Panlong's iPhone mini: the same compact shell as its Android B02, with Bluetooth LE inside, one-tap pairing in the free YMOBD app, and a long list of iOS and Android apps it works with.
Panlong sells its mini in two styles, For Android Only and For iOS Android. The PL-B04 is the second one, built around Bluetooth LE so an iPhone or iPad can reach it. The pairing work moves into the app, and with Panlong's own YMOBD there is none to do at all.
YMOBD is free, and Panlong describes the connection as automatic: open the app, tap connect, and it finds the dongle. There is no PIN, no trip to the Bluetooth settings screen and no device to choose from a list. The process is the same on Android and iOS, which makes the PL-B04 easy to hand to a partner with the other kind of phone.
The engine side is the same as Panlong's Android mini. It is fully ELM327 compliant, speaks nine OBD-II protocols, and covers US gas vehicles from 1996 plus EU and Asian 12V petrol and light-diesel cars from 2000.
What the pairing style means in daily use:
The iPhone setup notes explain why iPhones need this style of mini.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Model number | PL-B04 |
| Connection | Bluetooth LE |
| iPhone / iPad | Yes |
| Android | Yes |
| Windows | Listed |
| Pairing | One tap in YMOBD, no manual pairing |
| Bluetooth name | OBDII (may not show in the phone's list) |
| Own app | YMOBD, free |
| Compliance | Fully ELM327 compliant |
| OBD-II protocols | 9 |
| Vehicles | 1996+ US, 2000+ EU and Asian, 12V gas and light diesel |
| Code functions | Read and erase codes with meaning, turn off Check Engine Light |
| Tests | I/M readiness, O2 sensor test, EVAP system test |
| Data | Freeze frame and real-time sensor data, text and graph |
| Not supported | ABS, SRS airbag and other non-OBD-II systems |
| iPhone apps | Car Scanner, OBD Auto Doctor, Carista, OBD Fusion, EOBD Facile, DashCommand, inCarDoc, OBDLink, Dr. Prius |
| Android apps | Torque Lite and Pro, Car Scanner, OBD Auto Doctor, Carly, OBD Fusion, DashCommand, EOBD Facile |
| In the box | OBD2 scanner |
| Warranty | 1 year |
YMOBD is more than a connector. Panlong lists features that most free apps keep behind a paywall, and they matter on a car with an intermittent fault that sets a code once a week and then hides.
The YMOBD highlights Panlong names:
Stored live data is the useful one for tracking a fault down. Record a drive where the problem happens, then replay it parked, looking at fuel trims, coolant temperature and O2 readings at the moment the engine stumbled. A single snapshot rarely shows that much.
The core functions come on top: read and erase codes with a short explanation of each, clear the Check Engine Light, run the I/M readiness check, the O2 sensor test and the EVAP system test, and view real-time data in text or graph form. Readiness covers systems such as misfire, fuel system, EVAP and the oxygen sensors.
The limits are the usual mini limits. ABS, airbag and other systems outside OBD-II are not supported, and Panlong states that plainly. Its larger PL-V800 is the model that reads ABS and SRS.
Free and paid versions exist for most third-party apps. Panlong suggests starting with the free tier, which covers everyday checks by its account, and upgrading only when a feature is missing.
Panlong publishes two app lists for the PL-B04, one per phone system. The iPhone list is the longer one and more interesting, because iOS apps that accept a budget mini are fewer than Android ones.
| iPhone and iPad | Android |
|---|---|
| Car Scanner ELM OBD2 | Torque Lite and Pro |
| OBD Fusion | Car Scanner ELM OBD2 |
| OBD Auto Doctor | OBD Auto Doctor |
| DashCommand, inCarDoc | DashCommand |
| EOBD Facile, OBDLink | EOBD Facile, OBD Fusion |
| Carista OBD2, Dr. Prius | Carly |
Where each iPhone app shines:
Carista and Carly are on the lists, but they are built around their makers' own adapters for coding and service functions. Expect the generic diagnostics those apps allow with a third-party mini, and check their compatibility notes before paying for a subscription.
A practical order for a new iPhone owner: start with YMOBD to confirm the dongle talks to the car, then add Car Scanner for dashboards. If both read the car and a third app does not, the problem sits with that app's settings rather than the PL-B04. Keeping YMOBD installed also gives a known-good fallback when a paid app changes after an update.
On Android, Torque is the one Android-only app worth adding. It turns the phone into a gauge cluster and pairs well with a dash mount. The connection setting each app expects sits in the app-by-app setup notes.
The PL-B04 and the B02 share a maker, a shell style, the ELM327 compliance claim and the nine protocols. The difference is the radio and the app, and that decides which phone the dongle can serve.
| PL-B04 | B02 V1.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Phones | iPhone, iPad, Android | Android, Windows |
| Pairing | One tap in YMOBD | From the app, or phone settings |
| Version label | None printed | V1.5 in the model number |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year |
Pick the PL-B04 when:
Look elsewhere when the phone is Android and an app specifically wants v1.5 firmware; the Panlong B02 V1.5 covers that. For another iPhone-ready option, the ViaBecs Bluetooth 5.1 mini is the most bought, and the B02-KD names a 25K80 chipset and diesel support.
Households that already own a B02 do not need to replace it. Keep the Android mini in one car and put the PL-B04 in the car the iPhone driver uses most; an Android phone running YMOBD can switch between both dongles, while the iPhone only ever sees the PL-B04.
Both minis share the same blind spots, so neither is the upgrade for an ABS light or a coding job. The choice between them is about phones, not about depth of diagnosis.
Two checks close it out: the car should be a 12V gas or light diesel with the 16-pin port and a model year Panlong covers, and YMOBD should be installed first so the dongle connects the moment it arrives.
Yes. It connects to iPhone and iPad over Bluetooth LE from inside the app, and to Android phones as well.
No. With YMOBD, Panlong says pairing is automatic with one tap, and the dongle may not appear in the phone's Bluetooth list at all.
Panlong lists Car Scanner, OBD Auto Doctor, Carista, OBD Fusion, EOBD Facile, DashCommand, inCarDoc, OBDLink and Dr. Prius.
No. Its reach ends at engine codes, readiness, O2 and EVAP tests and live data. Panlong's PL-V800 is the model for ABS and SRS.