Tacoma Front Camera and Anytime Backup Camera Guide (2026)
I earn a commission if you buy through these links or codes, at no extra cost to you. I only list brands I've used or tested on my own trucks.
On a 2014–2023 Tacoma with the factory screen, the Anytime Camera Kit lets you turn on the backup camera in any gear and adds a front camera, all on one switch in the dash. It plugs into the back of the factory head unit. If you're replacing the head unit anyway, wire your cameras to the new unit instead. If you'd rather leave the dash alone, a Wolfbox mirror dash cam is the other way to get a front view.
So, I installed this on a 2017 Tacoma back in 2019, and I've used this kit for years on my previous vehicles.
Why you'd want it
- Off-road without a spotter. When the truck is angled up and all you can see is hood, hit the switch and you can see the ground in front of you. With the guidelines on, you can see where your tires are going.
- Parking. You can see how close you are to the wall in a parking garage.
- Towing. Flip on the rear camera while you're driving and check on the trailer.
Does the kit fit your truck?
This is Runnin4Tacos' current fitment for the Anytime Camera Full Kit:
| Truck | Kit version |
|---|---|
| Tacoma, 2014–2019 | 2014–2019 |
| Tacoma, 2020–2023 | 2020+ |
| 4Runner, 2014–2019 | 2014–2019 |
| 4Runner, 2020–2024 | 2020+ |
| Tundra, 2014–2019 | 2014–2019 |
| Tundra, 2020–2021 | 2020+ |
Get the right version, because the 2020+ kit won't work with any other year. The 2024+ Tacoma isn't on the list, and neither is the 2022+ Tundra. If your truck has a factory 360-degree camera system, Runnin4Tacos says this kit won't work on it.
The switch is the small OEM style, for an opening of 1.28" x 0.87". It won't fit the taller slim openings.
How the install goes
The harnesses plug in without cutting any factory wires, but it's not all plug and play. You're running a camera wire through the firewall and connecting the switch wires yourself. If you don't really know wiring, that's the hardest part. It was for me.
- Pull the radio. The trim around it is held on by clips, so no tools needed. Then take out the four 10mm bolts and rest the head unit on the shift knob with a towel under it.
- Plug in the harnesses. Unplug the top two big connectors on the back of the radio, a 28 pin and a 24 pin. The override harness and the video harness go in between each one and the radio.
- Run the camera wire. Tape it to a long screwdriver or stiff rod and push it through the rubber grommet by the brake master cylinder. Then feed it up behind the steering column to the radio area.
- Mount the camera. Drill a 5/16" hole and tighten the nut from the back. You'll want an angled drill. I center mine right above the TSS sensor. To get it dead center, trim the plastic on the back of the grille so the nut has room.
- Wire the switch and ground it. There's a bolt right behind the radio that makes a good ground. Follow the wiring sheet in your box, because the connections changed between my 2019 and 2022 installs. On the switch harness, I didn't use the blue and gray wires.
- Test it before you put the dash back together. Runnin4Tacos says this too. Check front, rear, and the middle position, which goes back to normal. Then put it in reverse and make sure the rear camera still comes on.
- Snip the camera wires. Cut the white wire so the front image isn't mirrored. Cut the green wire only if you want to get rid of the guidelines.
The current full kit includes the camera. In 2019 I bought mine separately and powered it off an add-a-fuse, so don't copy that part if you have the full kit. The 2022 video shows the newer wiring step by step.
No blank switch spot? I've unplugged a button I leave on all the time, tucked it behind the trim still plugged in, and put the camera switch in its place. On one truck that was the Qi charger button.
You'll also need butt connectors and ring terminals. In 2022 Runnin4Tacos included them, but they aren't in the component list on the page now, so have some on hand.
The honest trade-offs
- The picture is only as good as the factory screen. On a factory head unit, the rear view is the same factory quality you already have. The kit doesn't change that, and the front camera's resolution comes through the same screen.
- The included camera is better on the trail than in a parking lot. When I installed the 2020 version, I called it perfect for trails and decent for parking.
If you're replacing the head unit: wire the cameras to it
This kit is for trucks keeping the factory screen. In my 2007 Tundra, I swapped to a Dasaita head unit and ran Dasaita's front and rear cameras right to it. I can use both while driving, the same way. That's a Tundra, so I can't speak to this exact setup in a Tacoma, but Dasaita does list an 11.6" unit and a Vivid13 for the 2016–2023 Tacoma. Dasaita's camera is a 170-degree 1080P unit with an RCA connection, and they say it works as a front or rear camera.
The head unit installs pretty fast. The cameras take longer because you have to run the wires through everything.
One thing to know before you buy a screen for a 3rd gen Tacoma. When I put a 14-inch head unit in one, the factory reverse camera still looked pretty bad. That's the factory camera's resolution, not the head unit, so plan on upgrading the camera separately if that bothers you.
If you don't want to touch the dash: a mirror dash cam
The Wolfbox G900 TriPro takes a different approach. It replaces your view in the rearview mirror with a screen, so nothing goes through your head unit. It has a 4K camera in the mirror, a 1080p camera that mounts on the front of the vehicle, and a 2.5K rear camera. You can see all three at once, and it records whenever the vehicle is on. With the hardwire kit, it'll also record when something trips the sensor while you're parked.
The one I've shown is on a 5th gen 4Runner, not a Tacoma. We mounted the front camera right below the logo, in front of the TSS sensor, and it didn't bring up any errors. Install is a little time-consuming since you have to run wires from the front and the back to the mirror.
If you want the front view, look for the Bumper Version on Wolfbox's site. They also list a G900TriPro with a cabin camera. I run the G900 Pro on my 2007 Tundra to see past the camper. That one records front and rear, with no bumper camera.
My verdict
If you have a 2014–2023 Tacoma, you're keeping the factory screen, and you're okay crimping a few wires, get the Anytime kit. If you're already planning a head unit swap, skip the kit and connect your cameras to the new unit. If you also want a dash cam and don't want to pull your radio, look at the Wolfbox. For me personally, the Anytime kit is still one of my favorite mods on a truck with the factory head unit. See also first mods for a 3rd gen Tacoma.
FAQ
Can you use the backup camera while driving on a Tacoma?
Not from the factory on the older trucks. The Anytime Camera Kit overrides that on a 2014–2023 Tacoma, so you can turn on the rear camera in any gear with a switch.
Does the Anytime Camera Kit fit a 2024 Tacoma?
It isn't on Runnin4Tacos' fitment list, which stops at the 2023 Tacoma. It also doesn't fit the 2022+ Tundra, or trucks with a factory 360-degree camera system.
Do you have to cut factory wires to install it?
No. The harnesses plug in between the factory connectors and the head unit. You do wire the switch, run a ground, and drill a hole for the front camera.
Why does my Tacoma backup camera look so bad?
It's the factory camera's resolution. It stayed bad when I put a 14-inch head unit in a 3rd gen Tacoma, so a new screen alone won't fix it. You'd need to upgrade the camera too.