Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Android Auto sometimes suffers from bugs that are so mysterious that not even Google can explain, with the Mountain View-based search giant sometimes needing up to several months to come up with a fix.
A new glitch that has recently started hitting Android Auto users is as confusing as possible, breaking down the app for a reason that nobody can decrypt.
It all started last month when someone reported on Google's forums that using Android Auto with an Airalo eSIM didn't work in a rental car. Upon further investigation, the same user discovered that Android Auto was broken in ALL cars in the United States when the same phone was used.
Oddly, Android Auto was detected, and the car attempted to run the initial setup with the app icon appearing on the infotainment screen. Users claim the setup kicks off, but the process is interrupted suddenly.
Android Auto never loads, and users claim that connecting the phone to the vehicle via Bluetooth works correctly, with the audio routed to the in-cabin speakers.
Several other users confirmed this behavior in their cars, explaining that Android Auto never launches regardless of the car model. In some cases, they get an error reading "could not connect to the device."
The problem appears to be the eSIM, with all users claiming that Android Auto is back up and running after returning home. Someone says that Android Auto didn't even work for one second in the United States but launched on the first attempt when they returned to the Netherlands.
A Google Community Specialist said on Google's forum that more information is required to begin an investigation, so users struggling with this behavior must provide additional information, such as the error message, the connection type, and the Android Auto app version exhibiting the problem.
No fix is available until now, and it looks like the error is not tied to a specific Android Auto app version. Installing the latest build doesn't help, and downgrading to an earlier release doesn't improve the experience.
The most recent Android Auto version is 12.5 beta, with the rollout now happening to users enrolled in Google's testing program. However, anyone can download and install Android Auto 12.5 beta by sideloading the APK installer, albeit deploying this version doesn't help with this glitch.
A new stable build is expected by the end of the month, but considering that Google hasn't yet acknowledged the issue, it's too early to tell if a fix is already on the table.
As always, if you find a fix that brings things back to normal, make sure you drop me a line in the box after the jump so I can share it with our other readers struggling with the same behavior.
It all started last month when someone reported on Google's forums that using Android Auto with an Airalo eSIM didn't work in a rental car. Upon further investigation, the same user discovered that Android Auto was broken in ALL cars in the United States when the same phone was used.
Oddly, Android Auto was detected, and the car attempted to run the initial setup with the app icon appearing on the infotainment screen. Users claim the setup kicks off, but the process is interrupted suddenly.
Android Auto never loads, and users claim that connecting the phone to the vehicle via Bluetooth works correctly, with the audio routed to the in-cabin speakers.
Several other users confirmed this behavior in their cars, explaining that Android Auto never launches regardless of the car model. In some cases, they get an error reading "could not connect to the device."
The problem appears to be the eSIM, with all users claiming that Android Auto is back up and running after returning home. Someone says that Android Auto didn't even work for one second in the United States but launched on the first attempt when they returned to the Netherlands.
A Google Community Specialist said on Google's forum that more information is required to begin an investigation, so users struggling with this behavior must provide additional information, such as the error message, the connection type, and the Android Auto app version exhibiting the problem.
No fix is available until now, and it looks like the error is not tied to a specific Android Auto app version. Installing the latest build doesn't help, and downgrading to an earlier release doesn't improve the experience.
The most recent Android Auto version is 12.5 beta, with the rollout now happening to users enrolled in Google's testing program. However, anyone can download and install Android Auto 12.5 beta by sideloading the APK installer, albeit deploying this version doesn't help with this glitch.
A new stable build is expected by the end of the month, but considering that Google hasn't yet acknowledged the issue, it's too early to tell if a fix is already on the table.
As always, if you find a fix that brings things back to normal, make sure you drop me a line in the box after the jump so I can share it with our other readers struggling with the same behavior.
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