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Bad Update Breaks Down Android Auto, Making People Think They Got Banned

Updates that do more harm than good are not something new for Android Auto users, but what’s happening right now in Hong Kong is as confusing as it gets.
The problem seems to be affecting all phone brands in Hong Kong 1 photo
Photo: Google
A thread started earlier this month, which has since attracted several posts and upvotes from other users, reveals that Android Auto no longer works in Hong Kong since January.

Someone even came up with an explanation that took others by surprise: an alleged representative of a car manufacturer claimed Google banned the entire region from using Android Auto. Of course, that makes little sense, and nothing official has been said in this regard.

Interestingly, it looks like various phone brands have received the bad update. Still, at this point, it’s not yet clear if they’re referring to a new Android Auto update or an operating system patch (Google releases monthly security updates for Android, with each company then shipping it together with other improvements to their own devices).

Several phone brands are said to be affected, including Samsung, Nokia, Xiaomi, Motorola, Huawei, and others.

It seems like it's worse than that, software issues usually happen on certain brands/models/version only. But what happened is a general failure of AA in Hong Kong, disregarding brands and models, and on both Android 10 and 11. So it seems like a blocking of usage to me,” the original poster, who claims they have reached out to their carmaker for more information, says in a post.

Someone else says there’s no ban, explaining the whole thing is caused by a problem with the January 2021 Android security update that Google shipped to all devices, including those in Hong Kong.

As for why only users in this region are affected, that is something that needs to be investigated by Google itself. We have also reached out to the company for additional information and will update the article when and if we receive an answer.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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