OBDLink's flagship Bluetooth adapter works with iPhones, Android phones and Windows laptops, and it is the one FORScan, BimmerCode and AlfaOBD users are pointed to. It costs more than an ELM327 clone because it does more than one.
Most Bluetooth OBD2 adapters fall into two camps. Classic Bluetooth dongles work with Android and Windows but not iPhones, and Bluetooth LE dongles work with phones but not most Windows software. The OBDLink MX+ sits outside both camps: it runs on Classic Bluetooth and carries Apple's accessory certification, so iPhones, Android phones and Windows laptops can all use it.
For a family with mixed devices that matters. You can read codes on your iPhone in the driveway, then take a Windows laptop out to the car and run FORScan on the same adapter. No second dongle, no guessing which one works with which phone. Pairing happens in the device's Bluetooth settings, and OBDLink's pairing security keeps a stranger in the next parking spot from connecting to your car.
The other half of the story is the chip. OBDLink builds its adapters around its own STN chips rather than an ELM327 clone. STN chips understand the full ELM327 command set, so any ELM327 app treats the MX+ as a familiar adapter, and they add OBDLink's own extended commands on top.
If the chip question is new to you, the ELM327 chip explained covers where genuine ELM327, clones and STN chips differ. For a buyer, the practical upshot: an STN adapter behaves like a well-made ELM327, with fewer of the dropped connections that plague cheap clones.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | OBDLink |
| Model | MX201 |
| Chip | OBDLink STN family, ELM327 command set compatible |
| Wireless link | Bluetooth, Apple MFi certified |
| Operating systems | iOS, Android, Windows |
| Ford MS-CAN | Supported |
| GM SW-CAN | Supported |
| Enhanced OEM data | Ford, GM, Mazda, Nissan/Infiniti, Toyota/Lexus/Scion, Honda, Hyundai, Kia |
| Extra live data | ABS, SRS, TPMS and more, vehicle-dependent |
| Recommended by | FORScan, Torque, BimmerCode, DashCommand, AlfaOBD, Carista |
| Protection | Over-voltage and battery drain protection |
| Firmware | Updates included |
| Power | From the vehicle's OBD-II port |
| Weight | 28 g |
| Size | 2.01 × 0.91 × 1.81 in |
| In the box | Scanner, zipper case, quick start guide, warranty card, compliance insert |
The MX+ exists for a problem many owners run into. The engine computer lives on the fast CAN bus every adapter reads, but plenty of modules do not. Fords put the cluster, doors, climate and parts of the infotainment on medium-speed CAN (MS-CAN), and GM uses single-wire CAN (SW-CAN) for many body functions.
A budget adapter that reads only the standard bus cannot see those modules at all. The MX+ reaches both MS-CAN and SW-CAN, which is why FORScan lists it among its recommended adapters. On a Ford, that opens the body modules where most FORScan tweaks and fault codes live. On a GM car, SW-CAN is where many body and comfort modules report, so apps that support it can see faults a basic reader misses.
Both extra buses are reached without a manual toggle on the adapter, so you do not have to flip a switch mid-session.
| App | What the MX+ opens up |
|---|---|
| FORScan | Ford and Mazda modules on HS-CAN and MS-CAN |
| BimmerCode | BMW and Mini coding |
| AlfaOBD | Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Alfa Romeo modules |
| Carista | Brand-specific diagnostics and adjustments |
| Torque, DashCommand | Custom gauges and live data dashboards |
A few practical notes before you open FORScan for the first time:
The FORScan adapter breakdown goes further into HS-CAN, MS-CAN and why electronic bus switching beats a toggle.
A common worry at the parts counter goes like this: can I leave the adapter plugged in, or will it kill my battery? Cheap clones often stay awake and draw current for as long as the car sits. OBDLink designs the MX+ with battery drain protection so it can live in the port, plus over-voltage protection against spikes from a jump start or a failing alternator.
Living in the port is where the MX+ pays off for daily users. You get in, open the app and the data is there. Nothing to fish out of the glovebox, nothing to plug in before a long trip.
The included OBDLink app is more than a code reader. OBDLink lists enhanced OEM support for Ford, GM, Mazda, Nissan and Infiniti, Toyota, Lexus and Scion, Honda, Hyundai and Kia, and more live parameters than basic scanners, including ABS, SRS and TPMS readings. How much you see depends on the make, model and year. On a supported car that can mean reading why the ABS light is on, not just that an engine code is stored.
For owners weighing apps in general, the app comparison lays out which free and paid scanners suit which cars.
OBDLink sells several adapters, and the MX+ is not always the right buy. The deciding questions are which phone you use, whether you need Ford or GM body modules, and how many brands you plan to work on. Here is how the MX+ lines up against the options people most often compare it with.
| Adapter | iPhone | Windows | MS-CAN | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBDLink MX+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | Everything, every device |
| OBDLink CX | Yes | No | Not claimed | BimmerCode on BMW and Mini |
| OBDLink LX | No | Yes | Not claimed | Android and Windows scanning |
| vLinker MC+ | Yes | Yes | Yes | MS-CAN and SW-CAN on a smaller budget |
If you drive only BMWs and code in BimmerCode, the CX does that job for less. If your phone is Android and you never need body modules, the LX is simpler. The Vgate vLinker MC+ covers the same extra buses but comes from a different chip maker and app ecosystem.
Settle three points first. Confirm your car and app appear on OBDLink's compatibility list, decide whether your laptop will ever join in, and think about how long the adapter will sit in the port. If all three answers lean towards more devices, more brands and a permanent home under the dash, the MX+ earns its place.
A wider head-to-head sits in ELM327 vs OBDLink vs Vgate, including where the cheapest clones fall short.
Yes. It uses Classic Bluetooth with Apple accessory certification, so it works with iPhones as well as Android phones and Windows PCs.
Not inside. It uses OBDLink's own STN chip, which speaks the ELM327 command set, so ELM327 apps work with it and OBDLink-aware apps get extra speed and features.
Yes. It reaches Ford MS-CAN and GM SW-CAN, and FORScan recommends it.
Yes. It has battery drain protection and over-voltage protection. On a car with an old battery that will sit for weeks, unplugging is still sensible.
Yes. BimmerCode is among the apps that recommend the MX+.