The ATOTO AC-44F5 Watchband Style Wireless Remote Control with Luminous Buttons is an IR wireless remote control designed for select ATOTO car stereo models. This product is a plug and play solution for vehicles without original steering wheel controls. With its 5 buttons and rotary knob, it provides 11 functions to control your ATOTO car stereo, including voice command, volume control, skip tracks, pause, play, and mute. This remote control is perfect for drivers who want to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road while operating their car stereo.
It is important to note that the ATOTO AC-44F5 is not compatible with P8 series car stereos. If you have a different car stereo model or a different brand, please consider the ATOTO AC-44F8 instead. To avoid complications, it is recommended to purchase this product before installing your car stereo. Overall, the ATOTO AC-44F5 is a convenient and safe way to operate your ATOTO car stereo.
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MR P MILLER –
pretty cool device, works better if attached to the shifting lever instead of the steering wheel for confort purpose.works fine, no setup to do.
BMeek –
Summary of a long-winded review: This remote functions well and I’m glad to have it.EDIT on 10 June, 2021: I’m updating this review to report on battery replacement. The operation of the remote that I purchased and reviewed just over a year ago gets pretty flakey as the battery drains. Although the unit came with a CR-2025 power cell (and a spare), I’ve found that the .7mm thicker CR-2032 battery (also 3V) fits better and lasts longer.Also, the unit pictured today and more recently reviewed by others, is clearly a modified design from what I received and reviewed (you can tell from the pictures). Kudos to ATOTO’s product folks for (apparently) reading my review and incorporating my requests into a new design :-). The fellow who got rid of the strap and stuck the remote on his console next to the head unit wouldn’t have been able to do that with the older unit I purchased in April 2020.[back to original review] I’ve only had this ATOTO remote for a few days, and like other reviewers have said, I wish I’d bought it earlier. I’ve particularly missed having a proper volume knob on the head unit, so I’m pleased that this remote’s volume control is the dial around the face. All of the keys on the face of the remote function well (and with useful functions).Why not 5 stars? With hopes that ATOTO’s Product Management reads these reviews, here’s my hopefully constructive wish list for future revisions.I would like the ability to rotate the face orientation depending on my chosen mounting position. Where I chose to mount the remote, the face ends up rotated 90 degrees clockwise. I’ll get used to this orientation quick enough, so it’s not a deal breaker.The construction feels just a bit flimsy – at least one reviewer mentioned that they broke the strap during installation. I was therefore extra careful as I tried to find the best mount location for me in my car. The turning action of the volume dial feels slightly loose and disengaged (although it works well enough). Also, while the product description says “with Backlight Buttons”, there’s no backlight – the buttons are of that yellow-greenish glow-in-the-dark silicone rubbery substance (to me, this product info inaccuracy feels more like a translation mistake than a deception as some reviewers complained).I would like more mounting flexibility. Perhaps a removable band with some surface-mount options. Without thinking much about it before ordering, I had assumed that the back of the main body was flat, like a wristwatch. If necessary, I assumed, I could remove the strap and use some “reuseable glue” putty, like this Uhu Tac proPower stuff that I had on hand (https://www.amazon.com/UHU-Tac-PROPower-pads-48680/dp/B0085T0G2K/ ), to stick the remote firmly but temporarily on the most convenient surface. But the back isn’t flat like a wristwatch (see the side profile image attached to this review).My mounting choice: I just dislike having anything on my steering wheel that gets in the way of my grip and distracts while driving. This is especially true with this remote when mounted as designed, because moving your hands around the wheel while steering is likely to bump-spin the volume wheel (thereby amplifying the distraction). So, I chose to mount the remote on the top left-hand “spoke” of my steering wheel, as far as possible toward the inside of the wheel, where the spoke’s thickness expands rapidly, like a funnel, into the horn/airbag hub. I managed to position the outside of the volume dial about 1 cm inside the wheel to help me avoid unintended volume dial spins while steering. I actually did end up using some of that gray reusable glue putty I mentioned earlier to build up under the remote at the thinner part of the spoke and prevent any outward slippage… The glue putty is ugly, but hell, there’s now a black and glow-in-the-dark plastic thing firmly-strapped onto my leather steering wheel, so, form follows function.
Remodel DIY’er –
Initially I had gotten the wireless controller in a box by itself. No transmitter or battery or adhesive. I contacted the atoto email and they responded pretty quickly. An employee named Hanna helped me by ordering a new unit and had it delivered to my door. This time the package has everything I need to install it into my f7 head unit. I haven’t tried it yet but I had a good experience with the customer service given to me by Hanna.
BMeek –
Summary of a long-winded review: This remote functions well and I’m glad to have it.EDIT on 10 June, 2021: I’m updating this review to report on battery replacement. The operation of the remote that I purchased and reviewed just over a year ago gets pretty flakey as the battery drains. Although the unit came with a CR-2025 power cell (and a spare), I’ve found that the .7mm thicker CR-2032 battery (also 3V) fits better and lasts longer.Also, the unit pictured today and more recently reviewed by others, is clearly a modified design from what I received and reviewed (you can tell from the pictures). Kudos to ATOTO’s product folks for (apparently) reading my review and incorporating my requests into a new design :-). The fellow who got rid of the strap and stuck the remote on his console next to the head unit wouldn’t have been able to do that with the older unit I purchased in April 2020.[back to original review] I’ve only had this ATOTO remote for a few days, and like other reviewers have said, I wish I’d bought it earlier. I’ve particularly missed having a proper volume knob on the head unit, so I’m pleased that this remote’s volume control is the dial around the face. All of the keys on the face of the remote function well (and with useful functions).Why not 5 stars? With hopes that ATOTO’s Product Management reads these reviews, here’s my hopefully constructive wish list for future revisions.I would like the ability to rotate the face orientation depending on my chosen mounting position. Where I chose to mount the remote, the face ends up rotated 90 degrees clockwise. I’ll get used to this orientation quick enough, so it’s not a deal breaker.The construction feels just a bit flimsy – at least one reviewer mentioned that they broke the strap during installation. I was therefore extra careful as I tried to find the best mount location for me in my car. The turning action of the volume dial feels slightly loose and disengaged (although it works well enough). Also, while the product description says “with Backlight Buttons”, there’s no backlight – the buttons are of that yellow-greenish glow-in-the-dark silicone rubbery substance (to me, this product info inaccuracy feels more like a translation mistake than a deception as some reviewers complained).I would like more mounting flexibility. Perhaps a removable band with some surface-mount options. Without thinking much about it before ordering, I had assumed that the back of the main body was flat, like a wristwatch. If necessary, I assumed, I could remove the strap and use some “reuseable glue” putty, like this Uhu Tac proPower stuff that I had on hand (https://www.amazon.com/UHU-Tac-PROPower-pads-48680/dp/B0085T0G2K/ ), to stick the remote firmly but temporarily on the most convenient surface. But the back isn’t flat like a wristwatch (see the side profile image attached to this review).My mounting choice: I just dislike having anything on my steering wheel that gets in the way of my grip and distracts while driving. This is especially true with this remote when mounted as designed, because moving your hands around the wheel while steering is likely to bump-spin the volume wheel (thereby amplifying the distraction). So, I chose to mount the remote on the top left-hand “spoke” of my steering wheel, as far as possible toward the inside of the wheel, where the spoke’s thickness expands rapidly, like a funnel, into the horn/airbag hub. I managed to position the outside of the volume dial about 1 cm inside the wheel to help me avoid unintended volume dial spins while steering. I actually did end up using some of that gray reusable glue putty I mentioned earlier to build up under the remote at the thinner part of the spoke and prevent any outward slippage… The glue putty is ugly, but hell, there’s now a black and glow-in-the-dark plastic thing firmly-strapped onto my leather steering wheel, so, form follows function.
Elana –
Just plugged it in to the back of the stereo and it works perfectly
Jason-Dale L. –
I liked how it connected so instantly, no set up required. Came with a battery and a spare. Lots of options for where it could be mounted too.
Elana –
I have a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country – basically all of the Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge vehicles from that era use some difficult to integrate types of steering wheel controls. I tried using the convertor boxes (won’t list the names, but you can easily search) but they just didn’t work for this type of vehicle. They worked great in my wife’s car (newer Toyota), but not this one. So I had a choice to make – either give up on steering wheel controls, or go with one of these bluetooth based remotes. I had read other reviews that talked about how they weren’t very responsive, were a pain to use, etc. I literally opened the box, removed my ATOTO F7 XE head unit from the DIN slot, plugged the little box in, and pushed the head unit back in. Total time was LESS than 5 minutes. The ATOTO head unit powers the receiver box that goes at that end. Buttons are super responsive. Whoever has had problems with them must have either had low batteries or they put the receiver box too close to something metal that interfered with the signal. Best part, though, (well, other than the fact that these actually work) was that I didn’t have to program a single button. Since ATOTO makes both the head unit and the buttons, everything is literally PLUG AND PLAY. We’ll see how long the battery lasts (manual mentions approximately 10 months and they include your first replacement battery, which is a CR2025 button battery) but I really have no qualms about changing the batteries.
MR D. –
A self contained remote for my ATOTO F7 head unit, attached conveniently to the steering wheel of my 45 year old camper van. A perfect addition.
BMeek –
I think the design and labeling is clear and, as others have said, the volume dial is almost too easy to turn (it can be caught by fingers and turned when turning the steering wheel sometimes). I thought the (R) cameracontrol would work with any installed backup cam, but it doesn’t, for me at least. The user who posted thevideo of prying the battery back off, with a pic tool, and also revealing the existence of the 3 additionalbutton batteries under the magnetic ring, was particularly helpful. I’ll be sure to use a 2032 battery, insteadof the included 2025, when necessary, so as to ensure longer battery life. Good product though.
J. Vincent –
plug the receiver into the appropriate port on the back of the supported atoto head unit and now you have remote controls no additional setup needed to assign buttons, it just worksthe volume ring is a tad sensitive and if you have it mounted using the watchband style mount can be easy to bump while operating the steering wheelall the buttons are responsive and glow in the dark (you do only get a few hours of decent glow)
Jack0fAllTrades –
First what I don’t like:The volume control dial is very unpredictable, sometimes a slight move increases the volume drastically the next hardly increases, the same with decreasing the volume.Next, it’s very easy to catch the volume outer ring while steering hence sudden a blast of volume or mute everything, (whereas the main buttons never get accidentally pressed).What I do like:Very easy to link to the head Unit (ATOTO A6PF Double-DIN).Next it is very easy to program the buttons.So nice to skip tracks without your eyes leaving the road.I have the other buttons – Show Rear camera, show Front camera, got to home screen.I might change these as its so easy to swap them to try different configurations ?Even though the volume is a bit flakey I still would recommend. I’ve only had the radio & remote installed for 2 weeks, time will tell, if something drastically changes, I will update the review.
A User –
It’s a handy unit and easy to use. Works like a charm.
BMeek –
I think the design and labeling is clear and, as others have said, the volume dial is almost too easy to turn (it can be caught by fingers and turned when turning the steering wheel sometimes). I thought the (R) cameracontrol would work with any installed backup cam, but it doesn’t, for me at least. The user who posted thevideo of prying the battery back off, with a pic tool, and also revealing the existence of the 3 additionalbutton batteries under the magnetic ring, was particularly helpful. I’ll be sure to use a 2032 battery, insteadof the included 2025, when necessary, so as to ensure longer battery life. Good product though.
J. Vincent –
plug the receiver into the appropriate port on the back of the supported atoto head unit and now you have remote controls no additional setup needed to assign buttons, it just worksthe volume ring is a tad sensitive and if you have it mounted using the watchband style mount can be easy to bump while operating the steering wheelall the buttons are responsive and glow in the dark (you do only get a few hours of decent glow)
MR P MILLER –
The wireless remote control is a good accessory if your car doesn’t have steering wheel audio controls. The major controls are available, including play/ pause/ next track/ previous track/ next preset / previous preset, call pick-up/ hang-up and volume. A couple of other functions are programmed in – front and rear camera views. There is also a voice button but I don’t use that function so haven’t tested it. However I think the controller would benefit from a source button.The steering wheel strap is quite short, and would only fit around the main steering wheel perimeter frame on my car. I had originally hoped it would be long enough to facilitate attachment to the wider 3/6/9-o’clock spokes as this position is less likely to get touched accidentally when cornering. When fitted to the perimeter, the volume was accidentally adjusted on numerous occasions, after which I removed the controller and mounted it on the central console using the supplied self-adhesive pad. The choice of fitment options is a positive.The buttons have a nice positive action to them, and feel like they will last. This is something I will monitor, as one of the reasons I bought the controller is due to the ‘next track’ button failing on the head unit (one side of it is permanently sunk into the frame surrounding the head unit, rendering it useless)However the volume controller is a weak point. It functions as it should, but it feels cheap and loose. The click action when rotating the volume is too soft for my liking. There is a large zone of play before any click is felt, which if reduced would improve the tactile feeling of the control. A ring with a greater number of clicks would fix this. The accidental adjustment of volume would also be reduced with a firmer control.One other quirk I noticed is after pressing the camera view button. I couldn’t find a way to return to the source display (I thought long-pressing the camera button would revert but this doesn’t seem possible). I had to use the head unit to switch the camera display off.I have only had the controller for a week so cannot comment on battery life yet. Fitting was simple though, although it’s nigh on impossible to fit with the receiver dangling below the unit as instructed, unless you can access behind the head unit once it’s in the dash. I must say I have not experienced any miscommunication between the controller and the head unit so far.Overall it’s a good product, but would be better if the issues identified were fixed. One other function that would be useful is a small, timed backlight. The luminous face buttons are of very limited use in real life.
Dwight J. –
I just purchased a Atoto F7XE head unit for my car, since I don’t have steering wheel controls, I needed a device to control the head unit with out having to take my eyes off the road. I noticed Atoto sold a remote for the head unit called the ATOTO AC-44F5. I made the purchase and installed it, the best decision I ever made. The device was easy to install and didn’t cost much, set up was a breeze. Now I have full control over the head unit and it sounds great.