U.S., outperforming even the revered Corolla. Aside from good fuel economy, interior space, and engaging handling, the Civic also offers quite a lot of technology features.
One such feature is the Civic's infotainment system. Mid-level trims get a comfortable 7-inch touchscreen display with a 180-watt, 8-speaker audio system. Top trims, on the other hand, get a 9-inch screen, a 12-speaker Bose premium sound system with sub-woofer, and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto.
Unfortunately, safety and legal issues compelled automakers to prevent car owners from playing entertainment videos on their front infotainment screens. Although the legal restriction applies only to moving vehicles, Honda and most other brands disabled the videos even while the car is not in motion.
Although we wholeheartedly agree with the safety principles behind the restriction, we also believe that the restrictions could be made a bit less strict. For example, Tesla's theater mode allows drivers and passengers to watch videos from the front infotainment screen while the vehicle is in park gear.
Currently, Honda and most other car brands do not offer such infotainment system operation even while the car is in park. Because of this situation, third-party software developers and aftermarket manufacturers came up with ways to allow videos to play on infotainment systems.
The following sections will discuss the different options that Civic owners can use to play Netflix and other videos in their cars.
Smartphone Mirroring Kit
To promote safe phone operation while driving, Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto allow drivers to use many of their smartphone functions and apps through the car's infotainment system. However, both technologies do not allow entertainment videos, games, and other distracting applications.
Because many Netflix subscribers clamor for in-vehicle video streaming, some aftermarket manufacturers responded to the demand and developed smartphone mirroring kits. With these kits, you can completely mirror your smartphone screens to your infotainment system's screen.
Here's an informative video about mirroring kits and how they function compared to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto:
As we can see from the video, phone mirroring kits allow you to project your smartphone screen to your Civic's infotainment screen. With this function, you will be able to watch videos and play games as you would on your smartphone—but this time on a bigger screen and a better audio system.
However, mirroring kits have their drawbacks too. Because complete mirroring bypasses some of your Civic's infotainment settings, you will not have access to your screen's touchscreen function and audio controls. You will need to use your phone to control your videos while mirroring.
Multimedia Box
Mirroring kits can be a great solution for Netflix users who would otherwise stream their shows on their phones. However, for people who want to reserve their phones for work and communication, mirroring kits may be inconvenient.
Here are some other possible reasons for some people to shy away from mirroring their smartphones to their car's infotainment screens.
- Using your phone to control your infotainment screen's display is inconvenient, especially if the infotainment screen is not much bigger than the phone's screen.
- Mirroring while streaming drains the smartphone's battery fast.
- Even if you charge the smartphone through the car's USB port, the prolonged usage and charging will produce excessive heat and hurt the phone's battery lifespan.
- Incoming calls, messages, and phone notifications will keep disrupting the video.
For people who want to prioritize work and communication on their smartphones, aftermarket multimedia boxes can provide a better alternative for Netflix videos.
A multimedia box is an electronic device that plugs into your vehicle's main USB data port. Using the multimedia box, you can access your Civic's infotainment system to watch shows from Netflix and other streaming sites. These boxes also allow you to play offline videos saved on a USB storage device.
To stream videos, your multimedia box will need to have internet connection from one of three sources:
- The vehicle's Wi-Fi system, if available
- Your phone's internet connection, through tethering
- The multimedia box's SIM card (only on some models)
Check out this aftermarket multimedia box on Amazon.
Third-Party Software
Many software developers have created different aftermarket applications that can bypass the video restrictions set by Honda, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto on your Civic's infotainment system. Without any plug-in devices, these apps can allow you to stream or play videos on your infotainment system.
However, many of these third-party apps require jailbreaking or rooting your phone or even your Civic's head unit.
Jailbreaking means hacking an iPhone or other Apple devices. On the other hand, rooting means hacking an Android device. Either way, hacking your device will give you substantially more control over it.
Here's a video on how downloaded software can help you "hack" your Honda's infotainment system:
Jailbreaking and rooting can indeed give you some convenient benefits with your device, but the process also carries several risks. Some of these risks include:
- Voided device warranty
- Device firmware corruption
- Data theft (especially from phones)
- Restricted access from some legitimate apps (e.g. banking apps)
Because of the significant risks, we do not encourage you to root or jailbreak your devices just to stream videos while in your car.
Safer Third-Party Apps
Fortunately, some third-party apps like CarBridge offer the same features without having to hack your phone or your head unit. Here's a short video on how to install and run CarBridge for your Honda Civic:
The video instructions for CarBridge installation may be a bit long, so we've listed them below to guide you.
- Go to your smartphone's internet browser.
- Type in the CarBridge official website address (https://carbridgeapp.com).
- Select "Download now."
- Choose "Android" or "iOS" according to your smartphone model.
- Select "Start Installation."
- Your smartphone will download as well as partially install the app.
- Select and install the required additional free apps.
- Open and run the additional free apps from your phone's home screen.
- Exit the free apps after running them for a few seconds.
- Plug in your smartphone to your vehicle's USB data port and follow the CarBridge mirroring steps.
Rear Entertainment System
A rear entertainment system is a handy feature that can entertain your rear passengers, particularly during long drives. Unfortunately, Honda's Advanced Rear Entertainment System (RES) does not come with any Civic trim.
Nevertheless, several aftermarket manufacturers offer rear entertainment systems for your Civic.
Check out this best-selling dual 10.1-inch screen rear entertainment system for cars on Amazon.
With aftermarket rear infotainment systems, you may mirror your smartphone without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto restrictions. Additionally, you can connect an aftermarket multimedia box to any of the screens' USB ports.
Finally, you can connect Apple, Amazon, or Roku streaming devices to the rear entertainment system's HDMI port for the best video streaming quality. For your convenience, we've listed the instructions on how to install and watch Netflix using different streaming devices.
Apple TV
- Plug in your Apple TV device to one of the rear entertainment screens' HDMI ports.
- Click on the Apple home screen.
- Select the Apple App Store.
- Search for and install the Netflix app.
- Open the Netflix app.
- Sign in to a Netflix account.
Amazon Fire Stick
- Plug in the Amazon Fire Stick device to one of the rear entertainment screens' HDMI ports.
- Go to the Amazon TV home screen.
- Search for and install the Netflix app.
- Open the Netflix app and sign in to an active Netflix account.
Roku
- Plug in your Roku streaming device to one of the rear entertainment system's HDMI ports.
- If Netflix has been pre-installed on your Roku device, open the app and sign in to an active Netflix account.
- If the Netflix app has not been pre-installed, select "Channel Store."
- Search for and add the Netflix app.
- Open the Netflix app and sign in to an active Netflix account.
How Much Is A Civic?
The Civic comes in several models and trims. Here are the different U.S.-spec Civics along with their starting prices:
- 2022 Civic Sedan
- LX - $ 22,550
- Sport - $23,950
- EX - $ 25,550
- Touring - $ 29,150
- 2022 Civic Si Sedan
- Si - $ 27,500
- Si HPT - $ 27,700
- 2022 Civic Hatchback
- LX - $ 23,550
- Sport - $ 24,750
- EX-L - $ 27,250
- Sport Touring - $ 30,050
- 2022 Civic Type R TC - $ 89,900
- 2023 Civic Type R - not yet available as of September 2022
Wrapping Up
It's not possible to watch Netflix through the Honda Civic's stock infotainment system using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. However, you may use a phone mirroring kit, a multimedia box, a third-party bridging app, or an aftermarket rear entertainment system.
Although we discourage it, you can also try using third-party rooting or jailbreaking software for your phone or your Civic's head unit.
Thank you very much for reading. We hope we were able to help you choose the best solution for you to watch Netflix in your Honda Civic.
For more interesting reads about Honda and other automotive topics, you may also check out these great articles below:
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