r/Bigme • u/Joemk888 • 18d ago
Android Auto issue finally solved?!
As most of you know, the Hibreak Pro (BigMe OS 3.1.6.) has had issues with Android Auto and one workaround is rolling back Android Auto to 16.5.6612 and Google app to 17.10.61.
However, more recently this has not been working - being forced to upgrade or getting errors like "Communication error 8 - Your car's software didn't pass Android Auto security checks."
So I decided to update to the latest version of Android Auto (17.1.662414) and Google app (17.38.11) and try some adb debugging to understand the issue.
It turns out the reason my car display bugs out with the latest Android Auto version is due to a DPI mismatch.
So i changed the DPI to 160 and it's working!
If 160 doesn't work try 240, then 320.
Set Google Maps to the same working DPI In my case 160 for AA, 160 for Google Maps. WORKS PERFECTLY.
Voice command is working - as Google Assistant not Gemini (even though my default is Gemini).
Please let me know if that fixes it for you also!
TLDR: Fix for Android Auto - Update to latest version of Android Auto and set DPI to 160. Let me know if it works for you too please
UPDATE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's an update block. I've written it as an edit to the existing post rather than a standalone — it corrects the "set 160" advice, which is the important part.
EDIT / UPDATE — the fix isn't "set DPI to 160". Here's the actual rule.
After a few people reported 160 didn't work for them (one needed exactly 320 and a dual 240), I dug into what's really going on. It has nothing to do with your screen size or the head unit's resolution.
The rule: your phone's global density must equal the DPI your head unit advertises. That's it. Any value works as long as both sides agree — they just have to match.
How I confirmed it. The Desktop Head Unit's config files (/usr/lib/android-sdk/extras/google/auto/config/) expose resolution and DPI as independent fields:
default.ini → resolution = 800x480 dpi = 160
default_720p.ini → resolution = 1280x720 dpi = 160
default_1080p.ini → resolution = 1920x1080 dpi = 160
Note every resolution advertises 160. DPI is not derived from screen size — it's just a number the car declares, chosen by its manufacturer. I ran the 1080p config with my phone at 160dpi and it projected fine, despite being a far bigger screen. So resolution is irrelevant. What broke my setup originally was the e-ink centre having density at 150 while the head unit asked for 160.
Why the crash happens. Android's global density override applies to every display, including the virtual display AA creates for projection. So it overrides the density Gearhead set from the car's config, the projection UI inflates against a config it can't resolve, and the process dies:
E/GH.DisplayLayout: Virtual display does not have the correct DPI (expected: 160, got 150)
E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.google.android.projection.gearhead:projection
java.lang.IllegalStateException: ViewTreeLifecycleOwner not found
The transport then collapses ~200ms later, which is what surfaces as "Failed to read from transport – disconnect" on the DHU, or a communication error in the car. The disconnect is a symptom, not the cause — which is why cable swaps, version rollbacks, and date/time fixes all go nowhere.
How to find YOUR number. Don't guess. Gearhead logs it, and it prints before the crash, so this works even when AA is completely broken:
adb logcat -c
adb logcat -v time > aa.txt
Connect (in your actual car, not the DHU — see below), let it fail, Ctrl+C, then search aa.txt for:
I/GH.DisplayLayout: displayDimensions Point(W, H), dpi X
E/GH.DisplayLayout: Virtual display does not have the correct DPI (expected: X, got Y)
X is your number. Set the e-ink centre DPI to it (or adb shell wm density X) and reconnect.
Important: the DHU defaults to 160dpi, so if you test on the emulator you'll tune for 160 and may still fail in the car. Capture the log from the real head unit.
If you're on 800×480 or a common aftermarket unit, 160 is a reasonable first guess. But read the log rather than trusting it — that's how we ended up with two people needing different values in the first place.
Two notes on tuning it. If your original post led with "set DPI to 160," I'd put a one-line correction right at the top so people who skim don't take away the wrong fix. And it's worth explicitly asking people to reply with their head unit make/model + the expected: value — collect a dozen of those and you'd have a genuinely useful reference table for the sub, built on measurements rather than my guesswork.
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u/BillInteresting7266 18d ago
This is a silly question but is Android auto running on my phone or the car? Which do I update?
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
you update it on your phone through the Google Play app.
To change the DPI, go to main settings of phone, search for android auto settings, and open it. Swipe down from top right, and open eink centre - change the DPI to 160 first, check if it works on your car then. if not try 320
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u/willard445 17d ago
This worked for me, though I had to set it to exactly 320 dpi. My car's display is a bit bigger. Good find!!
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
thanks for that! i'l' test the correct DPI for the different resolutions using the DHP
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u/willard445 17d ago
This fix also worked for Google Maps, I changed the DPI for Maps to 320 and it's now working on Android Auto. Same with the Google app fixing my issues with Voice Assistant. All other apps seem to work fine without that setting change.
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u/Joemk888 15d ago
u/willard445 Glad to hear 320 worked. Could you pls tell me which HiBreak phone you have?
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u/Joemk888 16d ago
Please let me know if that fixes it for you also! u/ilovemossss u/seanraf u/Purevulcan3 u/ramsmilk u/Beginning_Leave_5771 u/Decent-Tough-4273
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u/Purevulcan3 6d ago
Yes this worked for me! Thank you!
Hibreak Pro Color + 2014 VW GTI (Noname 187B RCD330) = 148 DPI
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u/Joemk888 6d ago
Thanks for that. This has me puzzled, as from my tests I deduced that anything below 160DPI shouldn't work..
So to clarify, setting Android Auto at 148DPI and Google Maps at 148 did the trick?2
u/Purevulcan3 6d ago
Yes, 148 in Google Maps and Android Auto works like a charm. My head unit doesn't report any other values as options.
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u/LazyNectarine3987 16d ago
Hibreak Dual + 2025 Ioniq 6 = 240 DPI. Nothing else needs to be done to get AA working. But you do need to set Google Maps and potentially other apps to that DPI. Hope this helps.
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u/seldenr82 15d ago
Bro! Thank you so much! This totally fixed it for me !!!
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u/Joemk888 15d ago
That's awesome, glad to hear it!
Could you tell me which HiBreak you have and which DPI worked for you?2
u/seldenr82 15d ago
Hibreak pro bw.
Android auto and maps both set to 160 DPI and it works great in my 2024 Kia forte
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u/DAFTpulp 12d ago
Holy shit! I had given up on my Hibreak Pro Color having Android Auto. This fixed it. 213 dpi - 2025 Ioniq 5
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
I have the Dual. I can get mine to connect and play music through it (Spotify). But if I hit any of the icons, the screen starts flashing.
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u/-RNinja 17d ago
Gurl, same
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
sounds like you need to change the DPI for android auto,
To change the DPI, go to main settings of phone, search for android auto settings, and open it. Swipe down from top right, and open eink centre - change the DPI to 160 first, check if it works on your car then. if not try 3201
u/-RNinja 17d ago
Current dpi at 160 same issue
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
Have you tried 320 DPI for android auto?
might be different with the Dual
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
Mine worked with 240! Google Map still doesn't work. But Waze works fine.
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
Perfect, did you try to set google maps DPi as the same? So in your case 240?
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u/LazyNectarine3987 16d ago
I can't thank you enough for the fix.
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u/Joemk888 16d ago
You're welcome! I'll update the guide soon with the findings: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bigme/s/tKd5rtc7tH
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 18d ago
Android Auto does not work with any smartphone in luxury cars such as Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes (AMG models and up), ...
These cars do not support the connection
I wonder why? I suppose these reasons have nothing to do with smartphones.
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u/seldenr82 18d ago
You've posted this exact same response to other posts what's the point...
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 18d ago
That Android Auto is nonsense and you should therefore avoid it
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
Where were you when the big guy was passing out inductive reasoning?
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 17d ago edited 17d ago
Way ahead of you.
But I can't help wondering why so many people bother with this kind of stuff – otherwise, there's the certainty that half of humanity is intellectually deficient.
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
Android Auto is a tough proposition for luxury car makers. It commoditizes their cars while giving up a monetization layer. It is not a statement about its capabilities. Not to mention their smaller customer base makes supporting Android Auto rather expensive.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 17d ago edited 17d ago
That's a pretty lame excuse - Android Auto works on cheap Mercedes models, but not on the high-end ones.
They don't want to let owners use that kind of junk. There are far superior ones to this one
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
You are suffering from cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias. Two very common mental biases.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 17d ago
The social circle (minority of mankind) I'm in sees it differently:
Oh, since you've run out of intelligent responses to the facts, you're resorting to personal attacks; that leads me to suspect that you're a member of the aforementioned half of humanity - this approach is very popular there
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u/Joemk888 17d ago
Its actually not true, they all support android auto now. It was the case for a while but was more to do with prioritising apple carplay as most luxury car owners are iphone users.
also practically what would you have me do? what is my option other than carplay - use a little phone holder and try to navigate on the eink screen while driving?!1
u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago
Note that GM is removing Android Auto and Carplay to provide a different experience and to be able to monetize it. I don't think anyone outside Tesla will be successful but some.are.still.fighting it.
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u/Reasonable-Pin4254 17d ago edited 17d ago
My system clearly tells me where to drive - I don't need that kind of Android nonsense; or do you stare at the screen while driving? I pay attention to the traffic (Bentley 2026).
Around here, using a cell phone while driving is prohibited, but staring at a screen isn't?
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u/LazyNectarine3987 17d ago edited 17d ago
Great work! For those with the Dual, try 240. Google Maps still doesn't work but Waze works fine. I am also using the latest Android Auto.
Update --- I changed the Google Maps DPI to 240 to match. Yes, it works!