confused me today - Android Auto

[grazuncle2]

I had a holiday (in UK) only 4 weeks ago and used Android Auto as normal (click the Android Auto icon to start the app etc) for the whole week travelling everywhere.

Today got in the car connected everything up and went to click my my Android Auto icon... and not there! I scroll up the draw for all apps.. it is usually at the top of the alphabetical list.. not there either.. nor in my settings/apps list

I'm tight for time and never been to this place before; half hour away, and it is not straightforward to get there.. Out of desperation i thought I'd go to Play Store and re install it... find the app but no install or uninstall!!!??? just 'do you want to go to settings'??? I did that..

Then the local map pops up on the car's display.. I thought forget the troubleshooting, I'm late now.. just say Hey Google and give the address I want to go to.. it did its usual thing and we drive off.. same coming home; what appears to be Android Auto worked same coming home.. What the hell is going on?

From googling it seems Android auto no longer works from the phone but Google Assistant has taken over.. I don't care as long as it works but it would have been nice to have been informed over the last 4 weeks.

link to one of many similar answers to this; https://www.makeuseof.com/google-assist ... oid%20Auto

anyone else noticed this? ps I remember last week that Android Auto on the list (among 9 others) of apps that needed updates applied.. must have been something to do with that..?

[OomStu_ZA]

Yes it has also happened to me. The newer Anroid phones have AA preinstalled, not as an app from the app store. AA works for me as in I see AA on the infotainment screen but no MAPS. I've also tried various suggestions to no avail until someone asked if I'd tried a different cable and that seems to have resolved the issue for me at least.

[grazuncle2]

Interesting that..

I didn't have AA on pre-installed it was always an installed app.

now that seems to have changed and just works (installed internally on my phone now, apparently?).. would have liked some notification from the last update.
This morning I thought I was going to have to bring my Tom Tom sat nav out of retirement (I leave it in the boot and charge it/download any updated maps etc occasionally.)

The minor advantage of the Tom Tom is you you enter an address when you can't get a data signal on your phone/device... rare these days I know.

[OomStu_ZA]

For AA I have pre-download maps for my region and can use it when there is no data available.

[grazuncle2]

had another shock the other day going to an appointment never navigated to before, late in the evening..

connected up my Android phone just before setting off and whilst the phone connected to the display i got no maps.. I had to disconnect and open Google maps and ask directly for directions.

After coming out of the appointment i re-connected the phone and discovered the Android auto notification.. clicked on that and it was asking for permission to connect!!!! then it displayed a map BUT only 3/5ths of the screen and the rest of the display real estate taken up by suggestions I didn't want.. No idea yet how to get my maps full screen again.. why can't they leave things alone? Marketing?

I works but.....

[OomStu_ZA]

AA updated the GUI recently and it is possible to get full screen maps. If I recall on the bottom right there is a box you tap and it then goes full screen. When I next use AA I'll take a picture or two to help.

[grazuncle2]

Anything like that would help thanks!

[grazuncle2]

Anything like that would help thanks!

[OomStu_ZA]

Anything like that would help thanks!

This YouTube link may prove useful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcfFDg8 ... onfections

This is the icon I was referring to (mine is on bottom right of screen if I recall):

[grazuncle2]

Thanks for taking the time for this.

I'll check it out ASAP

[grazuncle2]

I found you link very useful!

it does work as suggested... getting from connected (via cable) to that map screen is not straightforward though.. I'll post an example of the method a bit later with some screen shots.. It might help others with Polos, and displays, like mine

Everything used to work fine till the updates, recently, that got rid of the specific icon to launch AA.

now it is not straightforward... at least, thanks to you i can get full screen with the map right now.

[OomStu_ZA]

Awesome, glad you came right. The one thing life has taught me is that change is constant :p I also struggle sometimes too so no worries. Look forward to the screen shots.

[grazuncle2]

well... I can't replicate the operation to get into AA consistently..


Whenever I do attach the phone to the USB cable I always get this screen first:

AA.jpg (126.2 KiB) Viewed 1056 times

then nothing happens... if I go into car menu on the display or try other things AA somehow comes on; it even remembered that I had maps full screen last time. If I disconnect the phone and re-connect straightaway I get maps immediately..

I am wondering if another cable might make a difference but i doubt it would work at all otherwise?

on another note.. I have sent for an Android wired to wireless gadget off Aliexpress... at least (if it works ok) I can dispense with the cables and just get in the car and use it. It is easier to mess with the phone without a short cable attached or worse a 3ft cable fitted

I'll report back on that gadget when it comes. I didn't know they existed until someone here (in the posts) mentioned it and asking where to get one. We'll see.

[OomStu_ZA]

When I connect my S21 to the infotainment via USB cable, Maps automatically enables. Every now and then I see the image you posted but not as often as it used to happen. I also swapped my USB cable out and that seems to have mostly resolved the issue.

I also looked at the links for the AA wireless device but I'm happy with the cable to be honest. My car also has wireless charging but never use it becuase it causes the battery to get extremley hot which is not a good thing.

[grazuncle2]

Yes some friends say that about the wireless charging.. sometime their phones go off!

I suppose the android wireless gadget was a whim gift to myself.. It wasn't expensive