Weird Android Auto behaviour

[Rolfe]

I usually run Android Auto with the voice prompts on mute, because I'm only checking to see how the traffic is and if it might be advisable to take a different route. Also the voice prompts annoy the hell out of me.

All was well on Wednesday the last time I used it, and it saved me a much-needed six minutes, so well done AA. Then this morning I set off and the voice prompts would not shut up. I noted that I had "mute" checked on the screen but tried the other settings too (on and alerts only), no matter the setting I got the whole spiel every time. I fiddled a bit with the volume settings in the car to no avail, not even when I turned the phone volume to zero.

Then I realised that the voice was sometimes telling me to turn in the opposite direction from that indicated on the screen. My passenger was saying, but it said to turn left, and I was saying, but the screen is showing a right turn. (We were weaving through the city, and either way might have been appropriate depanding on how the traffic was on any particular road.) In the end it brought us back to the main road we knew and I said, OK that's enough of that, and pulled the plug on the phone. The map went away from the screen of course, but the voice directions went right on coming.

Another oddity was that the voice was coming from the extreme left, as if the only speaker relaying the prompts was the extreme left one. When I got home (on my own navigation, I wasn't risking that again) I reset all the volume settings and the radio played normally from all speakers.

Of course I might get back in the car tomorrow and find that all is well again. Or I might not. Any ideas?

 

[the happy bunny]

You’ve brought up a variety of issues; unfortunately I don’t have an answer for all of them.

As for the GPS prompts persisting after disconnecting your phone, a straightforward explanation would be that the GPS app was still active either on Bluetooth, or through your device’s speaker (which might account for the sound coming from the left).

May I ask which navigation software you use? Google Maps or something else?

 

[Rolfe]

Just what Android Auto does naturally, which appears to be Google Maps.

 

[the happy bunny]

So, no exotic app ;-)

Besides the usual 'restart your device, check for updates, try again when it's in a better mood,' I have no idea.

 

[Rolfe]

I will try that, of course, and thank you.

The only thing that was changed was that on Thursday evening, when I took the car up to the garage to wait to have its new tyres fitted on Friday, I wound the media volume down to zero, out of consideration for anyone working on the car who might be driven mad by the radio's habit of coming on every time you turn the car on, whether you want it to or not. I didn't change that this morning, as I was carrying a passenger and we were going to want to talk rather than listen to the radio.

Once I realised the audio prompts couldn't be turned off I did return the media volume to the usual, but that didn't make any difference. Nor did turning the phone volume to zero. Maybe I should have tried to activate the radio and see who won...

 

[Grriff]

AA has recently updated on our phones. It might be worth checking if your version has updated

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks, will do.

 

[JonnyG]

You could try downloading Waze and see how it compares. It's owned by Google so uses their network and is free. It is more community based where people can report things live like police vans, broken down cars, roadworks, potholes etc...

 

[Rolfe]

The whole thing went back to normal the next time I used the car. I think it might have been something to do with having cancelled the radio sound before connecting the phone. Maybe if I'd put all that back to normal before I connected it would have been OK.

Who knows.

 

[littleflower]

I usually run Android Auto with the voice prompts on mute, because I'm only checking to see how the traffic is and if it might be advisable to take a different route. Also the voice prompts annoy the hell out of me.

All was well on Wednesday the last time I used it, and it saved me a much-needed six minutes, so well done AA. Then this morning I set off and the voice prompts would not shut up. I noted that I had "mute" checked on the screen but tried the other settings too (on and alerts only), no matter the setting I got the whole spiel every time. I fiddled a bit with the volume settings in the car to no avail, not even when I turned the phone volume to zero.

Then I realised that the voice was sometimes telling me to turn in the opposite direction from that indicated on the screen. My passenger was saying, but it said to turn left, and I was saying, but the screen is showing a right turn. (We were weaving through the city, and either way might have been appropriate depanding on how the traffic was on any particular road.) In the end it brought us back to the main road we knew and I said, OK that's enough of that, and pulled the plug on the phone. The map went away from the screen of course, but the voice directions went right on coming.

Another oddity was that the voice was coming from the extreme left, as if the only speaker relaying the prompts was the extreme left one. When I got home (on my own navigation, I wasn't risking that again) I reset all the volume settings and the radio played normally from all speakers.

Of course I might get back in the car tomorrow and find that all is well again. Or I might not. Any ideas?

Hi. We had this in my hubby's bmw. It was because somehow waze and googlemaps were on at the same time

 

[Rolfe]

I don't have Waze at all, so I don't think it can be that. It was all back to normal next time I used it anyway, although I do find there's sometimes an issue with the joystick volume control if the car thinks the phone is in the vicinity.

 

[Grumpy]

Android Auto actually works on your phone. The MG only imports from it, so if your phone has compatibility issues or is not fully updated on all apps you use, you might have issues. Some phone updates may require you to play around with AA to check permissions etc.
The bit about the audio saying turn Left but it shows right on the map might be down to the Viw you have chosen for the screen. i.e North view or drivers view etc. Tap the compass needle on the screen to select your preferred view.

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks for the tips. The view was actually dynamic, as I drove, following the turns. I think in fact AA was repeatedly changing its mind because it was six and half a dozen in these grid-pattern city streets, and I was getting one version a few seconds later than the other.

AA actually helped me a lot last week when a journey that should have been routine and I have done many times before became infested with road closures and massive traffic jams, so I thank it for that.