Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
The consensus is that keeping your software up-to-date is the recommended way to go, as this is the easiest way to get the latest improvements and fixes.
On the other hand, Android Auto users learned the hard way that rushing to install updates isn't exactly a clever thing to do. More often than not, the new versions end up causing all kinds of problems, including connectivity issues that can't be resolved without an official fix.
The same thing is happening right now due to what appears to be a bug in the latest versions of Android Auto.
Reports pointing to connectivity issues on Android Auto started appearing in early May, shortly after the release of version 9.4. Now it looks like this particular release is indeed the culprit for the connection error, with newer updates not producing any improvement either.
Most users explain that Android Auto fails to launch when connecting the mobile device to the head unit. The notification that appears on the screen claims the vehicle is "looking for Android Auto," but the connection eventually fails because the app isn't found.
Both the wired and wireless versions of Android Auto experience the same behavior, whereas connecting the vehicle to the car via Bluetooth works properly.
Android Auto 9.4 seemingly introduced the bug, so the only fix that users discovered since its release is the downgrade to version 9.3. The other fixes, including the generic ideas like clearing the cache and changing cables, did not produce any improvements.
As such, if you too want to go back to Android Auto 9.3, you must first download the stand-alone APK installer. The most recent Android Auto version is 9.6, so chances are you're already on a build newer than 9.3.
All Android Auto APK builds are available on this page, so download the 9.3 installer and save it on your device. Afterward, browse to its location and tap the installer to begin the downgrade. You do not need to remove the existing version of Android Auto before the downgrade, as all files are replaced automatically. The process might require special permissions because Android is not configured to allow app installation from non-Google Play Store sources.
Once you downgrade Android Auto to version 9.3, the app should connect correctly to the vehicle. However, you should block the automatic updates, as Android would otherwise download and install the latest version from the Google Play Store. In other words, you might end up running the faulty build once again once a newer version is found on the Play Store.
Google is yet to acknowledge the bug at the time of writing, so no official fix is currently on the way. The next stable Android Auto update will launch in June.
The same thing is happening right now due to what appears to be a bug in the latest versions of Android Auto.
Reports pointing to connectivity issues on Android Auto started appearing in early May, shortly after the release of version 9.4. Now it looks like this particular release is indeed the culprit for the connection error, with newer updates not producing any improvement either.
Most users explain that Android Auto fails to launch when connecting the mobile device to the head unit. The notification that appears on the screen claims the vehicle is "looking for Android Auto," but the connection eventually fails because the app isn't found.
Both the wired and wireless versions of Android Auto experience the same behavior, whereas connecting the vehicle to the car via Bluetooth works properly.
Android Auto 9.4 seemingly introduced the bug, so the only fix that users discovered since its release is the downgrade to version 9.3. The other fixes, including the generic ideas like clearing the cache and changing cables, did not produce any improvements.
As such, if you too want to go back to Android Auto 9.3, you must first download the stand-alone APK installer. The most recent Android Auto version is 9.6, so chances are you're already on a build newer than 9.3.
All Android Auto APK builds are available on this page, so download the 9.3 installer and save it on your device. Afterward, browse to its location and tap the installer to begin the downgrade. You do not need to remove the existing version of Android Auto before the downgrade, as all files are replaced automatically. The process might require special permissions because Android is not configured to allow app installation from non-Google Play Store sources.
Once you downgrade Android Auto to version 9.3, the app should connect correctly to the vehicle. However, you should block the automatic updates, as Android would otherwise download and install the latest version from the Google Play Store. In other words, you might end up running the faulty build once again once a newer version is found on the Play Store.
Google is yet to acknowledge the bug at the time of writing, so no official fix is currently on the way. The next stable Android Auto update will launch in June.
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