[Updated] Android Auto voice commands broken, Google starts investigating

Update (March 08):

Team Google Assistant is now investigating the matter, confirms Don’s latest post.

The Google Assistant team is investigating this issue.

Original story:

A recent update appears to have broken the voice command functionality on Android Auto. Over the past few days, Android Auto users have been heading to different help forums to bring the issue to light. Those affected report of encountering a message stating ‘Voice commands aren’t available right now‘ on accessing the app.

The notification in question shows up irrespective of whether the app is being accessed in the car (as can be seen in the article’s feature image) or on the phone (as shown in the following user shared screenshots).

Some of the users also add that on closing/exiting AA, another error stating ‘Google Services have stopped working‘ pops up. A quick look at the following user comments will give you more clarity about the matter being discussed:

When Android Auto is started I get the message “Voice commands aren’t available right now” and the microphone crosses out. After a few seconds the microphone goes back to normal only to repeat the “Voice commands aren’t available right now” again after 4-5 seconds. It will repeat this a couple times then just stay with the microphone crossed out. Sometimes when I exit AA I will get the google services have stopped working error. This occurs both with the phone by itself and when plugged into a Pioneed NEX 4200.

When I start it or plug in my phone to the car, the mic icon goes from normal to having a line through it multiple times, and each time it posts a toast message saying the “voice commands aren’t available available right now.

My phone keeps repeating voice command are not available even when not connected to the car. I have tried disabling the “ok Google ” command trigger but still I am unable to use andriod auto.

Same problem here just started this past week. Keeps cycling between voice command not available then available then not available. 2018 Kia soul with Verizon Samsung Galaxy S8. The phone and car are not modified or rooted in any way.

I’m having this problem, too. Fully up-to-date pixel 2 and 2017 Honda pilot. I don’t know exactly when it started, but until very recently everything worked.

Same. Voice command comes and goes several times then just goes (about 4 seconds each). Then when exiting AA I get the google has stopped message. Does the same thing plugged in (NEX 4200) or not. LG V20. I don’t think I drove that car yesterday but noticed it today. I think I would have noticed if it happend more than a couple days ago.

Same issue on an up-to-date Ford Sync 3, with Galaxy S8 and Pixel 2 XL. Aside from voice command being unavailable, the phones report “Google keeps stopping, restart the app.” Just started a couple days ago.

Same with me. Seems that the core Google App is crashing when Android Auto is in-use. The only correlation I have found is that Google updated the Google App last week and could have introduced this issue.

I have a Pixel 2 XL and and also had this issue start Friday. I had trouble with both cars. a 2017 and 2018 that had been working fine prior. I realized this morning that the issue is with the app on the phone. It gives me the error on both cars and when launched Android Auto without being connected to the car. “Voice commands aren’t available right now.

Similar reports can be seen even in the review section of the Android Auto’s Play Store listing.

While the company hasn’t officially confirmed the problem yet, they have started investigating it. One of the experts from Android Auto team is asking complainants to share the following information:

• Phone make & model
• Android OS version (Settings > (System) > About phone)
• Android Auto app version (Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications > App info) > Android Auto)
• Google app version (Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) > Google)
• What did you say to Google? How was it recognized by Google? (You can check https://myactivity.google.com/myactivity)
• What did Google respond if there was any response?
• What happened? (any changes? error message?)

While we hope Google catches hold of whatever’s causing the glitch and fix the same sooner than later,
in case, you are encountering the same error, we suggest you to share the asked for details here.

Meanwhile, some of the user-suggested workarounds that you can try hands on are:

What DID work: uninstalling android auto and Google app, plugging phone into my car which prompted android auto reinstall and Google reinstall, then pressing my voice button on steering wheel to trigger Google Assistant to reinstall. HOWEVER do not let the Google app to auto update! Since I have done this, I have had no audio/voice command problems. Hopefully this helps everyone else out. Hopefully Google fixes what’s really wrong.

I’ve confirmed that the “fix” is obnoxious and requires you to do it at least once a day. If you open the app settings in your phone for Google and then force stop and then disable. Once disabled a warning will come up and say that this will remove the updates and bring it back to stock. After this, hit re-enable and when you open Android Auto for the first time it will force you to auto update the Google app. Once this is updated, plug in your phone to your car or open Android Auto. The first time that you do this, there will be a warning about using the Google Assistant and you’ll need to acknowledge this before it will work. Once this is done, when you plug your phone in voice commands should work. I did this last night and worked well for the day. Today, I had to redo this process first thing this morning and it worked the entire car ride into work.

Came across this in a forum, and it worked for me using the dash unit in my kia sportage

Uninstall android auto. Open google play store and uninstall Google. Plug phone into head unit, and phone will have a popup box to install android auto and google. Android auto installs, google installs and then updates.

Hope it works for some of you as well

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