#Android auto for android#
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#Android auto Bluetooth#
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#Android auto plus#

It’s generally easy to use and install, plus the interface is well-designed and Google Assistant is well-developed.

#Android auto android#

VerdictĪndroid Auto is a great way to get Android features in your car without using your phone while driving. In that situation, we found that there was plenty of light outside – and dark mode didn’t make much sense. For example, sometimes you’ll turn your lights on not because it’s dark, but because it’s foggy. We liked this at times, and didn’t at other times. When your headlights are on, Google Maps’ dark mode will be activated, as it would on your phone in the absence of a certain amount of light. The reason, of course, is that if you’re driving then you should be using your voice rather than typing on a display.Īnother integration is with the headlights. There are a number of ways in which Android Auto integrates with your car to offer a better experience, and some of them are very helpful.įor starters, Android Auto won’t let you type in Google Maps without the parking brake being on, which we see as a good thing. If you’ve used Google Assistant before, you’ll know what to expect. This isn’t a review of Google Assistant, so the section isn’t long – just know that Google Assistant works pretty much as it should on Android Auto. Google Assistant is front and center here, and using it you can ask for directions, make calls, and so on. Perhaps the main way that you’ll interact with Android Auto is through your voice, and it’s generally easy to do so. It’s a weird bug, and we’re not quite sure why it’s there. That seemed to only happen with voice controls – we could still go to the dialer and manually make a call, which would use the Android Auto phone app. What that meant was that when the call was over, we had to manually open up Android Auto again.

When it comes to messaging, Facebook Messenger supports Android Auto, too, and on Auto you can tap on a notification to have the message read out to you, then reply using your voice.Īnother quirk is that a few times, when we used Google Assistant to make a phone call, it seemed to close Android Auto and make the call through the car’s infotainment system rather than Android Auto’s dialer. The main ones include the likes of Spotify and Waze.

Speaking of apps, there are a few that are compatible with Android Auto, but not a ton. Then there’s a home display, then an audio control display, and then a final tab that simply gave us the option to “Return to Kenwood Home“ (we tested Android Auto on the Kenwood Excelon DMX905S). For example, if you tap on a navigational card, you’ll be taken to the Google Maps screen, which is also quickly accessible by tapping the bottom left icon on the menu bar. Tap on one of those cards, and you’ll be taken to the appropriate display.

The main screen is a Google Now-type display, and it shows things like recently played music and podcasts that you can keep playing, a quick access to locations that you can navigate, and so on. The general interface is divided up into five screens, though you may only find yourself using two or three of those. User interfaceīecause it’s aimed at being used while driving, Google has gone out of its way to make Android Auto simple, and simple it is. With a first-generation Google Pixel XL on the Android P beta, it generally took 5-10 seconds to launch, though that could be because the phone itself has slowed down a lot recently and is running a beta version of Android.

#Android auto for android#

Once Android Auto is set up and ready to go, it may launch automatically when you plug it in, or you may need to launch it from your car’s infotainment system after plugging in your phone or after it connects wirelessly.Įither way, it should be easy for Android Auto to launch when you turn on your car, though depending on your phone it may take a few seconds. It should then activate automatically and connect automatically when you turn on your car.

#Android auto Bluetooth#

If your phone and car are compatible, Bluetooth should then be turned on and connected, and the phone might connect to Android Auto through Wi-Fi, too. It needs to be connected to the system, rather than just a charging port. Next up, you’ll need to connect your phone, through a USB cable, to the car.