Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google forums
Android Auto is a fantastic app that makes the interaction with essential apps, such as Google Maps, a piece of cake while driving. However, if you're a seasoned Android Auto user, you probably know that the app doesn't always offer the most flawless experience.
There are times when Android Auto goes wild for no clear reason, wreaking havoc in the car and making it nearly impossible for users to run the app.
It's what happens these days for some unlucky fellows who ended up struggling with a new type of Android Auto bug that impacts the car's volume controls.
The first report signaling this mysterious behavior landed in August when someone turned to Google's forums to reveal that music volume control no longer works with the buttons on the steering wheel when listening to anything on Android Auto. Several others claim the bug is even worse, as they can't adjust the sound volume of anything running on Android Auto, including the spoken navigation directions from apps like Google Maps and Waze.
One of our readers told me in a recent message that the bug appeared two weeks ago after updating to Android Auto 10.9, explaining that they only get a message on the screen telling them that "audio is paused."
Users in this Google thread confirm the same behavior, adding that the music keeps playing without any method to adjust the volume.
It's unclear why the bug keeps coming back for some users, but I'm seeing only sporadic reports of this behavior – a sign that the glitch isn't very widespread. However, Google should investigate the problem, as being unable to adjust the volume makes users want to shut down Android Auto. Someone says they can't even adjust the volume on their phone if it's connected to the head unit to run Android Auto, so the bug affects both the infotainment system and the mobile device.
The only workaround that seems to restore Android Auto is to enable the developer settings on the mobile device and activate unknown apps. It's impossible to tell why this solution brings Android Auto back to a working condition regarding its compatibility with audio controls, but several users confirmed it does the trick.
To enable developer settings, you must go to the About menu and tap the version number seven times. You should see a message that the developer settings menu has been unlocked, letting you enable the unknown app support on the mobile device.
Meanwhile, Google says it needs more information to investigate, so it's too early to tell if the problem will ever get a patch. If you're also struggling with this error, join the conversation by leaving us a message in the box after the jump.
It's what happens these days for some unlucky fellows who ended up struggling with a new type of Android Auto bug that impacts the car's volume controls.
The first report signaling this mysterious behavior landed in August when someone turned to Google's forums to reveal that music volume control no longer works with the buttons on the steering wheel when listening to anything on Android Auto. Several others claim the bug is even worse, as they can't adjust the sound volume of anything running on Android Auto, including the spoken navigation directions from apps like Google Maps and Waze.
One of our readers told me in a recent message that the bug appeared two weeks ago after updating to Android Auto 10.9, explaining that they only get a message on the screen telling them that "audio is paused."
Users in this Google thread confirm the same behavior, adding that the music keeps playing without any method to adjust the volume.
It's unclear why the bug keeps coming back for some users, but I'm seeing only sporadic reports of this behavior – a sign that the glitch isn't very widespread. However, Google should investigate the problem, as being unable to adjust the volume makes users want to shut down Android Auto. Someone says they can't even adjust the volume on their phone if it's connected to the head unit to run Android Auto, so the bug affects both the infotainment system and the mobile device.
The only workaround that seems to restore Android Auto is to enable the developer settings on the mobile device and activate unknown apps. It's impossible to tell why this solution brings Android Auto back to a working condition regarding its compatibility with audio controls, but several users confirmed it does the trick.
To enable developer settings, you must go to the About menu and tap the version number seven times. You should see a message that the developer settings menu has been unlocked, letting you enable the unknown app support on the mobile device.
Meanwhile, Google says it needs more information to investigate, so it's too early to tell if the problem will ever get a patch. If you're also struggling with this error, join the conversation by leaving us a message in the box after the jump.
Google News