Out-of-the-Way Car Phone Holder (12 mm Max)

📱 Out-of-the-Way Car Phone Holder

Because not every phone belongs in a cup holder

Modern cars somehow have giant touchscreens, dozens of sensors, and enough computing power to launch a small satellite...

...yet I still couldn't find a good place to put my phone.

My phone needs to be connected via cable for Android Auto, but leaving it in the center console area annoyed me, the cable was always in the way, and in summer the combination of charging and direct sunlight turned the phone into a pocket-sized nuclear reactor.

So I made this.

This holder is designed to be mounted with double-sided tape and positioned wherever it makes sense in your car.

In my case, it lives next to my right foot on the side of the center console, where the phone remains:

✅ Reachable

✅ Secure

✅ Out of direct sunlight

✅ Out of the way

✅ Not sliding around every corner like it has somewhere important to be

⚙️ Features

• Fits phones up to approximately 12 mm thick
• Mounts using simple double-sided tape
• Keeps the phone secure at an angle
• Works perfectly for Android Auto setups
• Also useful as a general charging dock
• Compact footprint
• Doesn't occupy cup holders or storage compartments

📱 Sensor-Friendly Design

One thing I specifically considered during the design process was modern phone sensors.

The holder is shaped to avoid covering most front-facing sensors and cameras, allowing features such as:

• Screen wake-up
• Proximity detection
• Other smartphone wizardry

Of course every phone is different, but I tried to avoid blocking anything important.

🖨️ Printing Notes

Use PETG.

Seriously.

Cars get hot.

Very hot.

The kind of hot that makes you question material science.

PLA might survive for a while, but eventually it will become an abstract plastic sculpture inspired by disappointment.

PETG handles automotive temperatures much better and is what I recommend.

Supports are not required and print time is minimal.

🧠 Why I Made It

This is one of those designs that exists because I was annoyed for long enough.

The phone needed to be:

• Connected
• Reachable
• Cool
• Secure

Instead it was:

• Sliding around
• Heating up
• Getting in the way
• Collecting fingerprints

This holder fixes all of those problems with one small print and a piece of double-sided tape.

Not revolutionary.

Not beautiful.

Just practical.

Which, if you've seen my other projects, is pretty much my design philosophy.

🚗 Final Thoughts

The photo doesn't show a phone installed.

That's because I used the phone to take the photo.

I realize this sounds suspiciously convenient, but I assure you it's true.

Print it in PETG, stick it somewhere sensible, and enjoy having your phone exactly where you need it:

Close enough to reach.

Far enough away to forget about.

Exactly where a car phone should be.