Don’t Update Android Auto If You Like the Coolwalk Interface

Coolwalk is now available for all Android Auto users, but the search giant still has a lot of work to do to ensure 100 percent stability and reliability.

Living proof is a bug that appeared earlier this week. Users who installed the most recent Android Auto versions claim the taskbar at the bottom of the screen is no longer there, so they can't switch apps.

Once Android Auto launches, it automatically loads the navigation app, in most cases Google Maps. Due to the lack of an application bar in the lower part of the screen, users are stuck with the navigation app, as they can't switch to Spotify, Waze, or any other app.

The bug

The problem is as mysterious as it gets, and considering it appeared earlier this week, I managed to collect only limited information about it.

First, it looks like only users who installed Android Auto 10.4 and 10.5 encountered the glitch. They claim the taskbar went away after updating Android Auto, but it's unclear if the glitch is linked to a specific app version.

A server-side problem could also cause the issue, but given Google has remained tight-lipped so far, it's impossible to tell where the error resides.

Oddly enough, some users claim they no longer see the taskbar on Android Auto 10.4 with a specific phone, but everything is working correctly if they switch mobile devices. These reports could indicate a software compatibility problem, but every user signals a different behavior on different phones and different Android Auto versions.

The confusion continues with the Android Auto connection method impacted by the glitch. Some say only the wired version of Android Auto exhibits the bug, and everything works correctly when using the wireless mode. Others claim the same thing happens regardless of how they run Android Auto.

The fix

This is the part where everything becomes even more confusing. Despite the bug being quite new, most users have already tried the generic workarounds. However, clearing the cache, deleting the app's data, reinstalling Android Auto, and even downgrading to an earlier release didn't bring things back to normal.

Some users claim they've tried to reset everything, including the mobile device and even the infotainment unit. Unsurprisingly, it didn't work, as Android Auto still failed to display the taskbar and the Coolwalk screen where apps run side-by-side.

Someone on Google's forums claims they also tried disabling Google Maps, but this step kills Android Auto. Because the app launches directly to Google Maps, not showing a taskbar to allow users to switch to a different app, Android Auto is stuck with a blank screen. Users can't do anything other than disconnect the phone to return to the OEM interface.

No workaround is available at this point, but someone says they downloaded to version 10.0, and everything was back to normal. If this works for everybody, it could suggest the glitch is caused by a weird mix of software compatibility errors between the latest Android Auto versions and certain phone operating systems. It's too early to tell who is affected, but I see reports from Samsung, Google, and Huawei phone owners. Everybody says the taskbar is no longer available on Android Auto.

The Coolwalk update

The Coolwalk interface was one of the biggest additions ever received by Android Auto. Like the CarPlay Dashboard, Coolwalk allows users to run multiple apps side-by-side on the same screen using cards.

Each card is used by a certain app category. Navigation apps, such as Google Maps and Waze, use the largest card on the screen because they must display more information, including the maps and the turn-by-turn navigation. Audio apps like Spotify and YouTube Music, phone calls, and the weather forecast use the rest of the interface.

The weather information is only available on portrait displays where the screen estate allows one extra card. Google originally promised to bring the forecast to landscape displays, but no further information has been offered since this promise was made.

The taskbar at the bottom of the screen allows users to launch apps and toggle between the full-screen mode, originally the only way to run apps on Android Auto, and the Coolwalk interface with apps running side-by-side. Because it's no longer available, toggling between apps is impossible, so users must stick with whatever launches on the screen when Android Auto fires up.

An Android Auto team member has already joined the conversation on the official support forums, asking for bug reports from users' phones, but it's too early to tell when a fix could go live. If you somehow discover a workaround, please share it with the rest of the readers using the comment box after the jump.