Photo: Florin Profir/autoevolution
The most recent version of Android Auto doesn’t feel so stable for some users, as it’s causing a mysterious exclamation mark error that breaks down the connection to the head unit.
This means that running Android Auto is no longer possible for the impacted users, with the most recent reports indicating that it’s all happening after the update to version 8.6.
Android Auto 8.6 is the most stable version of the app, so it is supposed not only to offer a more refined experience overall but also to include a series of important fixes.
The app, however, no longer works at all, as the exclamation mark that shows up on the screen blocks Android Auto from running. Playing music via Bluetooth is still possible, but the Android Auto interface isn’t loading.
The error doesn’t provide further details to help diagnose the problem, but on the other hand, the exclamation mark inside of a white triangle has been around for a while in Android. It’s being used to indicate a critical error – a similar symbol is displayed when entering the recovery mode on the device, which can be done from the bootloader menu.
In the case of Android Auto, however, it’s not yet clear why it’s showing up, but if Android Auto 8.6 is indeed the one to blame, the fix is rather simple.
Someone says that another Android device running Android Auto 8.5 was able to connect to the head unit in the same car properly, and this indicates the most recent version of the app is indeed causing the fatal error.
The solution to bring things back to normal is to manually downgrade to an earlier version of Android Auto (such as 8.5). To do this, just head over to this page where you can find all the latest releases of Android Auto. Pick a version that you want to download (the recommended build is 8.5, as it’s a recent update, so you’re not missing out on too many fixes) and save the standalone APK installer on your device.
When the download is complete, you must manually install the app and therefore complete the downgrade to the earlier release. In most cases, users will need to grant app installation permissions, as by default, Android devices are configured to use the Google Play Store as the only repository for software.
The downgrade process doesn’t need more than a few seconds to come to an end, at which point you should be running the older version of Android Auto. No further action is required, but keep in mind that your Android device might try to update the app if the automatic updates are enabled on the Google Play Store (head over to the Android Auto listing in the store and uncheck the auto-update option in the top right menu).
At this point, it's not yet know if Google is investigating the glitch, so downgrading seems to be the only option.
Android Auto 8.6 is the most stable version of the app, so it is supposed not only to offer a more refined experience overall but also to include a series of important fixes.
The app, however, no longer works at all, as the exclamation mark that shows up on the screen blocks Android Auto from running. Playing music via Bluetooth is still possible, but the Android Auto interface isn’t loading.
The error doesn’t provide further details to help diagnose the problem, but on the other hand, the exclamation mark inside of a white triangle has been around for a while in Android. It’s being used to indicate a critical error – a similar symbol is displayed when entering the recovery mode on the device, which can be done from the bootloader menu.
In the case of Android Auto, however, it’s not yet clear why it’s showing up, but if Android Auto 8.6 is indeed the one to blame, the fix is rather simple.
Someone says that another Android device running Android Auto 8.5 was able to connect to the head unit in the same car properly, and this indicates the most recent version of the app is indeed causing the fatal error.
The solution to bring things back to normal is to manually downgrade to an earlier version of Android Auto (such as 8.5). To do this, just head over to this page where you can find all the latest releases of Android Auto. Pick a version that you want to download (the recommended build is 8.5, as it’s a recent update, so you’re not missing out on too many fixes) and save the standalone APK installer on your device.
When the download is complete, you must manually install the app and therefore complete the downgrade to the earlier release. In most cases, users will need to grant app installation permissions, as by default, Android devices are configured to use the Google Play Store as the only repository for software.
The downgrade process doesn’t need more than a few seconds to come to an end, at which point you should be running the older version of Android Auto. No further action is required, but keep in mind that your Android device might try to update the app if the automatic updates are enabled on the Google Play Store (head over to the Android Auto listing in the store and uncheck the auto-update option in the top right menu).
At this point, it's not yet know if Google is investigating the glitch, so downgrading seems to be the only option.
Google News