In this article I’ll explain three ways to get Android Auto (AA). Two of those methods work in cars that don’t natively support Android Auto, even for people that have a touch screen in their car but it doesn’t support AA.
AA in a nutshell is a program designed by Google and works primarily with Google Assistant for hands free safe driving. For native car AA support some people say the AA experience is a bit slow and buggy but this purely depends on the car manufacturer. AA has no issues, but I have been in some cars in which AA is terrible but in others it works like a dream (like my 2020 Highlander XLE Hybrid). So the experience purely depends if the car manufacturer did a good job of implementation or not.
- Let’s start with the first method to get AA, cars that natively support it (1st image). This really depends on the make and model of your vehicle, some vehicles support AA and some don’t. There are two ways to get AA up and running on a car that supports it. The first method is by connecting a USB cable from your car to your phone and AA will appear on your car screen. If you’re not sure if your car supports AA, this is the easiest way to test it. The other method is over wireless Bluetooth. Wireless support really depends on if your car supports this function and your phone. With Android 11 there will be greater support for wireless AA but it still depends on if your car will support it. The best way to test if your car supports wireless AA? Just try it! Connect your phone to your car over Bluetooth and try an AA feature on the car like opening Google Maps.
- The second method to get AA is to simply run it on your phone (2nd image). If it’s not already on your phone, just download it from the Google Play Store here. On your phone, open the AA app, follow the setup process, allow permissions and done! The features work identical as it would in your car touch screen but I’ll admit it’s not as cool having it supported by your car’s touch screen. If you’re using this method, simply get a phone car mount and you’re set.
3. The last method to get AA in a car is to purchase an “Android Auto receiver” (see the 3rd image). Simply Google search that term and you’ll have plenty of results. This method has some caveats. The first is the price, it can be a few hundred dollars depending on where you live (like here in Canada). The second is that you’ll probably need to hire a professional to install it since the wiring connects into your existing car system. The last problem (depending on your car) is that it might not be physically possible to install an AA receiver. Some cars have bizarre audio consoles that are heavily intertwined with important car components so taking it out and replacing it with an AA receiver isn’t possible.
There you have it. Three ways to get Android Auto to enjoy a safe and enjoyable hands free driving experience.
