In order to get App-connect (CarPlay/Android Auto, not to be confused with Car-Net) working on a MK7 (it's standard on the 7.5) you will need ALL of the following:
1. A MY16> car built from Week 22 of 2015
2. MIB2 Headunit with compatible onboard software
*3. An Apple compatible USB socket, which has a dual 'out' on the back of it (Part number 5G0035222E)
**4. An Activation code (Part number 5G0054830A)
5. Dealer Activation via OBD
***The £250 cost that is normally charged is made up of two parts. The cost of the code(circa £200), and the dealer labour to activate(15-30mins). If you need a new socket and/or software etc etc the cost will be higher.
For those saying it is a rip-off, you have to bear in mind that EVERY car sold by a manufacturer which has an active CarPlay ability, the manufacturer has to pay Apple a one-off license fee. So if a car has CarPlay activated at a later date, VW have to pay Apple, hence the charge.
Any 3rd party doing it on the cheap (normally only offered on Nav Pro units) is essentially 'hacking' the unit to bypass the VW online activation.
NOTES*In theory all MY16 cars should have had the MIB2 loaded with the necessary software ready for CarPlay be activeted, but there are some cases of the full software needing to be updated on very early MY16 cars in order to get the Activation screen. In a VERY small number of cases some MY16 cars were fitted with a MIB2 that can't be software upgraded as the MIB2 hardware was missing in the glovebox.
**There is talk of some early MY16 cars (pre September 2015) being built without this compatible socket, so even if you have a MY16 car, if it's early you might need the socket upgrade also.
***Cars with the Discover Nav Pro HU can be activated without connecting to the dealer OBD. Cars with the standard Discover Nav needs activation using the code and then plugging into the VW OBD computer for activation
HTH
