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New Fix Found for Android Auto’s Most Awkward 2021 Error

While Android Auto as a whole is evolving at a really fast pace, with Google now apparently a lot more committed to improving the overall experience, there are several errors that still need to be resolved.
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One of the most awkward was reported in 2021 and is yet to get an official fix.

Users running Android Auto in their cars discovered that their phone keyboards were completely dead after disconnecting the mobile device from the head unit inside the cabin. This behavior seems to be caused by Android Auto, as the keyboard apps are only broken every time the app launches in the car.

Google has already confirmed it’s investigating the problem, but until the search giant comes up with a full fix, users out there try out all kinds of workarounds to restore the expected behavior of their keyboards.

First and foremost, it’s important to know the problem is triggered regardless of the keyboard app running on the device. No matter if you’re still using the native keyboard or a third-party alternative like Microsoft SwiftKey, they all end up broken after disconnecting the phone from the head unit.

Thanks to someone who posted on Google’s forums, we now have a fix that appears to be doing the trick for many people out there.

It all comes to an option that doesn’t make much sense in the first place. It turns out that in some cases, Android Auto enables wireless connectivity even on a head unit where such functionality doesn’t exist and therefore requires a cable to establish the connection.

This option is what blocks the keyboard apps from launching after shutting down Android Auto.

So what you need to do is to launch Android Auto on your mobile device and go to the settings screen. Look for an option called Wireless Android Auto and make sure it’s disabled. This way, you can force the app to no longer search for a wireless connection and instead stick with the cable.

Close the app, and the next time you shut down Android Auto, the keyboard app should be up and running normally.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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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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