Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Long-time Android Auto users certainly know that things in this world sometimes tend to break down for no reason, and this is exactly what's happening right now to a bunch of unlucky fellows relying on Google's app for the time spent behind the wheel.
Two of our readers recently reported a strange bug that causes Android Auto to crash in the middle of the drive. Everything was working correctly, one of them said, but Android Auto shut down unexpectedly, with the head unit returning to the OEM interface.
You can imagine that such an experience isn't the most exciting, especially when you drive in an unfamiliar region and rely on navigation guidance for directions, so the driver had to pull over and see what happens. They couldn't figure out the bug, so they tried the old trick in the book: they rebooted the phone and hoped everything would be all right afterward.
It wasn't, as Android Auto never started again. Clearing the cache and the data didn't help. The issue was happening with a wired connection.
I initially thought it was a sporadic issue, considering only two people reported it, but now I'm seeing more similar users signaling a similar behavior in their cars. A discussion thread on Google's forums includes similar error information, with the topic already receiving 12 "me too" votes. It's not a super-widespread issue, or at least not yet, but it's something that Google should investigate.
The problem occurs mostly with Android Auto wired, and the phone brand powering the experience doesn't make a difference. However, I discovered that this mysterious bug most often affects Samsung phones.
The Android Auto version doesn't matter in this case. I told one of our readers to try to update to the latest Android Auto stable build (version 11.8) using the APK installer. They did it, but Android Auto still failed to start. The only solution that worked in a single case was a full reset of the mobile device and the infotainment system. You can imagine that this isn't the most convenient solution, but users who absolutely need Android Auto are ready to try out the most painful workarounds. This fix removes all your settings from the phone and the head unit (a full mobile device reset also removes apps and files, so if you are willing to do this, make sure you create a backup before starting).
A Google Community Specialist has already asked for more information on the forums, albeit it's unclear if the investigation is underway. Meanwhile, there's not much you can do to restore Android Auto if your device struggles with this problem, so fingers crossed that Google can come up with a fix as soon as possible.
As always, if you find a workaround, please share it in the comment box after the jump so others can use it, too.
You can imagine that such an experience isn't the most exciting, especially when you drive in an unfamiliar region and rely on navigation guidance for directions, so the driver had to pull over and see what happens. They couldn't figure out the bug, so they tried the old trick in the book: they rebooted the phone and hoped everything would be all right afterward.
It wasn't, as Android Auto never started again. Clearing the cache and the data didn't help. The issue was happening with a wired connection.
I initially thought it was a sporadic issue, considering only two people reported it, but now I'm seeing more similar users signaling a similar behavior in their cars. A discussion thread on Google's forums includes similar error information, with the topic already receiving 12 "me too" votes. It's not a super-widespread issue, or at least not yet, but it's something that Google should investigate.
The problem occurs mostly with Android Auto wired, and the phone brand powering the experience doesn't make a difference. However, I discovered that this mysterious bug most often affects Samsung phones.
The Android Auto version doesn't matter in this case. I told one of our readers to try to update to the latest Android Auto stable build (version 11.8) using the APK installer. They did it, but Android Auto still failed to start. The only solution that worked in a single case was a full reset of the mobile device and the infotainment system. You can imagine that this isn't the most convenient solution, but users who absolutely need Android Auto are ready to try out the most painful workarounds. This fix removes all your settings from the phone and the head unit (a full mobile device reset also removes apps and files, so if you are willing to do this, make sure you create a backup before starting).
A Google Community Specialist has already asked for more information on the forums, albeit it's unclear if the investigation is underway. Meanwhile, there's not much you can do to restore Android Auto if your device struggles with this problem, so fingers crossed that Google can come up with a fix as soon as possible.
As always, if you find a workaround, please share it in the comment box after the jump so others can use it, too.
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