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Major Widespread Android Auto Bug Causes Phones to Crash on Launch

In theory, running Android Auto should be just a matter of seconds because users only need to connect their phones to a head unit, after which the app is either started automatically or shows up on the screen for a manual launch.
The problem affects both Samsung and Google Pixel phones 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video
But as it turns out, even a little thing like running the app is sometimes broken down on Android Auto, with plenty of users recently coming across a problem that’s wreaking havoc in their cars.

Connecting the phone to the head unit and launching Android Auto causes the mobile device to crash every time, eventually triggering a reboot that just happens every time the app tries to run. In other words, once the smartphone is plugged in, it’s pushed into an infinite reboot loop that doesn’t end until the cable is removed.

While some say the issue has been around for a while, it has clearly become more widespread recently, though it’s not exactly clear what triggers it on more devices.

Same here. Starting today my phone (Galaxy Note 9) reboots as soon as it tries to connect to Android auto. My phone received an update last night so I'm pretty sure that is causing some kind of software conflict,” someone says on the forums.

And while a phone update might be the culprit here, others claim the whole thing started happening without any change on their end.

Same issue with my Pixel 4a, starting happening yesterday randomly after everything was working perfectly for a while,” someone else adds.

At this point, there’s no response from Google on this, so nobody knows exactly what to do, as the generic workarounds don’t seem to be of any help this time. For the time being, however, if you receive any update that causes this problem in your car, undoing it appears to be the only way to restore Android Auto and prevent the unexpected reboots from happening.
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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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