Photo: Google
Everyone who used Android Auto for more than a week knows there's no such thing as reliability in this world, as some features tend to break down without us doing anything.
App updates are often the culprit, causing more harm than good. They break down features, with voice commands very often impacted.
The latest bug, seemingly becoming more widespread, causes Android Auto to feel sluggish or to become unresponsive shortly after launch. The problem appeared earlier this month, with the first users reporting on Google's forums that Android Auto no longer responds on a fully up-to-date device running the latest app versions.
It's unclear what changed and what may cause the Android Auto problem, but all users reporting this behavior claim it's all happening on Xiaomi phones, sometimes brand-new.
The strange behavior doesn't seem related to Android 14, as the issue also occurs on Android 13. Google's latest operating system has caused plenty of problems on Android Auto, including broken Spotify and performance issues, including a similar lag for some users. However, Android 14 is not the culprit in this case, as most users claim the unresponsive experience appeared suddenly without updating their devices.
The Xiaomi brand is the only common tidbit, so users who run Android Auto with a Google Pixel or a Samsung phone shouldn't experience the glitch.
A workaround doesn't exist, and considering the problem resides in Xiaomi's software, the generic fixes, which include clearing the cache and removing the app's data, don't restore the expected Android Auto experience.
The only way to run Android Auto appears to be changing phones, which isn't by any means a convenient solution. Xiaomi has remained tight-lipped on the problem, so it's unclear if the company is investigating it.
Meanwhile, Google is also hard at work on refining the experience with Android Auto on multiple fronts. The company is working on a new option allowing users to synchronize the wallpaper from the mobile device with the Android Auto background. As a result, the search giant finally provides users with a way to enable custom wallpapers on Android Auto, a feature that's been among the most requested ever since the company released wallpaper support.
The work on this feature is in its early days, so it's unclear when Google could bring it to users. However, the company is cooking something on this front, and I expect the upcoming Android Auto updates to include more evidence about this feature.
Meanwhile, if you encounter the bug on a Xiaomi phone, you should contact Google and the phone maker for assistance. Nothing seems to work, but the Mountain View-based company explains that it needs additional information from users, so it's contacting them by mail.
You can join the conversation by providing feedback in the discussion thread on the Google forums.
The latest bug, seemingly becoming more widespread, causes Android Auto to feel sluggish or to become unresponsive shortly after launch. The problem appeared earlier this month, with the first users reporting on Google's forums that Android Auto no longer responds on a fully up-to-date device running the latest app versions.
It's unclear what changed and what may cause the Android Auto problem, but all users reporting this behavior claim it's all happening on Xiaomi phones, sometimes brand-new.
The strange behavior doesn't seem related to Android 14, as the issue also occurs on Android 13. Google's latest operating system has caused plenty of problems on Android Auto, including broken Spotify and performance issues, including a similar lag for some users. However, Android 14 is not the culprit in this case, as most users claim the unresponsive experience appeared suddenly without updating their devices.
The Xiaomi brand is the only common tidbit, so users who run Android Auto with a Google Pixel or a Samsung phone shouldn't experience the glitch.
A workaround doesn't exist, and considering the problem resides in Xiaomi's software, the generic fixes, which include clearing the cache and removing the app's data, don't restore the expected Android Auto experience.
The only way to run Android Auto appears to be changing phones, which isn't by any means a convenient solution. Xiaomi has remained tight-lipped on the problem, so it's unclear if the company is investigating it.
Meanwhile, Google is also hard at work on refining the experience with Android Auto on multiple fronts. The company is working on a new option allowing users to synchronize the wallpaper from the mobile device with the Android Auto background. As a result, the search giant finally provides users with a way to enable custom wallpapers on Android Auto, a feature that's been among the most requested ever since the company released wallpaper support.
The work on this feature is in its early days, so it's unclear when Google could bring it to users. However, the company is cooking something on this front, and I expect the upcoming Android Auto updates to include more evidence about this feature.
Meanwhile, if you encounter the bug on a Xiaomi phone, you should contact Google and the phone maker for assistance. Nothing seems to work, but the Mountain View-based company explains that it needs additional information from users, so it's contacting them by mail.
You can join the conversation by providing feedback in the discussion thread on the Google forums.
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