Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
There's a good reason why voice commands are so critical for the majority of users in the Android Auto world. They allow everybody to keep their eyes on the road, as the voice command enable them to interact with apps without relying on touch input.
It's not a secret that voice commands in Android Auto have been misbehaving regularly, and the latest glitch comes from a handful of users who struggle with a problem that I've never seen before.
This time, Google Assistant only seems to play nice with navigation apps, ignoring all other apps on Android Auto.
The first report on this front was posted on Google's forums in September, with several others confirming the same behavior in their cars in the next weeks. The issue hasn’t become very widespread, though it still affects a growing number of users.
The problem affects all Android Auto except navigation apps, so if you use voice commands with Google Maps and Waze, the chances are you didn't even notice it. Spotify, YouTube Music, and any other application sporting Google Assistant integration suffers from the same problem on the configuration where the bug exists.
Users claim they can no longer use voice commands to create reminders, check the weather, or make a phone call. Setting up the destination in Google Maps works correctly though.
Someone says that the recent Google app update brings things back to normal, though the search giant has never confirmed the fix. However, the update to Android 14 might have also corrected the broken voice commands, as some users who confirmed the fix claim they also installed the latest operating system.
Meanwhile, Android Auto continues to struggle with other problems, and way too many are related to voice commands. The switch to Android 14 is also causing particular problems in the Android Auto world, with many users claiming that installing the new operating system version breaks down audio in their cars.
The problem has become very widespread lately, especially as the Android 14 availability improves. Once install, the operating system mutes everything on Android Auto, including music and navigation guidance. Users claim that nothing worked to bring back the expected behavior, with downgrading to Android 13 seemingly the only option.
Google has never confirmed Android Auto errors in Android 14, and it's not even known if the company is looking into the reported problems. However, if you're currently on Android 13 and use Android Auto on a regular basis, you might want to think twice before installing Android 14. The best option is to create a backup before updating the device, so if the new operating system ruins the Android Auto experience, you should be able to go back without losing your data.
This time, Google Assistant only seems to play nice with navigation apps, ignoring all other apps on Android Auto.
The first report on this front was posted on Google's forums in September, with several others confirming the same behavior in their cars in the next weeks. The issue hasn’t become very widespread, though it still affects a growing number of users.
The problem affects all Android Auto except navigation apps, so if you use voice commands with Google Maps and Waze, the chances are you didn't even notice it. Spotify, YouTube Music, and any other application sporting Google Assistant integration suffers from the same problem on the configuration where the bug exists.
Users claim they can no longer use voice commands to create reminders, check the weather, or make a phone call. Setting up the destination in Google Maps works correctly though.
Someone says that the recent Google app update brings things back to normal, though the search giant has never confirmed the fix. However, the update to Android 14 might have also corrected the broken voice commands, as some users who confirmed the fix claim they also installed the latest operating system.
Meanwhile, Android Auto continues to struggle with other problems, and way too many are related to voice commands. The switch to Android 14 is also causing particular problems in the Android Auto world, with many users claiming that installing the new operating system version breaks down audio in their cars.
The problem has become very widespread lately, especially as the Android 14 availability improves. Once install, the operating system mutes everything on Android Auto, including music and navigation guidance. Users claim that nothing worked to bring back the expected behavior, with downgrading to Android 13 seemingly the only option.
Google has never confirmed Android Auto errors in Android 14, and it's not even known if the company is looking into the reported problems. However, if you're currently on Android 13 and use Android Auto on a regular basis, you might want to think twice before installing Android 14. The best option is to create a backup before updating the device, so if the new operating system ruins the Android Auto experience, you should be able to go back without losing your data.
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