autoevolution
 

Popular Messaging Apps Mysteriously Disappear from Android Auto

If popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are nowhere to be seen on your head unit when the Android phone is connected and Android Auto is running, you’re certainly not alone.
Messaging apps no longer showing up on Android Auto 1 photo
Photo: Google forums
One of our readers told us that several messaging apps have gone missing on Android Auto for no clear reason, though judging from this thread on Google’s forums, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are the two most often affected by this problem.

At this point, however, it’s not clear what’s happening and why these apps are no longer available on Android Auto, but some believe a recent update might have broken down the support for Google’s app. Both WhatsApp and Messenger are owned by Facebook.

While at this point the problem doesn’t seem to be very widespread, users on Google’s forums claim the apps don’t show in the customize launcher menu either, so in theory, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger no longer support Android Auto at all.

Google has already chimed in, asking for phone logs from the affected users, all in an attempt to determine what exactly is happening and figure out whether a fix is needed or not.

In the meantime, Google is already working on giving the finishing touches to a new Android Auto version, with the release projected to happen in the coming days. But of course, don’t expect any big changes at this point, as the next Android Auto update is very likely to land with smaller changes under the hood, as the focus is most likely on improving the overall performance and fixing some bugs.

But on the other hand, this doesn’t necessarily mean Google isn’t working on bigger changes for Android Auto. For example, it’s been discovered the search giant is developing a connection troubleshooter for Android Auto users, essentially assisting users as they struggle to fix the app whenever they hit connection problems caused by either bad cables or other reasons.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
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.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories