Photo: Audi
If you’re part of the Android Auto world, you probably know already that what works today can always end up completely broken tomorrow for absolutely no clear reason. That's despite the fact that Google itself rolls out patches to improve the overall experience in some cases.
And this is what’s happening these days for some users who are struggling with an Android Auto problem breaking down their steering wheel controls, forcing them to stick with other input methods to interact with the app.
Oddly enough, this isn’t a new glitch for Android Auto users, and what’s more, it has already been fixed by Google several updates ago. However, it now looks like it’s back for whatever reason.
The first reports of broken steering wheel controls on Android Auto surfaced in late 2020 when several users posted on Google’s forums that voice commands were the only option when it came to changing songs or interacting with navigation apps.
Google itself investigated these reports and eventually came up with a fix in February this year. Android Auto version 6.1 was the one to correct this behavior, finally fixing the broken steering wheel controls and bringing back the expected functionality.
And now I’m seeing reports that the problem is back, with some users confirming it’s happening again. The problem is it’s not exactly clear who is to blame this time.
“It's happening again. No more steering wheel control in my Toyota Hilux and Android Auto on the phone. Samsung recently did an update too so not sure if it's them or the Android app,” one Android Auto user explained on the forums.
Most certainly, it’s not Samsung’s fault this time, as several other users confirmed the broken steering wheel controls on other phone brands, including OnePlus and Google Pixel.
The Mountain View-based search giant is yet to acknowledge the new problems, so it remains to be seen if and when a new fix lands.
Oddly enough, this isn’t a new glitch for Android Auto users, and what’s more, it has already been fixed by Google several updates ago. However, it now looks like it’s back for whatever reason.
The first reports of broken steering wheel controls on Android Auto surfaced in late 2020 when several users posted on Google’s forums that voice commands were the only option when it came to changing songs or interacting with navigation apps.
Google itself investigated these reports and eventually came up with a fix in February this year. Android Auto version 6.1 was the one to correct this behavior, finally fixing the broken steering wheel controls and bringing back the expected functionality.
And now I’m seeing reports that the problem is back, with some users confirming it’s happening again. The problem is it’s not exactly clear who is to blame this time.
“It's happening again. No more steering wheel control in my Toyota Hilux and Android Auto on the phone. Samsung recently did an update too so not sure if it's them or the Android app,” one Android Auto user explained on the forums.
Most certainly, it’s not Samsung’s fault this time, as several other users confirmed the broken steering wheel controls on other phone brands, including OnePlus and Google Pixel.
The Mountain View-based search giant is yet to acknowledge the new problems, so it remains to be seen if and when a new fix lands.
Google News