Android Auto automatic Nightmode issues

[AmperaE]

I have some issues with automatic switching between day and nightmode for Maps. During the day it works fine. When I enter a tunnel e.g. the Mg4 switches from day to night and back to day when there is enough daylight.
Howeven when I start using Android Auto, Maps always starts in day mode, which is much too bright of course. Regardless the setting on my phone. I can fix it by going to Android Auto settings on my phone and switch it to night mode. But you have to repeat this every time. Like a lot of things in case of the MG4 :-(
It's not only my phone that suffers from this behaviour.
Anyone similar experiences ?

Mg4 ER 2023
Phone Pixel6a and Oneplus8

 

[webhiker]

When you're in android auto, the car is not a part of the equation. The car is just a mirror, all is happening in your phone. Anyway, that's my experience.

 

[AmperaE]

When you're in android auto, the car is not a part of the equation. The car is just a mirror, all is happening in your phone. Anyway, that's my experience.

I believe the car thinks he's the master. My start-up setting is : Default (set by the car).
With other options: Always or If used on the last drive. I never tried other than Default.
And I can also add that nightmode works fine in our other car using the same phones.

 

[Jamesrr]

Yes, that's how AA works for me in all cars that support it. Nothing specific to our MG4s.
You would be better off looking at the Google Android Auto support pages.

 

[siteguru]

When you start AA and the lights are off or on then it seems that the car doesn't send any signal to the phone - it only does it when the lights change. You can manually trigger this by by flicking off then on the auto-lights on the left (indicator) stalk.

Personally I just use dark mode all the time.

 

[Rufus2005]

When you start AA and the lights are off or on then it seems that the car doesn't send any signal to the phone - it only does it when the lights change. You can manually trigger this by by flicking off then on the auto-lights on the left (indicator) stalk.

Personally I just use dark mode all the time.

Absolutely, was about to say the same. It's annoying but easy enough to do

 

[Jamesrr]

I probably don't drive enough at night time and I prefer light mode anyway... That being said, it appears to work the same way as in my previous cars.

 

[Flightengineer]

When you start AA and the lights are off or on then it seems that the car doesn't send any signal to the phone - it only does it when the lights change. You can manually trigger this by by flicking off then on the auto-lights on the left (indicator) stalk.

Personally I just use dark mode all the time.

First of all thanks for the tip. But i wouldn't agree with you 100%. I use AA via Carlinkit. Which mean I able to see both, car screen and phone screen simultaneously. So when I start at night time (dark outside) I see on car screen day mode and on phone night mode. Which mean car not exactly a "mirror". By the way, sometimes it works correctly.

 

[Tight Git]

First of all thanks for the tip. But i wouldn't agree with you 100%. I use AA via carlinkit. Which mean i able to see both, car screen and phone screen semultaneously. So when i start at night time (dark outside) i see on car screen day mode and on phone night mode. Which mean car not exactly a "mirrow". By the way, sometime, it works correctly.

The problem is the car has fully booted up before the dongle has, so the phone has no idea what mode it should be in so defaults to day mode (I assume!). Once you switch the lights off and on again it knows which mode it should be in.

 

[siteguru]

First of all thanks for the tip. But i wouldn't agree with you 100%. I use AA via carlinkit. Which mean i able to see both, car screen and phone screen semultaneously. So when i start at night time (dark outside) i see on car screen day mode and on phone night mode. Which mean car not exactly a "mirrow". By the way, sometime, it works correctly.

AA doesn't "mirror" as such ... it enables apps to be shown on the car screen and controlled.

Or are you saying you have (say) GMaps already open on your phone before the AA link is made? And that it is dark mode (maps) on the phone yet light mode (maps) on the car?

 

[Flightengineer]

Or are you saying you have (say) GMaps already open on your phone before the AA link is made? And that it is dark mode (maps) on the phone yet light mode (maps) on the car?

Yes, exactly what i observe. Note: I am using Waze not GMaps.

 

[AmperaE]

When you start AA and the lights are off or on then it seems that the car doesn't send any signal to the phone - it only does it when the lights change. You can manually trigger this by by flicking off then on the auto-lights on the left (indicator) stalk.

Personally I just use dark mode all the time.

I tried it today and it works as you say. It's an easy workaround. Thanks very much for this tip.
I think this is the best answer to my question.

 

[Coulomb]

AA doesn't "mirror" as such ... it enables apps to be shown on the car screen and controlled.

Indeed. The car's screen aspect ratio and orientation are likely different to that of the phone, so the phone has to treat the car as a second, separate screen. Anamorphic tricks would just be awful.

So it tries to be "logically mirrored" as opposed to being "actually mirrored". And it looks like it tries to use the car's light-mode/dark-mode setting for the car's screen, if and when the car communicates this.

Edit: Actually, now I'm not sure that it aims for any sort of "logical mirroring" at all. I don't use Android Auto all that much.

 

[siteguru]

Whilst it might not be 100% technically accurate, that's as good an explanation as any as to the effect of Android Auto.

 

[rabacon001]

I have some issues with automatic switching between day and nightmode for Maps. During the day it works fine. When I enter a tunnel e.g. the Mg4 switches from day to night and back to day when there is enough daylight.
Howeven when I start using Android Auto, Maps always starts in day mode, which is much too bright of course. Regardless the setting on my phone. I can fix it by going to Android Auto settings on my phone and switch it to night mode. But you have to repeat this every time. Like a lot of things in case of the MG4 :-(
It's not only my phone that suffers from this behaviour.
Anyone similar experiences ?

Mg4 ER 2023
Phone Pixel6a and Oneplus8

Hi, there is a simple workaround to this. When you get in the car (at night) set up Android Auto by plugging in your phone, the infotainment screen will most likely be in day time mode. If it is, then toggle the automatic head lights off and then on. This tricks the system into believing there is a day light/night time status change and your screen will flick to night mode. This is a fundamental programming error in the software, the software only reacts to a change in status rather than doing a periodic status poll, toggling the automatic head lights forces a change in status. Hope that helps.

 

[AmperaE]

Hi, there is a simple workaround to this. When you get in the car (at night) set up Android Auto by plugging in your phone, the infotainment screen will most likely be in day time mode. If it is, then toggle the automatic head lights off and then on. This tricks the system into believing there is a day light/night time status change and your screen will flick to night mode. This is a fundamental programming error in the software, the software only reacts to a change in status rather than doing a periodic status poll, toggling the automatic head lights forces a change in status. Hope that helps.

Excellent answer and explanation. And it works as you say. Thanks.