Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution
Android Auto users have more or less gotten used to voice command bugs, as this essential feature has never worked as it should for more than a minute.
In fact, the updates that the parent company ships for the Google app (which is in charge of powering the voice assistant integration in Android Auto) seem to produce more harm than good, with voice commands broken down every now and then for a significant number of users.
A new bug now impacting Android Auto proves Google has a strange definition of reliability, as the voice commands are now misbehaving in the most awful way.
First spotted in March after a new Android Auto version was installed, the glitch causes the voice commands to fail to launch completely.
Users who took to Google's forums to explain what happens claim they only see the bar with the dots (the animation that indicates Google Assistant is listening for input), without the beep and the typical waiting time. In other words, the animation shows up and immediately disappears, with Google Assistant not receiving any input.
The bug happens when Google Assistant launches via the "OK, Google" command, but some users claim the same behavior can be noticed when using the steering wheel button for voice input.
The issue was observed beginning with Android Auto 8.9, and the next versions released by Google in the last few weeks don't seem to produce any improvement. The most recent version of Android Auto is 9.5, but it doesn't fix the bug either.
Several users have confirmed the same behavior in their cars, and since the problem was reported in March, others chimed in with their own reports, presumably as they received the update breaking down voice commands. Unfortunately, no workaround is known to exist, but if you want to try something, downgrading Android Auto and the Google app should be the first solution.
If the glitch was introduced in a recent app update, the easiest way to resolve the whole thing is by returning to the last build known to work properly.
Google has yet to announce a fix, but a Community Specialist previously asked for more information about the bug, contacting users via email for additional details. The bug doesn't seem to affect only a specific phone model or car brand, so it’s most likely an app error that needs to be resolved by Google itself.
In the meantime, the search giant is also busy shipping the Coolwalk update to more devices. Started in January, the rollout happens in stages, with the company planning to complete the process by the end of the summer. At this point, it's not yet known if the bug is in any way tied to the Coolwalk update.
In fact, the updates that the parent company ships for the Google app (which is in charge of powering the voice assistant integration in Android Auto) seem to produce more harm than good, with voice commands broken down every now and then for a significant number of users.
A new bug now impacting Android Auto proves Google has a strange definition of reliability, as the voice commands are now misbehaving in the most awful way.
First spotted in March after a new Android Auto version was installed, the glitch causes the voice commands to fail to launch completely.
Users who took to Google's forums to explain what happens claim they only see the bar with the dots (the animation that indicates Google Assistant is listening for input), without the beep and the typical waiting time. In other words, the animation shows up and immediately disappears, with Google Assistant not receiving any input.
The bug happens when Google Assistant launches via the "OK, Google" command, but some users claim the same behavior can be noticed when using the steering wheel button for voice input.
The issue was observed beginning with Android Auto 8.9, and the next versions released by Google in the last few weeks don't seem to produce any improvement. The most recent version of Android Auto is 9.5, but it doesn't fix the bug either.
Several users have confirmed the same behavior in their cars, and since the problem was reported in March, others chimed in with their own reports, presumably as they received the update breaking down voice commands. Unfortunately, no workaround is known to exist, but if you want to try something, downgrading Android Auto and the Google app should be the first solution.
If the glitch was introduced in a recent app update, the easiest way to resolve the whole thing is by returning to the last build known to work properly.
Google has yet to announce a fix, but a Community Specialist previously asked for more information about the bug, contacting users via email for additional details. The bug doesn't seem to affect only a specific phone model or car brand, so it’s most likely an app error that needs to be resolved by Google itself.
In the meantime, the search giant is also busy shipping the Coolwalk update to more devices. Started in January, the rollout happens in stages, with the company planning to complete the process by the end of the summer. At this point, it's not yet known if the bug is in any way tied to the Coolwalk update.
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