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Android Auto Freezing Bug Now Affecting Mazda Cars

If you’re thinking of listening to some music while driving your Mazda with Android Auto running on the head unit, well, that really may not be the best idea.
2019 Mazda3 sedan interior 16 photos
Photo: Mazda
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Because as it turns out, Android Auto might freeze on some Mazda cars when a music player is started on Android Auto, be it Spotify or any other application.

The issue was first reported on Google’s forums nearly two months ago, but no fix has been offered since then, so more Mazda owners confirmed the whole thing is happening in their vehicles too.

The problem is pretty easy to describe. Android Auto is running on the car’s screen just fine, so you can use navigation, Google Assistant, and listen to a radio station without any kind of error. But the moment you fire up Spotify or any other music player, Android Auto just freezes, and the only way to get it back up and running is by rebooting your phone.

Until now, it looks like the Mazda3 is most often the one affected by this odd behavior, but there’s a chance that other models from the same manufacturer could be hitting the bug too.

I have a 2019 Mazda3 Sedan and have the same issues. Most [of] the time I have to restart my phone to get it working correctly. It's honestly the worst. I've tried multiple apps and they all have these issues,” one user explains on the Google forums.

Is there any workaround for the whole thing? Sadly, no. At this point, it’s really not clear what’s causing the freezing on Android Auto, but if you think it’s all because of a recent update, one easy way to figure this out is to just downgrade to a previous version of the app.

On Android, you can download the standalone APK installers which allow you to install a previous version of an app, and you can do this for both Android Auto and your music players. In some cases, however, the problem could be caused by the other linked services, including the Google app that powers the Assistant, so consider downgrading these too.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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