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Using Google Maps on Android Auto Is Suddenly a Huge Pain in the Neck

Long-time Android Auto users probably know that voice commands sometimes stop working all of a sudden for no clear reason, but this time, it looks like the one that’s affected is none other than Google Maps.
Google Maps on Android Auto 10 photos
Photo: Google
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As the world’s number one mobile navigation app and the preferred choice by most Android Auto users, Google Maps is currently an essential part of the app arsenal of many drivers out there. So not being able to use Google Maps behind the wheel is quite a major pain in the neck, especially if these people don’t want to switch to alternatives like Waze.

According to posts that have been published on Google’s forums throughout August, Google Assistant no longer handles Google Maps-related voice commands correctly. The assistant does understand the command, claims it’s setting the navigation to the provided destination, but then fails to do so, eventually returning to the original screen.

The lack of voice commands on Android Auto is a major annoyance, as users technically need to rely on touch input to configure Google Maps.

Someone says the solution they’ve found is also extremely inconvenient, as they disconnect Android Auto, configure Google Maps with voice commands on the mobile device, and then reconnect the smartphone to the head unit to launch Android Auto. At this point, Google Maps should already be configured to the provided destination.

It goes without saying this isn’t exactly a workaround you’d want to turn to on a regular basis, so a full fix is required as soon as possible.

At this point, however, Google is yet to publicly acknowledge the issue, which means the work on a solution hasn’t even started. There’s not much you can do in the meantime, but the best (and safest, too) thing you can do is to configure Google Maps when the car is not in motion with touch input on the head unit.
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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.
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