Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
I regularly cover Android Auto updates and bugs, so I've seen plenty of problems hitting the app and causing mysterious behavior.
However, a glitch that showed up after a recent update must be one of the most unexpected I've seen yet.
An Android Auto update causes the app to trigger a head unit reboot when it tries to load, making it impossible not only to run Google's in-car experience but also to do anything else on the infotainment screen.
The first report of this uncanny behavior landed on Google's forums in late December, and the user says it's probably caused by the most recent Android Auto update. It's unclear what version they installed, but someone else confirmed the bug on Android Auto 10.9 – the most recent version is Android Auto 11, though the rollout takes place in stages through the Google Play Store; this version hasn't yet reached broad availability.
Users who encountered the problem say the head unit reboot is triggered once the mobile device is connected to the infotainment screen via a cable. The reboot starts immediately after the phone begins charging – it's a sign the connection between the mobile device and the head unit is live, with Android Auto normally loading and showing its interface on the screen.
It doesn't happen this time, as the reboot happens repeatedly – once the first head unit restart is initiated, the connection between the phone and the head unit is lost, with Android Auto failing to load; as a result, when the head unit loads, the connection between the two is re-established, so Android Auto tries to run a second time, triggering another reboot.
Several users who turned to Google's forums to report this strange behavior claim they use Kenwood head units with various Android smartphones. The Kenwood media receiver appears to be the only common thing in all reports, so the problem might come down to a compatibility bug between this media receiver and a recent Android Auto update.
A Google Community Specialist joined the conversation on Google's forums to ask for more information, but it's too early to tell when a patch could land. For now, Google's investigation hasn't even started yet, as the company tries to collect more critical tidbits before putting them together and figuring out what happens.
Users who encounter the problem say they've already tried all the common fixes in Android Auto, starting with an app reinstall and ending with the typical data-clearing process. Nothing worked, so they changed cables, believing that the reboot could be triggered by a bad cord. It wasn't the case, so Google is the only one that could bring things back to normal, though based on past investigations, it could take a while until all these users receive the highly awaited fix.
An Android Auto update causes the app to trigger a head unit reboot when it tries to load, making it impossible not only to run Google's in-car experience but also to do anything else on the infotainment screen.
The first report of this uncanny behavior landed on Google's forums in late December, and the user says it's probably caused by the most recent Android Auto update. It's unclear what version they installed, but someone else confirmed the bug on Android Auto 10.9 – the most recent version is Android Auto 11, though the rollout takes place in stages through the Google Play Store; this version hasn't yet reached broad availability.
Users who encountered the problem say the head unit reboot is triggered once the mobile device is connected to the infotainment screen via a cable. The reboot starts immediately after the phone begins charging – it's a sign the connection between the mobile device and the head unit is live, with Android Auto normally loading and showing its interface on the screen.
It doesn't happen this time, as the reboot happens repeatedly – once the first head unit restart is initiated, the connection between the phone and the head unit is lost, with Android Auto failing to load; as a result, when the head unit loads, the connection between the two is re-established, so Android Auto tries to run a second time, triggering another reboot.
Several users who turned to Google's forums to report this strange behavior claim they use Kenwood head units with various Android smartphones. The Kenwood media receiver appears to be the only common thing in all reports, so the problem might come down to a compatibility bug between this media receiver and a recent Android Auto update.
A Google Community Specialist joined the conversation on Google's forums to ask for more information, but it's too early to tell when a patch could land. For now, Google's investigation hasn't even started yet, as the company tries to collect more critical tidbits before putting them together and figuring out what happens.
Users who encounter the problem say they've already tried all the common fixes in Android Auto, starting with an app reinstall and ending with the typical data-clearing process. Nothing worked, so they changed cables, believing that the reboot could be triggered by a bad cord. It wasn't the case, so Google is the only one that could bring things back to normal, though based on past investigations, it could take a while until all these users receive the highly awaited fix.
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