Photo: Coast Auto Repair
While Android Auto comes with support for voice commands via Google Assistant, many users found out the hard way that it’s actually better to search for alternatives, as this experience isn’t always as smooth as it’s supposed to be.
For example, there are users out there who prefer to reply to messages using voice commands powered by their Android keyboards, as they discovered that the built-in dictation engine is generally more reliable that Google Assistant on Android Auto.
And yet, some discovered that doing this while Android Auto is running on the screen in their cars is no longer possible, simply because using the microphone is blocked from the very beginning on Gboard.
“When I'm stopped it is much faster to view and respond to text messages via Google messages and Gboard voice entry on my phone. This has always worked previously, and works with other apps like Facebook messenger, but not Google Messenger,” one user explains.
“If I want to use the voice to text on Gboard, I need to unplug USB to disable Android Auto and then plug it back in when I want to use maps. Or I'm forced to use the keyboard which takes much longer for my big fat fingers.”
A workaround doesn’t seem to exist, but the good news is that Google is already investigating this problem, and the company now seeks more information to figure out what’s happening.
“We would like to know if you are still facing this issue. We are currently investigating this issue. It would be great if you could send us a bug report from your phone to diagnose the root cause of the issue. We'll send an email with the instructions on how to capture a bug report. Please reply directly to the email with your information,” a member of the Android Auto team said.
At this point, we don’t yet know if this is a widespread problem or not, but the good thing is that the number of users turning to the Gboard built-in dictation with Android Auto running on the HU is likely rather small.
And yet, some discovered that doing this while Android Auto is running on the screen in their cars is no longer possible, simply because using the microphone is blocked from the very beginning on Gboard.
“When I'm stopped it is much faster to view and respond to text messages via Google messages and Gboard voice entry on my phone. This has always worked previously, and works with other apps like Facebook messenger, but not Google Messenger,” one user explains.
“If I want to use the voice to text on Gboard, I need to unplug USB to disable Android Auto and then plug it back in when I want to use maps. Or I'm forced to use the keyboard which takes much longer for my big fat fingers.”
A workaround doesn’t seem to exist, but the good news is that Google is already investigating this problem, and the company now seeks more information to figure out what’s happening.
“We would like to know if you are still facing this issue. We are currently investigating this issue. It would be great if you could send us a bug report from your phone to diagnose the root cause of the issue. We'll send an email with the instructions on how to capture a bug report. Please reply directly to the email with your information,” a member of the Android Auto team said.
At this point, we don’t yet know if this is a widespread problem or not, but the good thing is that the number of users turning to the Gboard built-in dictation with Android Auto running on the HU is likely rather small.
Google News