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Waze 1, Google Maps 0, as Android Auto Users Keep Struggling With Navigation

Choosing the right navigation app on Android Auto isn’t necessarily as easy as it sounds, but more often than not, it all comes down to installing either Google Maps or Waze.
Google Maps on Android Auto 6 photos
Photo: Google
Android Auto interfaceAndroid Auto interfaceAndroid Auto interfaceAndroid Auto interfaceAndroid Auto interface
As it turns out, however, Waze has become the more reliable choice for some Android Auto users out there, as they’re now struggling with a new glitch that makes Google Maps much harder to use.

The problem showed up in late March, and since then, running Google Maps on Android Auto doesn’t seem to be possible unless users turn to some basic tricks.

According to several posts, the app freezes when satellite navigation is enabled. While the audio continues to run in the background, the visual maps are stuck, and going back to the home screen of the head unit (outside of Android Auto) and then returning to Google Maps sometimes fixes the whole thing temporarily.

Using Google Maps without the satellite view seems to work properly, but on the other hand, this isn’t necessarily the most convenient solution for people who’ve gotten used to this navigation mode.

Oddly enough, the problem seems to be caused not by an Android Auto or Google Maps update but by a new version of Android that debuted earlier this year. Users who claim that Google Maps freezes on Android Auto say the whole thing showed up after installing a recent Android operating system update.

Unfortunately, this means that going back to the previous version isn’t necessarily a thing for the Average Joe, so Google is the one that needs to come up with a solution this time.

In the meantime, if you still want to use Google Maps on Android Auto, the best option is to just disable the satellite navigation at least until a fix goes live.

At first glance, only Samsung phones are affected by the problem, so we’ve reached out to the South Korean phone maker to see if the company is aware of the glitch and whether a fix is currently in development or not.
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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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