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If Your Android Phone Battery Is Draining Fast, Make Sure You Check Android Auto

Long-time Android Auto users certainly remember that the release of every new major Android update came with a series of new bugs for the experience they get while driving.
The mysterious message showing up for some users 6 photos
Photo: Google forums
The new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UI
It happened in the case of Android 11 and then when Android 12 came out, so it’s no surprise that the launch of Android 13 in the summer is also breaking quite a lot of things on Android Auto.

Some of the users who installed Google’s most recent mobile operating system version discovered that, in some cases, their devices end up with a “Looking for Android Auto” notification even when the smartphone isn’t connected to a head unit.

Turning off Bluetooth does make the message go away (though this fix doesn’t appear to work for everybody), but most recently, it was discovered that the mysterious notification has another side effect in addition to being rather annoying: it’s causing a massive battery drain.

Several users have noticed and reported here on the Google forums that the “Looking for Android Auto” message has a significant impact on battery life – at first glance, this isn’t necessarily surprising, especially if this search for Android Auto uses Bluetooth to scan for a nearby head unit.

The longer the Bluetooth search takes, the bigger the impact on battery life, so unless the aforementioned workaround does the trick, users need a patch as soon as possible.

A member of the Android Auto team says the reports have already been submitted to the developers in charge of delivering a patch, but of course, an ETA as to when this one could go live isn’t available.

For the time being, it’s important to keep in mind that the glitch only happens on Android 13, and at first glance, it’s not necessarily widespread. However, if you do see the notification, turning off Bluetooth (even though it’s not the most convenient solution) could come in handy temporarily.
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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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