Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Being an Android Auto user can sometimes be painful and frustrating, as the unavoidable issues that arise in this world take weeks and even months to patch. And when these long overdue patches eventually arrive, they occasionally fail to restore the expected behavior for everybody.
It happened with a patch released last month for WhatsApp users.
Reports that became widespread in mid-April revealed that WhatsApp no longer worked on Android Auto with voice commands. Users who turned to Google Assistant to send messages on WhatsApp were unable to complete the action.
Google Assistant claimed it processed the request correctly, understanding the message and confirming the message sending. However, users discovered that their messages weren't sent, and the requested text did not appear in the conversation window when opening WhatsApp on their mobile devices.
In plain English, it was no longer possible to send messages on WhatsApp with voice commands when Android Auto was running in the car.
A Google Community Specialist revealed in mid-May (approximately one month after the first bug reports landed online) that the glitch was resolved with an update for WhatsApp. The Android version received an update specifically to improve how it works on Android Auto, and the new release resolved the glitch. Users were told to update to version 2.24.8 or later to get the patch.
Several users have told me lately that the WhatsApp message sending bug is still around despite the installation of the said version or a newer release. Upon further investigation, I discovered that more users complain of the same problem, including on Google's forums where they originally reported the broken feature.
Google hasn't provided more information, so as far as the company is concerned, the glitch has already been fixed. WhatsApp has also remained tight-lipped on the error.
A workaround does not exist, as fixing the problem comes down to installing a new WhatsApp version that restores the expected behavior. Oddly, version 2.24.8 (or later) does fix the message-sending bug for some users, but it doesn't do the trick for everybody. It's unclear why the feature is repaired for some, and the bug persists for others.
Meanwhile, your best option is to let Google know that the error hasn't been resolved, as this could prompt the company to continue the investigation and determine if Android Auto also needs fixes. You can also let me know in the comment box below if the error has been resolved on your device – if it hasn't, please share your Android version, the Android Auto version, the WhatsApp version, and whether the patch shipped in mid-May improved the experience on your device.
Installing the latest Android Auto versions – the most recent stable build is 12.2 – doesn't seem to improve the experience for users still struggling with this problem.
Reports that became widespread in mid-April revealed that WhatsApp no longer worked on Android Auto with voice commands. Users who turned to Google Assistant to send messages on WhatsApp were unable to complete the action.
Google Assistant claimed it processed the request correctly, understanding the message and confirming the message sending. However, users discovered that their messages weren't sent, and the requested text did not appear in the conversation window when opening WhatsApp on their mobile devices.
In plain English, it was no longer possible to send messages on WhatsApp with voice commands when Android Auto was running in the car.
A Google Community Specialist revealed in mid-May (approximately one month after the first bug reports landed online) that the glitch was resolved with an update for WhatsApp. The Android version received an update specifically to improve how it works on Android Auto, and the new release resolved the glitch. Users were told to update to version 2.24.8 or later to get the patch.
Several users have told me lately that the WhatsApp message sending bug is still around despite the installation of the said version or a newer release. Upon further investigation, I discovered that more users complain of the same problem, including on Google's forums where they originally reported the broken feature.
Google hasn't provided more information, so as far as the company is concerned, the glitch has already been fixed. WhatsApp has also remained tight-lipped on the error.
A workaround does not exist, as fixing the problem comes down to installing a new WhatsApp version that restores the expected behavior. Oddly, version 2.24.8 (or later) does fix the message-sending bug for some users, but it doesn't do the trick for everybody. It's unclear why the feature is repaired for some, and the bug persists for others.
Meanwhile, your best option is to let Google know that the error hasn't been resolved, as this could prompt the company to continue the investigation and determine if Android Auto also needs fixes. You can also let me know in the comment box below if the error has been resolved on your device – if it hasn't, please share your Android version, the Android Auto version, the WhatsApp version, and whether the patch shipped in mid-May improved the experience on your device.
Installing the latest Android Auto versions – the most recent stable build is 12.2 – doesn't seem to improve the experience for users still struggling with this problem.
Google News