Android auto...now working perfectly.

[ALANB]

After weeks of intermittent Android Auto connections and drop outs I've finally solved it..... I changed cables (many of them) , no effect. I went into developer settings on the phone and changed USB settings, no effect. And then yesterday all of a sudden it started working perfectly every time I connected the cable. The difference, I had Bluetooth turned off on my phone. It would appear the head unit has a bit of a fit if connected to the phone for both Bluetooth and cable. Normally I have Bluetooth on my phone for both my watch and, of course, the infamous Covid App.

So now a little post-it note on the dash to remind me to switch BT back on again when I exit the car!

 

[Kithmo]

After weeks of intermittent Android Auto connections and drop outs I've finally solved it..... I changed cables (many of them) , no effect. I went into developer settings on the phone and changed USB settings, no effect. And then yesterday all of a sudden it started working perfectly every time I connected the cable. The difference, I had Bluetooth turned off on my phone. It would appear the head unit has a bit of a fit if connected to the phone for both Bluetooth and cable. Normally I have Bluetooth on my phone for both my watch and, of course, the infamous Covid App.

So now a little post-it note on the dash to remind me to switch BT back on again when I exit the car!

Can you still make calls with bluetooth off, I thought calls and contacts were via bluetooth ?

 

[fishbee]

I've noticed the same -- if I have my phone connected to the car via Bluetooth, and then plug it in via a USB cable, then Android Auto won't work.

 

[ALANB]

Can you still make calls with bluetooth off, I thought calls and contacts were via bluetooth ?

Appears to work via Android auto!!!

 

[PleasureMachine]

to switch BT back on again when I exit the car!

Depending on your phone you might be able to have a simple rule to turn it on/off depending on wifi it picks up (like home wifi detected it can put it into silent mode)....I'm not sure exactly how but I'm pretty sure it's capable if you don't remember to turn on/off.

Thanks for the troubleshoot info. I didn't try that. I keep getting some framing issue and google maps just then is stuck.

 

[AdamMGEV]

Personally on my Samsung s10 I plug it in and say 60% of the time it works first time... the other 40% I need to unplug from my phone for a second and plug it back in, always works then, very strange.

 

[deej19]

Personally on my Samsung s10 I plug it in and say 60% of the time it works first time... the other 40% I need to unplug from my phone for a second and plug it back in, always works then, very strange.

Me too - exactly the same. I thought I'd cracked it by turning blue tooth off a few weeks ago but then it started not working with blue tooth off.

 

[Tiny Tom]

Personally on my Samsung s10 I plug it in and say 60% of the time it works first time... the other 40% I need to unplug from my phone for a second and plug it back in, always works then, very strange.

Same here with Note 8

 

[GavinJ]

Same here with Note 8

Same with Honor10. Always hit and miss, but seems to improve if I open Android Auto on phone first... Hmmmm

 

[ArfurM]

I was getting this "on/off, on/off" hit-rate with connecting AA, (mainly failure), then I looked at the USB settings on the 'phone, and there is an option in Android 10 under Settings>Connected Devices>USB preferences>USB controlled by to select "Connected device". When I selected it, hey presto!, AA fired up. YMMV, depending on your version of Android, but worth looking at, along with the other USB settings to find a config that works for you. BTW, the USB mode was still "no data transfer" on my 'phone (Motorola One)

 

[Prof1967]

I was getting this "on/off, on/off" hit-rate with connecting AA, (mainly failure), then I looked at the USB settings on the 'phone, and there is an option in Android 10 under Settings>Connected Devices>USB preferences>USB controlled by to select "Connected device". When I selected it, hey presto!, AA fired up. YMMV, depending on your version of Android, but worth looking at, along with the other USB settings to find a config that works for you. BTW, the USB mode was still "no data transfer" on my 'phone (Motorola One)

Tried this but it always flips back to this phone option.

 

[ArfurM]

Just a little update; I bought a secondhand (but unused) Google Pixel 3a handset (v.smooth operator, BTW) which came with Android 12. Plugged it in and Android Auto just worked perfectly. I guess it's always been the advantage of the Apple "ecosystem" compared to Android, having complete control over the hardware and software, so I guess maybe this is the same thing, the Google handset working with the Google software, so maybe Android devices will always be a bit of a lottery with the car's current infotainment system. Anywho, all good now...

 

[MarkLynn]

I found if you connect your phone before switching the car on, it works every time going to Android Auto.

 

[Lguk]

There's a couple of key things here. Cable quality is very important, but one for the purpose of only using in the car and ensure its long enough for the job and no longer, signal drop over a 12ft cable isn't going to help. There was a bug with Android and Android Auto when a phone was 100% charged, its been resolved on later Android versions and some patches on older OS versions but not all phone manufacturers have put it out in an OTA update. When reaching 100% charge, the phone was dropping the USB connection 'I've got enough juice thanks' and therefore dropping the connection to Android Auto.

The indiegogo AAWireless or Motorola devices that plug into the USB then pair to your phone via Bluetooth are ssid to work very well. And also free you up to keep the phone elsewhere in the car and to use a faster charging device and the same time to get your phone up to 100% by the end of your journey

 

[Kithmo]

I found if you connect your phone before switching the car on, it works every time going to Android Auto.

I did notice on my ZS that the car scans the USB ports as soon as you unlock the doors.
(LED on the USB device flashes)

 

[Freddy]

Yes the AAWireless works flawlessly, although I only put it in last night. Stars up just seconds after switching on car.
That was on the ZS, will put the other one in the 5 tonight. Had to wait about 3 months for delivery, cost £50 each, from Indiego.

 

[BarryH]

Yes the AAWireless works flawlessly, although I only put it in last night. Stars up just seconds after switching on car.
That was on the ZS, will put the other one in the 5 tonight. Had to wait about 3 months for delivery, cost £50 each, from Indiego.

I've had the email from AAWireless to say that the March shipment is now in the warehouse in Germany so hopefully not long to wait now! Maybe @Freddy you were a scheduled February delivery as I've had to pay c£80 for my March batch so then the full charged phone cutoff and wobbly phone connection nightmare will be at an end. If only The ZS (2020 edition) supported the Samsung Galaxy A52 with Phonebook Contacts and Call History! The new ZS supports the phone and the MG5 supports Phonebook but both Samsung and MG point the figure at the other GRRRRH