Android Auto not working: how to fix most common bugs

Android Auto not working: how to fix most common bugs

In this article, you’ll find the most common bugs that lead to Android Auto not working, along with their solutions. Google has always marveled the world with its cutting-edge technology, innovative devices, and groundbreaking apps. Android Auto is one example of that.

It has been five years since Android Auto’s initial release, and it has gone through some significant developments. While Android Auto is arguably the best way to bring the power of one of the world’s most widely used mobile operating system to your car’s display, it is certainly not without flaws.

Table of Contents

  1. Android Auto not working: problems and troubleshooting
    1. The Internet connection is not strong enough at the moment
    2. Android Auto does not launch automatically when you plug-in your phone
    3. Google Assistant is not responding to voice commands
    4. Android Auto launch failed
    5. Navigating apps malfunctioning
    6. Certain apps keep crashing while using Android Auto
    7. Automatic launch of the Android Auto app bug
  2. Wrap Up

Android Auto not working: problems and troubleshooting

Next, we will address some of the most common Android Auto bugs that you may experience in your car and also advise on solutions that will resolve the issues. Stay with us if you’re an Android user.

The Internet connection is not strong enough at the moment

While using Android Auto, sometimes the Google Assistant gives an error message which says “This Internet connection isn’t strong enough at the moment”. A different version of the same error is “This Internet connection isn’t stable at the moment”.

These connectivity issues seem to appear even if your Internet connection is working fine. You could still run apps that rely on the Internet to run at the same time, but for some reason, the Google Assistant is unable to function.

This particular connectivity issue is not limited to specific brands but appears in all the Android smartphone brands such as a Samsung device, Google, Xiaomi, etc. Also, the error consistently appears in a variety of cars such as Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, and others.

Here’s our suggested fix:

To fix this Android Auto issue, install the latest version of the Google Assistant app. Google recently stated that it prepared an Android Auto fix for the updated versions of Google App.

There is another more complicated solution available too, which requires downgrading your phone software to a previous Android version (Android Pie). As this solution does not guarantee that the app will work, we do not recommend it. It is better to wait for an official fix rather than downgrading the phone’s operating system to try to use Android Auto in your car.

Update: A few hours after we published this article, AndroidPolice.com informed us that Google has released a fix for this bug. According to Google, updating your Google app should fix it once and for all.

Android Auto does not launch automatically when you plug-in your phone

The Android Auto app is designed to launch automatically when you plug-in the smartphone to your car and it detects a car stereo head unit. Sometimes, the app will not automatically launch when you plug the Android phone in.

Here’s our suggested fix:

Thankfully, the solution to this automatic launch of the Android Auto is quite easy and quick. To fix it, you just need to restart the phone to reset it, and plug it in again.

Google Assistant is not responding to voice commands

Google Assistant doesn’t respond when you shout the “Hey Google” voice command. It would appear as if it’s listening, but it won’t take any action.

Here’s our suggested fix:

To fix this voice recognition issue, you can press the Google Assistant button, and it will respond. However, be careful as putting your hands on your mobile phone while driving may distract you.

Android Auto launch failed

Occasionally, the Android Auto app will fail to launch, and it won’t show up on the car’s infotainment screen. Unfortunately, even restarting your phone or unplugging and plugging in the Android device again, does not solve this issue.

Here’s our suggested fix:

The “fail to launch” issue is quite rare, and it depends on the cable you are using, the Android device you own, and the Android operating system version. If you happen to come across this particular problem, you may need to change your cable to a higher quality one.

Sometimes users have reported that navigating apps like Google Maps and Waze stop tracking the car accurately. The issue causes the navigation apps to malfunction, and even if they manage to reposition the vehicle, it will lose the location again. Such occurrences also happen during short-distance drives.

Here’s our suggested fix:

Update your navigation apps regularly as this often happens with outdated versions. The new versions of the apps do not show as many problems as the old ones, but this solution is not guaranteed to work for everyone.

Certain apps keep crashing while using Android Auto

Some other Android Auto bugs cause problems and make it stop working correctly. Sometimes the Spotify you are running to listen to music while driving, would suddenly crash and you will not hear any audio from the speakers.

At times your navigation apps may crash and restart again, and as stated earlier, voice commands also stop working.

Here’s our suggested fix:

There is no guaranteed Android Auto fix to address all these issues, and the best you can do is to keep your Android Auto and navigation apps regularly updated.

Automatic launch of the Android Auto app bug

This automatic launch bug is one of the newest bugs in the Android Auto world. The app is designed to auto-launch when you connect your phone to your car, and whenever the phone detects the head unit.

However, users have recently reported that even when you connect your phone to a standard wall charger, the Android Auto app tries to launch. As the phone and app cannot detect a head unit, the Android Auto app fails to start. The phone displays an error stating that it can’t connect to the car screen.

Here’s our suggested fix:

The automatic launch of the Android Auto app with a standard wall charger is a strange and annoying issue. There is yet no sure-fire way to resolve it. However, if you encounter this peculiar problem, you could try changing the socket or USB cable of your charger. You may also try to clean the inside of your USB port connector to try to resolve this issue.

Wrap Up

Like any regular software, Android Auto most common bugs also demand hit and trial methods. While we have addressed some Android auto known issues, each fix is not guaranteed to work for you.

A general practice we advise Android Auto users is to keep their apps in the app drawer always updated. Updates majorly intend to solve Android Auto bugs and issues. This common practice can surely smoothen and elevate your Android Auto experience.

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