Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
WhatsApp is currently the world's number one mobile messaging platform, with over two billion active users on the planet.
The numbers are impressive, making WhatsApp the undisputed leader in a market with many other popular rivals, including Apple's iMessage.
However, WhatsApp's popularity could easily backfire, as the tiniest error on one of the supported platforms could eventually affect millions of users.
A bug discovered on Android Auto earlier this year is seemingly becoming more widespread after the latest updates, making it impossible for users to make audio calls on WhatsApp.
The problem was first reported in July, but since then, similar behavior has been reported in more vehicles on the road where Android Auto was in charge of managing WhatsApp calls. The glitch resides in how Android Auto makes phone calls via WhatsApp, as users claim that every call disconnects after approximately one minute.
The bug occurs only for outgoing calls initiated from Android Auto. Incoming calls work correctly on Google's platform, and no random disconnect occurs. However, whenever users initiate a WhatsApp call from Android Auto, the connection drops after one minute without them doing anything on their devices.
The error has become more widespread after the latest updates. It's unclear if an Android Auto version is responsible for this behavior or if the problem resides in another component, such as the Google app, but the generic workarounds don't seem to improve the experience. Users claim that removing the data and clearing the app cache failed to fix the broken behavior.
Users claim the glitch occurs regardless of the car model and the phone brand, as I see reports of the same error on Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi smartphones. They all happen on Android 13, and Google's latest operating system – Android 14 – is not linked with this error. Android 14 is responsible for several big problems in the Android Auto space, but the broken WhatsApp support was reported before Google kicked off the release of its latest operating system.
Meanwhile, a Community Specialist says they've been in touch with the Android Auto dev team, and they need more information on the bug, when and how it occurs on the device. As a result, users must capture phone logs to diagnose the root cause of the issue.
It's too early to tell when a patch could land, but considering the problem involves one of the world's top mobile applications, Google should prioritize the work on the fix and look into the matter ASAP. For now, the only options are still the generic workarounds – I'd try downgrading Android Auto to an earlier release, as the bug happening on older builds could be a sign that Google's application is not responsible for the broken features.
WhatsApp has remained tight-lipped on the problems encountered by Android Auto users.
However, WhatsApp's popularity could easily backfire, as the tiniest error on one of the supported platforms could eventually affect millions of users.
A bug discovered on Android Auto earlier this year is seemingly becoming more widespread after the latest updates, making it impossible for users to make audio calls on WhatsApp.
The problem was first reported in July, but since then, similar behavior has been reported in more vehicles on the road where Android Auto was in charge of managing WhatsApp calls. The glitch resides in how Android Auto makes phone calls via WhatsApp, as users claim that every call disconnects after approximately one minute.
The bug occurs only for outgoing calls initiated from Android Auto. Incoming calls work correctly on Google's platform, and no random disconnect occurs. However, whenever users initiate a WhatsApp call from Android Auto, the connection drops after one minute without them doing anything on their devices.
The error has become more widespread after the latest updates. It's unclear if an Android Auto version is responsible for this behavior or if the problem resides in another component, such as the Google app, but the generic workarounds don't seem to improve the experience. Users claim that removing the data and clearing the app cache failed to fix the broken behavior.
Users claim the glitch occurs regardless of the car model and the phone brand, as I see reports of the same error on Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi smartphones. They all happen on Android 13, and Google's latest operating system – Android 14 – is not linked with this error. Android 14 is responsible for several big problems in the Android Auto space, but the broken WhatsApp support was reported before Google kicked off the release of its latest operating system.
Meanwhile, a Community Specialist says they've been in touch with the Android Auto dev team, and they need more information on the bug, when and how it occurs on the device. As a result, users must capture phone logs to diagnose the root cause of the issue.
It's too early to tell when a patch could land, but considering the problem involves one of the world's top mobile applications, Google should prioritize the work on the fix and look into the matter ASAP. For now, the only options are still the generic workarounds – I'd try downgrading Android Auto to an earlier release, as the bug happening on older builds could be a sign that Google's application is not responsible for the broken features.
WhatsApp has remained tight-lipped on the problems encountered by Android Auto users.
Google News