Photo: Google
One of the key features of the Google Maps integration in Android Auto is the automatic launch, which essentially means the navigation map can start automatically when connecting the phone to the head unit.
In theory, this is something that should come in very handy if you’ve used Google Maps before shutting down Android Auto, but on the other hand, it looks like not everybody is a big fan of this implementation.
And the living proof is a series of posts on Google’s forums where users call for the Mountain View-based search giant to disable this approach, claiming the company just wants to force Google Maps on them when, in fact, they don’t want to use the navigation app.
Some of those who don’t want Google Maps to automatically launch on Android Auto turned to rather extreme workarounds, eventually disabling the navigation app completely on their smartphones. Needless to say, this means they can no longer use Google Maps on the phone either, but most are ready to make this compromise in exchange for a cleaner Android Auto launch.
A member of the Android Auto team revealed on Google’s forums that this “is the intended behavior of Android Auto,” but the company is aware of the feature request anyway. “We’ll make an announcement when the requested feature is implemented,” they added, suggesting that sooner or later, Google could end up disabling the automatic launch of Google Maps if that’s what users really want.
While there are ways to prevent Google Maps from automatically launching on Android Auto, several users claim this should be blocked by default because the navigation app has an impact on the battery life of their phones, sometimes affects the overall performance, and last but not least, makes no sense if they don’t use the app in the first place.
It remains to be seen if Google plans to change anything about the way Google Maps launches on Android Auto, but for now, the good news is the company is already aware of the feedback.
And the living proof is a series of posts on Google’s forums where users call for the Mountain View-based search giant to disable this approach, claiming the company just wants to force Google Maps on them when, in fact, they don’t want to use the navigation app.
Some of those who don’t want Google Maps to automatically launch on Android Auto turned to rather extreme workarounds, eventually disabling the navigation app completely on their smartphones. Needless to say, this means they can no longer use Google Maps on the phone either, but most are ready to make this compromise in exchange for a cleaner Android Auto launch.
A member of the Android Auto team revealed on Google’s forums that this “is the intended behavior of Android Auto,” but the company is aware of the feature request anyway. “We’ll make an announcement when the requested feature is implemented,” they added, suggesting that sooner or later, Google could end up disabling the automatic launch of Google Maps if that’s what users really want.
While there are ways to prevent Google Maps from automatically launching on Android Auto, several users claim this should be blocked by default because the navigation app has an impact on the battery life of their phones, sometimes affects the overall performance, and last but not least, makes no sense if they don’t use the app in the first place.
It remains to be seen if Google plans to change anything about the way Google Maps launches on Android Auto, but for now, the good news is the company is already aware of the feedback.
Google News