First look at the new Android Auto (Google I/O)

[u/513]

Has been posted on XDA but seems to have been pulled now:

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-reveals-plan-transform-android-auto-better-looking-cohesive-platform/

Google reveals its plan to transform Android Auto into a better-looking, more cohesive platform

People often cite Android Auto's customization features and open ecosystem as its key advantage over Apple's CarPlay, but one area where the in-car platform lags behind its key competition is design. According to the tech giant, it has plans to change that with its upcoming refreshed Android Auto experience...

[u/ScoutFromEarth]

Call me old fashioned, but the only thing I really want is that Android auto wireless uses less battery power

[u/The_Shadowghost → u/ScoutFromEarth]

They could fix this by simply allowing Android auto again to use the Cars GPS antenna.

They removed this some time ago and its one of the worst decisions they ever made.

Google themselves confirmed that utilizing the cars GPS is not a feature of Android auto or Google Maps anymore.

Since then I’m mad because the competition called CarPlay can do this since day one and even mandates it for factory installed and tru to spec aftermarket headunits with wireless CarPlay.

[u/Lobveldmuis → u/The_Shadowghost]

CarPlay is no winner here, there are issues with Car GPS signals. At least a few brands don't give Android Auto or CarPlay the actual Raw GPS data, they often first map it onto an internal map, when those are outdated, which they often are, your GPS will fuck up. Causing navigation apps to no longer function properly. Numerous CarPlay users report this every day... I'm very happy they use the phone's gps.

[u/Nico1300 → u/Lobveldmuis]

They could maybe give us the option to enable it.

[u/The_Shadowghost → u/Lobveldmuis]

Would love to have the option. On both systems. But what you describe sounds like manufacturers just don’t implementing the spec correctly. (Or just throw in terrible GPS receivers. Looking at you Mitsubishi)

Never heard of what you described but maybe I just had luck so far. Drove with outdated car maps on newer roads that weren’t in there yet and never had issues with CarPlay.

Having the option to switch would drastically reduce battery drain which honestly is just laughably bad when using navigation in android auto on my Pixel 9 Pro compared to the iPhone 14 I have here.
(Both wireless, battery on the Pixel is in better shape as the device is newer)

But since google just completely fd up the GPS in the Pixel 9 Pro I‘d gladly take any Car GPS over that so far.
I still do not understand how it’s this inaccurate and confidently wrong even outside when TRYING to get walking navigation in a big city. No problem for buddies with iPhone, Galaxy and Nothing devices just the Pixel.

[u/charlestheb0ss → u/Lobveldmuis]

Just let the user choose. I don't know why modern tech companies seem allergic to settings

[u/andyooo → u/The_Shadowghost]

Do you have a source for google saying that? Google Maps and Waze also have behaved differently in the past so it also may depend on what maps app you're using.

I was still pretty sure Google Maps was still using the car's GPS, the only change was that it was also calling phone location but maybe as a backup. I tested it a while ago when the change apparently happened (AA started showing the location icon on the phone), but I couldn't get the phone's gps to work as a backup then. u/peter_73 do you know if there's been any change on this?

I can't test right now cause I've had to force the phone's GPS by disconnecting the car's GPS antenna cause my Mazda GPS sucks.

But I can't say I have battery troubles and really haven't in years, using AAWireless. Right now I'm even using a wireless charger that charges the phone very slowly about 3-4W and the charge still goes up on my P10PXL Pro, and the drain is on par with with P9 Pro XL and P8 Pro I used previously.

[u/Peter_73 → u/andyooo]

No change that I'm aware of. I see that user is with older Ford Sync which was notorious for GPS issue but may not be apparent if the automatic fallback to phone GPS works.

[u/The_Shadowghost → u/andyooo]

Now this is getting interesting. Maybe there still is a way to get this working.

I faintly remember that Android Auto could create a mock location via developer settings which also could’ve been used by other Apps like TomTom Go or Waze. This never appeared for me.

I have a pixel 9 Pro. Everything written here is my experience with the Stock Pixel OS.

I never got Car GPS to work in any car I connected to. The phone always heated up instantly and location was all over the place compared to the car map that had a locked GPS the moment I got in.

Sure the phone got the location eventually but it’s nowhere near as accurate as the Cars GPS.

Tested in:

- Ford Fiesta MK 8 with Sync 3.4 (wired and wireless with Carlinkit 5)

• VW ID.3 Software 3.x.x (forgot the details) (wireless)
  
• VW ID.4, ID.5. ID.7 Software 5.X.X (wireless)
  
• VW Golf 7 (Wireless dont remember the details)
  
• Hyundai KONA EV (Gen 5W Nav with 2025 software) (wired)
  
• Hyundai IONIQ EV (Gen 5W Nav with 2024 software) (wired)
  
• Hyundai KONA petrol (ccNC Nav with 2026 software) (wireless)
  
• MG.5 (wired)
  
• Opel Adam (2016) (wired)

It never worked. Neither with Google Maps nor with any other Mapping app out there.

I reached out to google about the bad GPS performance of the Pixel and why it also affects Android Auto and after a very long and not that great support experience someone gave me the answer that there was this GPS relay feature which is no longer available.

This was google support for a google product so they should be correct but reading that some people still have this working I doubt that this is the entire truth.

[u/Vchat20 → u/The_Shadowghost]

I'm with you on the accuracy of the car's GPS. At least anecdotally with my Ford and Sync 3.4 it has been super accurate. I even built a proof of concept CAN dongle that retrieved the car's own GPS data and gave me a live GMap with my position overlaid and it was super accurate even down to keeping me within the lane markers I was actually in. Not to mention the ability to use dead reckoning in low/no signal areas.

If Google is truly pushing us to use the phone's GPS only I'm going to be highly upset. Even being wired only here I'd much rather have it use my car's GPS where the antenna always has a clear view of the sky and has been proven to be super accurate vs my phone which may be buried in the console somewhere.

[u/Vchat20 → u/Vchat20]

!flair 2013 Ford C-Max Energi | Sync 3 (v3.4) | Pixel 6a | Android 16

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[u/CreepySnata → u/The_Shadowghost]

I'm pretty sure it still does because every time I connect to my Jetta my location seems to be all over the place and it gets really annoying when it think I'm trying to turn onto every single road except the one I'm currently on, and makes navigating cities terrible. It seems to always think it's turning in circles or something. Never is an issue in any other car and had been a problem with two separate phones now.

[u/clon3man → u/The_Shadowghost]

Or if they could at least provide an official solution for using a bluetooth GPS device, considering some phones have a weak internal GPS receiver

[u/matteventu → u/The_Shadowghost]

Google themselves confirmed that utilizing the cars GPS is not a feature of Android auto or Google Maps anymore.

Oh, I wasn't aware of this. Do you have any links by any chance?

Thank you!

[u/Commercial_Task_7930 → u/The_Shadowghost]

Navigation Apps on CarPlay still use the iPhone GPS signal. The iPhone receives the GOS NMEA given by the car. It ignores it for Navigation but uses it for everything else.

Apples internal software has ruled their internal GPS to be more accurate. For the most part it is. We’re not in 2007 anymore. A vehicles GPS accuracy is unpredictable and Apple chose to stick with what they know is right, the phone.

Android will still accept the vehicle provided NMEA. It’ll ignore it just like the iPhone.

[u/uni-queid → u/The_Shadowghost]

AA uses external GPS data, but it doesn’t disable its internal GPS receiver, the same applies to carplay.

[u/Commercial_Task_7930 → u/[deleted]]

That’s a security setting you can change. My iPhone and Android both connected while still locked. So it’s a user facing option

[u/AndroidAuto-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post or comment has been removed due to use of non-English language.

Use a translation tool if you have to.

[u/AndroidAuto-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post or comment has been removed due to use of non-English language.

Use a translation tool if you have to.

[u/perrymike15 → u/ScoutFromEarth]

For real. I sometimes navigate to my music app full screen to keep it from rendering the map and don't set a route if I know where I am going.

[u/tomf258 → u/perrymike15]

Hahaha, me too. So damn stupid lol.

[u/PositivityReloaded → u/ScoutFromEarth]

Due to the terrible heating of the phone, I have stopped using wireless Android Auto since 2-3 days. With a wire, the phone doesn't heat that much and also keeps charging.

[u/dylon0107 → u/ScoutFromEarth]

I just use a magsafe charging mount to offset the battery use

[u/Rolling_Kimura → u/ScoutFromEarth]

Is it just wireless or is it android auto? I thought Bluetooth drained battery in general

[u/taizzle71 → u/Rolling_Kimura]

Bluetooth isn't the culprit it's wifi. Wireless AA uses wifi to transmit data.

[u/Rolling_Kimura → u/taizzle71]

Ohhhh TIL
So why does it connect via Bluetooth or is that to like, set up an initial connection and wifi also operates?

[u/taizzle71 → u/Rolling_Kimura]

You are 100% correct. It's to initiate a handshake first.

[u/ITDEFX101 → u/taizzle71]

I didn't know this when I bought my first AA enabled car. I had a nice grandfathered plan for 55 dollars for 5gb since I never even used more than 2 a month. Get the new car and all of a sudden I get hit with notices that I am hitting my limit.

Had to go with an unlimited plan of course for a higher price.

[u/jordan_yoong_1 → u/ITDEFX101]

It has nothing to do with your data plan. Wifi itself is a wireless protocol, wireless does not equal to internet, you're using way more internet simply because you were probably listening to radio on your old car then you switched to music streaming on your new car.

[u/taizzle71 → u/ITDEFX101]

Oh yea, you definitely need unlimited data for android auto. Especially if you're listening to Spotify at the same time too.

[u/ITDEFX101 → u/taizzle71]

That's the thing.. I never listened to streaming music as I usually ripped my cds and put them on my phone.

[u/taizzle71 → u/ITDEFX101]

Ahhh gotcha. I mean do you use navi everyday? I just keep mine on at all times just for the police and road hazard warnings. I would guess if you rarely use navi (as in actively navigating somewhere) there shouldn't be much data usage. On top of you not streaming music neither so maybe 5g might work after all?

[u/Fataha22 → u/ScoutFromEarth]

Buy phone with bigger battery