Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
A glitch that first appeared in 2022 has returned to haunt Android Auto users again, blocking Google Maps and Waze from switching to dark mode at night. It means the two navigation apps stick with the daytime visual style, making it difficult and even dangerous to keep them running in the cabin in total darkness.
In my car and most other vehicles shipped with factory-installed Android Auto support, the dark mode is automatically enabled in Android Auto and the running apps when you turn on the headlights.
My car comes with automatic headlights, so when the light sensor turns on the headlights, Android Auto also switches to the dark mode. As a result, Google Maps, Waze, and the other apps running in my car activate the night mode, too.
In 2022, users complained that Android Auto blocked the switch to dark mode, keeping the daytime visual style activated even when the headlights turned on. None of the available workarounds fixed the problem at that point, and despite Google claiming it'd look into reports, no patch has ever been shipped.
One of our readers recently told me that the glitch has returned after nearly one year and a half with identical behavior. Android Auto prevents Google Maps and Waze from activating the dark mode, keeping the daytime interface activated even when they drive with their headlights on.
It's easy to understand why this is a critical issue. Google Maps' and Waze's daytime visual mode includes a background that could make you temporarily blind at night, so if you look at the screen, it'll take at least a couple of seconds to see the road ahead clearly again. It's the main reason why dark modes make sense in a car, as they make everything running on the screen more eye-friendly when driving at night.
It's unclear why the problem is plaguing Android Auto again, but a recent update might be the culprit. If this is the case, you should try downgrading to a previous Android Auto version, as this helps eliminate the likelihood of a glitch in the latest update.
It's also unclear who is affected and who isn't. Everything runs correctly in my car with the default configuration, as Android Auto correctly receives the signal from the headlight indicator, activating the dark mode when the headlights also turn on.
The problem was widespread in late 2022, with over 300 people confirming it on Google's forums, but it's unknown how many encounter this behavior these days. Leave us a message in the comment box after the jump if you hit this bug and found a fix.
There's also a discussion thread on Google's forums where users can provide more information about what happens in their cars, so hopefully, the search giant will release a patch this time.
My car comes with automatic headlights, so when the light sensor turns on the headlights, Android Auto also switches to the dark mode. As a result, Google Maps, Waze, and the other apps running in my car activate the night mode, too.
In 2022, users complained that Android Auto blocked the switch to dark mode, keeping the daytime visual style activated even when the headlights turned on. None of the available workarounds fixed the problem at that point, and despite Google claiming it'd look into reports, no patch has ever been shipped.
One of our readers recently told me that the glitch has returned after nearly one year and a half with identical behavior. Android Auto prevents Google Maps and Waze from activating the dark mode, keeping the daytime interface activated even when they drive with their headlights on.
It's easy to understand why this is a critical issue. Google Maps' and Waze's daytime visual mode includes a background that could make you temporarily blind at night, so if you look at the screen, it'll take at least a couple of seconds to see the road ahead clearly again. It's the main reason why dark modes make sense in a car, as they make everything running on the screen more eye-friendly when driving at night.
It's unclear why the problem is plaguing Android Auto again, but a recent update might be the culprit. If this is the case, you should try downgrading to a previous Android Auto version, as this helps eliminate the likelihood of a glitch in the latest update.
It's also unclear who is affected and who isn't. Everything runs correctly in my car with the default configuration, as Android Auto correctly receives the signal from the headlight indicator, activating the dark mode when the headlights also turn on.
The problem was widespread in late 2022, with over 300 people confirming it on Google's forums, but it's unknown how many encounter this behavior these days. Leave us a message in the comment box after the jump if you hit this bug and found a fix.
There's also a discussion thread on Google's forums where users can provide more information about what happens in their cars, so hopefully, the search giant will release a patch this time.
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