[Update: Sep. 04] Android Auto bugs, issues & problems tracker: Here's the current status

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on March 10, 2021) follows:

Android Auto has over the recent past experienced rapid growth to become a staple platform for keeping drivers connected to their cars.

Today, you no longer need your phone to call a friend when on the wheel. Android Auto not only lets you communicate with your friend hands-free, but also play music and even navigate through Maps and Waze.

Of course, with every new update to the standalone app, Google strives to add new features, improve existing ones as well as address some annoying bugs, issues and problems faced by users.

Not long ago, for instance, Android Auto was updated with split-screen support for cars with wide screens and fixed disconnection issues with the March security patch for Pixel phones.

But since Google doesn’t make Android Auto-powered cars and only writes the software, at times new feature additions and even bugs/issues that arise require the intervention of the actual car makers.

Keeping track of if and when the various players involved will be addressing a certain bug, issue or problem can be a daunting task. It gets even harder with making follow-ups to issues raised by users.

In this article, though, we’ve simplified it by putting everything you need to know about the current status of Android Auto bugs, issues and problems that have been raised in one place.

As expected, we will regularly update this article with new info whenever there are fresh developments, so be sure to bookmark it so that you don’t miss out.

11:03 am IST: Google says the issue where audio of media playing on Android Auto comes out through phone speakers instead of car speakers was addressed in the 6.1 update.

11:20 am IST: Google is also rolling out a new Android Auto update to version 6.2 and with it comes the following changes:

• Improved Do Not Disturb functionality.
• Dark mode on car UI is now independent from the phone.
• Bug fixes and other Improvements.

If the OTA hasn’t hit your unit, probably going for the APK version here would do. Who knows, maybe some of the most annoying issues have been dealt with, so let us know about it too.

03:40 pm IST: According to a report by Auto Evolution, Audible has addressed the annoying issue that reset audiobooks back to first page in Android Auto with a back-end update to the app.

04:08 pm IST: 1. Some devices running Android 11 like the Oppo Find X and the OnePlus Nord are having trouble connecting to Android Auto. Thankfully, the issue has already been escalated.

2. “Liked songs” on Spotify are failing to play on Android Auto for some users because the loading screen doesn’t end. Thankfully, the issue has already been addressed with the Spotify app version 8.6.14.

3. Some users report that Android Auto blasts the last played song at full volume randomly even after disconnecting. The issue has fortunately been fixed with Android Auto v6.2. Hence you would want to update your app.

4. The Android Auto temperature/weather has stopped working with the latest Android update on Samsung S9+ for several users. The issue has been escalated to the relevant team already though and a fix should roll out soon.

5. Some users report that Google Assistant on Android Auto does not read text messages but asks if the user wants to reply. The issue has already been addressed and you would want to hop onto the latest Android Auto version.

6. Android Auto weather location is stuck on some users’ hometown on Google Pixel devices. The issue has been forwarded to the concerned team for investigation.

7. Users from multiple different devices have reported that Android Auto doesn’t play Youtube Music even though it’s selected as the default music app. Thankfully, the Google Assistant team has already addressed the issue.

04:34 pm IST: The latest Android Auto update has been claimed by a Product Expert to fix some of the connectivity issues on Android 11. More details here.

04:49 pm IST: Android Auto users are facing renewed connectivity issues following a recent update. The app fails to launch or seems to force disconnect Wi-Fi. The likely culprit seems to be Android Auto 6.4 but without an official confirmation, one can’t really be too sure.

04:56 pm IST: Several users have reported that following a call, the music starts playing from the phone itself instead of Android Auto. Thankfully, the issue has been escalated.

05:10 pm IST: A few users have reported that Android Auto keeps moving from File Transfer USB connection to “no transfer” on the Google Pixels. The issue has been fixed now so just update your Android Auto app.

05:12 pm IST: Several users report that outgoing audio doesn’t work on calls initiated using Google Assistant due to an erroneous message that reads “To use car mic, end other calls”. The issue has been possibly fixed.

02:11 pm IST: In case you’re wondering about the latest status about all of the bugs and issues plaguing Android Auto currently, you would want to check out this forum post.

05:54 pm IST: 1. Several Samsung Galaxy S21 users have reported that their Android Auto crashes when the phone is unlocked. The issue has been escalated.

2. Following an official acknowledgment back in February for the “Spotify doesn’t seem to be working right now” issue, a Community Specialist now has the following to say:

Thanks for reporting this issue. It would be great if you could send us a bug report from your phone to diagnose the root cause of the issue. We’ll send an email with the instructions on how to capture a bug report. Please reply directly to the email with your information.
Source

3. Some users report that the music output switches to phone after call is disconnected on Android Auto and here’s the latest response so far.

4. Some users were having trouble with voice commands with navigation which shouldn’t be the case anymore as a fix has now been rolled out with the Android Auto 6.4 update.

5. As per recent complaints, the outgoing audio not working issue on calls initiated using Google Assistant seems to persist despite a fix being rolled out a while back.

6. Android Auto does not connect to 2020 Honda CRV after an update to Android 11 on the Pixel 2XL? A user now says that it has been fixed.

06:15 pm IST: Samsung and Android Auto are a pretty unreliable combo and have seen a range of issues in the recent past. Thankfully, Samsung is set to fix Android Auto problems on its phones with the upcoming July 2021 security update.

02:02 pm IST: A bunch of issues are being reported by users of Android Auto and in this update, we shall be outlining some of them. These reported issues include:

Choppy music when switching apps when Android Auto is connected via Wi-Fi, Failure to connect at all following update to Android 11 for Pixel 2 XL and newer Samsung devices, Google Maps stuck at “loading route”, Android Auto crashing when the Galaxy S21 Ultra locks screen and text messages alerts not working.

06:33 pm IST: There is a fix available for those facing issues like unresponsive Google Maps, music stutterring, and overall system slow with Android Auto. It seems changing the Bluetooth AVRCP version to 1.4 from 1.6 in the Developer options might fix the said issues with Android Auto.

I’ve been having issues with wireless android auto (music stuttering, Google maps being unresponsive or the whole system being slow.) in my 2021 5 Series using Samsung S21 ultra

I manage to find a fix and I hope it will help everyone else that has the same issue.

In your phone settings, go to developer options and change the Bluetooth AVRCP version from 1.6 to 1.4.

After changing this setting I stopped having issues and everything is working well.

Good luck.
Source

IST 11:23 am: Some Android Auto users now report that their Google Maps remains stuck at the loading route screen. Others complain of an issue where Assistant fails to give location-based results. More on that here.

IST 07:00 pm: The Android Auto Google Maps zoom not working with control knob issue is still at large, Google is also still working to fix this problem. Head here for more details.

IST 10:40 am: Those with the Sync 3.1 and 3.2 hardware are adviced to get in touch with Ford customer support if they are facing an issue where there is no sound for incoming calls in Android Auto.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all the reports on this issue. The Ford team had prepared a fix for vehicles with Sync 3.1 and 3.2 hardware. Please reach out to the Ford customer support team to learn more about the timeline or other details. Thanks!
Source

Also, those using Nissan vehichles are to visit dealership for software updates as the issue where Spotify songs cut out on Android Auto has been fixed by the relevant Nissan team.

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the feedback. The Nissan team has addressed a fix for this issue. The team mentioned that the head unit system will confirm updates to their server and download new software automatically.
We suggest you visit the dealership and check for software updates. Thanks!
Source

IST 05:19 pm: In case you’re facing issues using Spotify via AnyAutoAudio to play music in your Android Auto-supported vehicle, then you can follow this user-suggested workaroud:

Enable developer mode in android auto and check the box to allow unsigned apps. (Source)

Launch the Android Auto app.
Tap the top left menu and select About. Tap About Android Auto 10 times to unlock Developer Mode. Select top right menu and check if there’s Developer settings. Select Developer settings and scroll down to Unknown sources try this as it worked for me, ensure you close/force close all apps and re open it. (Source)

IST 05:45 pm: A Google community specialist has revealed that Samsung will finally start fixing the issues with Android Auto on its S21 Ultra models starting September as part of the Maintenance release instead of the monthly security updates.

Samsung has only released a security update in July which does not contain the fix for this issue. Samsung will roll out fix for this issue starting September as part of Maintenance release(MR) and not in monthly security updates. (Source)

IST 12:45 pm: It is coming to light that a section Android Auto users are still facing the issue where steering wheel controls don’t work. The bug was reportedly fixed but users are still reportedly facing it.

IST 04:59 pm: A fresh report highlights the possibility that Google may have fixed a major bug with Android Auto that caused the audio to cut out when switching apps while using the service in wireless mode.

IST 04:25 pm: A fresh report highlights that the missing weather icon has still not been fixed even after the latest update or server-side patches. Google is, however, still working on it.

IST 06:34 pm: The Android Auto known issues page was recently updated and it’s now confirmed that the team is working on a fix for the issue where Google Assistant would say show the error ‘Something went wrong, please try again’ when triggered, apart from a number of other issues.

IST 04:54 pm: Many Android Auto users have noticed that phone calls have stopped appearing on their phones when connected to Android Auto. Responding to one such complaint on the community forums, a specialist claimed the following:

Thanks for reaching out to us. We would like to inform you that when connected to Android Auto, for any incoming/outgoing calls, the caller details will be visible on the head unit only and not on the phone as this is an intended behavior. (Source)

IST 04:07 pm: One individual suggested stopping using Google Maps to fix the problem where Android Auto keeps crashing. This might not be feasible for some, however, if you don’t mind trying out other services, you might want to give it a shot.

You will have to stop the Google Maps app completely. It is the one that causes Android Auto to crash. Stop the Maps app. Click on Disable the application. I did not delete it and I’m sure it can be deleted but that was enough. Once I plugged the device into the car everything worked as smooth as a baby’s ass. (Source)

IST 02:20 pm: Users were facing an issue where Android Auto was not reading out messages but the same has now been fixed by the Google Assistant team. Head here for more details regarding the same.

IST 07:30 pm: Android Auto users have reported issues with Google Maps giving wrong roundabout directions to drivers. Another bug is causing Google Maps to automatically switch vehicle layout to left-hand drive.

Google has escalated both issues but there is no ETA in sight. You can read more about it here.

IST 12:30 pm: Users of Samsung devices are reportedly still facing the issue where Android Auto temperature or weather stops working even on the latest version of Android Auto.

This, despite assurance by a Community Specialist that the Android Auto team implemented fixes in the app.

IST 04:15 pm: According to recent reports from Google Support community, the Assistant team has fixed the issue where Google Assistant was not fetching location-based results with the latest Google app update.

IST 04:30 pm: It looks like Google has finally fixed the much dreaded Google Assistant ‘Something went wrong’ error affecting numerous Android Auto users. You can read more about it here.

IST 10:15 am: It looks like Google has fixed the ‘Android Auto weather location is stuck on hometown’ issue and the ‘Missing weather icon’ bug. More on that here.

NOTE: The tables below will be updated regularly to reflect the latest news.

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