Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Users in the Android Auto world have gotten used to all kinds of problems, as the app regularly hits issues that make it impossible to enjoy a seamless and reliable experience.
Some bugs are more confusing than others, and an error that landed in late December proves that not even Google can sometimes figure out what happens.
As I reported long before this issue became widespread, a mysterious Android Auto update caused some head units to restart when the app tried to load. Nobody knew what was happening, so they turned to Google's forums to report the issue.
Everybody believed it was "just another" Android Auto glitch, so they attempted to resolve it with generic fixes. It didn't take long before they learned nothing worked, as replacing cables, reinstalling Android Auto, and clearing the cache and the data didn't improve their experience.
Six months later, the issue has become widespread and is now hitting at least tens of users who joined the forums to confirm it – the number could be much higher, considering not everybody complains about the bug online.
The issue seems to mainly affect Kenwood head units, regardless of the mobile device used to power the Android Auto experience. Users have confirmed the same problem with Samsung, Google Pixel, and Motorola phones, so it's certainly not caused by the mobile phone. The culprit appears to be a compatibility issue between Android Auto and Kenwood head units.
The media receiver typically reboots instantly when Android Auto tries to load, entering a reboot loop that makes it impossible to run the app. Unless users close Android Auto and prevent it from running, they can no longer use the head unit.
As it typically happens in the Android Auto world, a Google Community Specialist on the forums asked for more bug specifics in early January, telling users that the Android Auto team needs more data for the investigation. No update has been shared since then, despite users providing the data and more people confirming the same behavior in their cars.
The latest Android Auto updates don't seem to produce improvements, and users who encountered the glitch claim they're still unable to use the application six months after the problem was reported. The latest beta also doesn't include a fix, so Google hasn't managed to ship a patch yet.
Meanwhile, there's not much you can do to restore Android Auto, but one thing you should try is to downgrade to an older version of the app (much older, considering the bug appeared in December). You won't be able to use this workaround for long, though, as Google eventually locks old builds in an attempt to force users to update to the latest releases.
As I reported long before this issue became widespread, a mysterious Android Auto update caused some head units to restart when the app tried to load. Nobody knew what was happening, so they turned to Google's forums to report the issue.
Everybody believed it was "just another" Android Auto glitch, so they attempted to resolve it with generic fixes. It didn't take long before they learned nothing worked, as replacing cables, reinstalling Android Auto, and clearing the cache and the data didn't improve their experience.
Six months later, the issue has become widespread and is now hitting at least tens of users who joined the forums to confirm it – the number could be much higher, considering not everybody complains about the bug online.
The issue seems to mainly affect Kenwood head units, regardless of the mobile device used to power the Android Auto experience. Users have confirmed the same problem with Samsung, Google Pixel, and Motorola phones, so it's certainly not caused by the mobile phone. The culprit appears to be a compatibility issue between Android Auto and Kenwood head units.
The media receiver typically reboots instantly when Android Auto tries to load, entering a reboot loop that makes it impossible to run the app. Unless users close Android Auto and prevent it from running, they can no longer use the head unit.
As it typically happens in the Android Auto world, a Google Community Specialist on the forums asked for more bug specifics in early January, telling users that the Android Auto team needs more data for the investigation. No update has been shared since then, despite users providing the data and more people confirming the same behavior in their cars.
The latest Android Auto updates don't seem to produce improvements, and users who encountered the glitch claim they're still unable to use the application six months after the problem was reported. The latest beta also doesn't include a fix, so Google hasn't managed to ship a patch yet.
Meanwhile, there's not much you can do to restore Android Auto, but one thing you should try is to downgrade to an older version of the app (much older, considering the bug appeared in December). You won't be able to use this workaround for long, though, as Google eventually locks old builds in an attempt to force users to update to the latest releases.
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