Photo: Google forums
Several users are now complaining that launching Android Auto on their phones is no longer possible, as the option to open the app isn’t there anymore.
As many users know already, Android Auto now comes as a system app that is offered pre-loaded in Android 10, so technically, there’s no dedicated option to launch it on a mobile device.
But this is the point where things are getting weirder.
Some users on Google’s forums explain that the whole thing started happening after the June 2020 Android Auto update, at which point the application lost the open button. So right now, the only option in Android Auto is “uninstall,” these users say.
Again, this is the typical behavior for Android Auto being offered as a system app, but others claim that not even the phone version works after the recent updates. Android Auto for phones allows users to run the app on their mobile devices without the need for a head unit compatible with AA.
Someone says that Android Auto doesn’t launch when the device is connected to the car, but on the other hand, it does work properly when it’s not.
Certainly, this change of making Android Auto a system app and offering its functionality natively is rather confusing for many, but on the other hand, it’s also very clear that some bugs are still there and Google needs to take care of them as soon as possible.
In the meantime, if Android Auto doesn’t launch on your phone or the car head unit, the easiest workaround is to just stick with all apps running on the mobile device. Everything that runs on Android Auto can work on Android too, so if you need Google Maps or Waze, just stick with the phone version until you figure out what’s going on.
A new Android Auto update is projected to launch in late August or early September, but it remains to be seen if it includes any improvements for this revised experience.
But this is the point where things are getting weirder.
Some users on Google’s forums explain that the whole thing started happening after the June 2020 Android Auto update, at which point the application lost the open button. So right now, the only option in Android Auto is “uninstall,” these users say.
Again, this is the typical behavior for Android Auto being offered as a system app, but others claim that not even the phone version works after the recent updates. Android Auto for phones allows users to run the app on their mobile devices without the need for a head unit compatible with AA.
Someone says that Android Auto doesn’t launch when the device is connected to the car, but on the other hand, it does work properly when it’s not.
Certainly, this change of making Android Auto a system app and offering its functionality natively is rather confusing for many, but on the other hand, it’s also very clear that some bugs are still there and Google needs to take care of them as soon as possible.
In the meantime, if Android Auto doesn’t launch on your phone or the car head unit, the easiest workaround is to just stick with all apps running on the mobile device. Everything that runs on Android Auto can work on Android too, so if you need Google Maps or Waze, just stick with the phone version until you figure out what’s going on.
A new Android Auto update is projected to launch in late August or early September, but it remains to be seen if it includes any improvements for this revised experience.
Google News