Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google forums
Spotify is one of the top Android Auto apps, but like any other piece of software running on Google's platform, it's prone to bugs showing up out of nowhere.
A glitch that appeared overnight for some Android Auto users caused Spotify to stop working in the car, making it impossible to start and control playback from the infotainment screen.
Spotify no longer loads, with a black screen appearing on the Coolwalk interface and when running the app in full-screen mode.
Users who turned to Google's forums to report this unusual behavior say the issue appeared in early December, though it's unclear if the culprit is Android Auto or the Spotify app. Black screens aren't new in the Android Auto world, but they're often caused by the apps themselves.
Users who encountered the problem claim they've tried the typical workarounds, including removing the cache and the data. However, the only thing that works is rebooting the phone every time before they connect it to the head unit to launch Android Auto. It's unclear why this fixes the problem, but it isn't a convenient workaround, especially when users are in a rush.
Considering the glitch affects Spotify, a possible workaround could be downgrading the app to an earlier release. Android Auto could be the culprit if the bug still happens on an older version. As a result, you should try downgrading both Android Auto and Spotify to previous versions, but you must do this one app at a time, as it could help you determine who is to blame for this error.
Meanwhile, if you use Spotify on your mobile device, you can still listen to music while running Android Auto. The audio playback must be controlled from the mobile device, which is neither safe nor convenient when the vehicle is in motion. However, it shows that Spotify isn't frozen on Android Auto, as only the interface fails to load. Otherwise, the application works correctly in the background, with the audio routed to the car's speakers properly. Users can still play, pause, and change the song from their mobile devices.
Google has already chimed in and asked for more information on the error, but it's too early to tell when a workaround could land. The company typically needs up to several weeks or even months to release patches, and considering the issue appeared earlier this month, it could take a while until it figures out what happens.
Spotify has remained tight-lipped on this error, and despite some signs suggesting that the application could be responsible for the broken UI on Android Auto, it's unclear if the company is looking into user reports. Updating to the latest versions of Android Auto and Spotify doesn't fix the broken interface.
Spotify no longer loads, with a black screen appearing on the Coolwalk interface and when running the app in full-screen mode.
Users who turned to Google's forums to report this unusual behavior say the issue appeared in early December, though it's unclear if the culprit is Android Auto or the Spotify app. Black screens aren't new in the Android Auto world, but they're often caused by the apps themselves.
Users who encountered the problem claim they've tried the typical workarounds, including removing the cache and the data. However, the only thing that works is rebooting the phone every time before they connect it to the head unit to launch Android Auto. It's unclear why this fixes the problem, but it isn't a convenient workaround, especially when users are in a rush.
Considering the glitch affects Spotify, a possible workaround could be downgrading the app to an earlier release. Android Auto could be the culprit if the bug still happens on an older version. As a result, you should try downgrading both Android Auto and Spotify to previous versions, but you must do this one app at a time, as it could help you determine who is to blame for this error.
Meanwhile, if you use Spotify on your mobile device, you can still listen to music while running Android Auto. The audio playback must be controlled from the mobile device, which is neither safe nor convenient when the vehicle is in motion. However, it shows that Spotify isn't frozen on Android Auto, as only the interface fails to load. Otherwise, the application works correctly in the background, with the audio routed to the car's speakers properly. Users can still play, pause, and change the song from their mobile devices.
Google has already chimed in and asked for more information on the error, but it's too early to tell when a workaround could land. The company typically needs up to several weeks or even months to release patches, and considering the issue appeared earlier this month, it could take a while until it figures out what happens.
Spotify has remained tight-lipped on this error, and despite some signs suggesting that the application could be responsible for the broken UI on Android Auto, it's unclear if the company is looking into user reports. Updating to the latest versions of Android Auto and Spotify doesn't fix the broken interface.
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