Because GM sucks.
People aren’t asking for much. People just want their phone navigation and music controls displayed onto the infotainment. Won’t consider any car that cannot afford me this tiny bit of convenience for the sake of nickel and diming me.
And if every car manufacturer starts forcing me to adopt their own stupid software I’ll just buy a fucking phone holder.
And GM has shitty reliability anyways.
Its not just GM, but their are certainly a good example of Enshitification.
I didn’t know it was a thing until about two years ago, but my experience with it has made me want to take a tac-hammer to the center console in the vehicles its been integrated into. It hijacks my phone and crashes the apps that were already running but if you try to turn it off while keeping the phone connected it just keeps restarting.
I just want to listen to some tunes from my phone while using the maps/gps on my phone. no need to integrate beyond that.
Because it sucks ass anyway?
No one said any tangible points as to why it sucks and I am happy with it so I am left assuming people who dont like it are just going by vibes…
Not OP. But I’ll give my feedback on why I stopped using android auto.
Let me preface this with most everything in the app is fine. Navigating around the interface is maybe a bit janky but not something that I couldn’t get used to.
The main thing that pushed me away from it is the constant crashing (crash every 1-3 minutes). I understand it to be a somewhat rare issue. But through my research I have not found any way to consistently solve the issue despite finding threads that were posted years ago.
The closest I had come to a solution was to clear some app caches (like Google maps) and that would fix it for the next day or two. But it would always eventually go back to constant crashing. It just became too frustrating to deal with.
Ah ok, that is rather annoying, I have a couple usbc to usb 3.0 cables that have that issue. I also drive a lot of rentals, have never had the issue with a usbc to usbc.
Yeah, I’ve never had it crash. Sorry your setup is broken somewhere.
It’s so painful, because it could really be good. But they went out of their way to make it suck…
In what way does it suck? I’ve been happy with it for years, but I also only use it to play music and show a map, so maybe there are things you want to do that I’ve never tried?
A big one for me is choice of apps. Only apps made for Android Auto are available, and that’s not a lot. Especially pretty much nothing from F-Droid. Open source apps for Android Auto are very limited.
Sideloading is not a thing for Android Auto either. So I can’t even choose to work around the limitations as I can on the phone itself.
The ancient Android Assistant sucks. It constantly doesn’t understand what I ask it and so far I haven’t figured out when exactly it can do a google search for me and when not. Especially considering how far LLMs have come in terms of answering simple questions (e.g. if a name comes up in a podcast and I want to know a little bit of background information to that person). And when they finally add LLM support it will be Gemini only with no choice past that.
Then there’s stupid design decisions in apps, e.g. that Google Maps doesn’t show GPS speed when in Android Auto mode. I also hate that Google Maps decided in an update a year or so ago that speed camera warnings (which are illegal in some of the countries I frequently drive in) can not only not be disabled but are so important that they need to take up half the screen and hide the navigation directions while they are up. This is especially crappy when I come up to a busy highway intersection where I have to get off and suddenly there’s no navigation on my screen but a stupid warning I don’t care about because I obey speedlimits anyway.
And lastly (that’s likely down to the implementation in my car or my phone), there’s constant connection issues.
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That’s good, now I can remain being happy with something I’m happy with. You’re the best!
Why would you look at text messages on your car screen… Especially old ones? Is that something people do often while driving?
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Uh, why would I text inside of Android Auto? I’d just pick up my phone and copy/paste the address into Google Maps on the phone while it’s plugged in, like I did last month, and then Google Maps would display it on Android Auto.
Also, please don’t text and drive. Pull over to text.
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It does? I honestly love it and it will be very hard for me to go back
oh look another problem I’m too poor to have
Yes, blame automotive business that you arent able to aquire a new car free, that falls in line with todays snowflake mentality.
We found the biggest moron on the internet.
Offended by a simple comment but calls that person a snowflake. Prime loser mentality 👍 good work, snowflake.
- nowhere in their comment are they saying they blame automakers by specifically
- nowhere in their comment are they saying they should get cars for free
Stop getting so offended, snowflake.
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Bait used to be believable
The cars (in EU) used to be under 20.000€ ~6 years ago. Yes, I understand inflation exists.
What a piece of human detritus you are. Have a great day!
Are you a billionaire or are you lazy?
Got off mah lawn you damn kids!
Rock and roll is too loud and oatmeal is too spicy!
I really really dislike the UX. Sorry, but I just want my phone to Bluetooth for sound/calls and bonus if I can get a charge via wireless charging.
Android converting my elegant display into something that looks like it was built on Window 95? Nah, keep it.
GM are saying that their customers want a more seamless integration. Shareholders are slavering at the idea of owners collared to their subscription system. Buyers need to stop buying cars with stupid subscriptions. My 2nd hand BMW has a heated steering wheel that requires an annual fee to use. Nope, heated gloves are the solution!
As a BMW tech, what car has a subscription for the heated wheel?
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-62142208
https://bimmerlife.com/2022/07/18/dont-panic-bmws-subscription-model-explained/
I can’t find a list of models, but they still use the same system for other subscriptions
2 series hybrid. UK variant
Ah, UK. Makes sense.
I’m surprised you didn’t hear about that, because it was a huge controversy. it was limited to a few countries though (or maybe only the UK?)
I heard of the heated seat subscription, just not the heated wheel option. We don’t have that in Canada.
I imagine you could wire your own mechanical switch to that steering wheel. Fuck them for doing that though.
I can’t wait to get a rental car that doesn’t allow me to use my own maps.
You want the Rental+ package for an extra $39.99, which enables the car’s built-in Garmin.
Way to make people hate your cars even more.
My take on Android Auto (I’m sure everyone wants to hear)
pros:
- free to choose the maps app you want (OsmAnd, Organic Maps, Google Maps or anything)
- stream music for the app you want
- decent voice control for maps and spotify
- decent integration with some EV charging apps, you can find and initiate chargers from the dashboard
- you can write your own Android Auto apps
cons:
- Android Auto app is very invasive, polluting phone with stupid notifications
- the standard is shit. Android Auto doesn’t work work with Android Go phones but it’s not specified anywhere in the documentation, wireless Android Auto only works with latest android but it’s also not specified anywhere
- it’s controlled by Google and there are no alternative implementations
My solution so far is to use cheap, secondary phone for AA (which was hard to find because of the stupid limitations). If someone would create a open AA client not controlled by Google I would put it on my primary phone. AA should now work with Graphene OS so I may try to set it up in separate profile some day.
On my GrapheneOS phone I have AA set up in a work profile that is paused 90% of the time. It works without any issues. Or at least no more issues than AA ever had.
I used to champion AA because every car just had that shitty apple connection.
Now at least we have AA. But it took so long, that google went from a good company to just as evil as Apple, so we have two asshole giants to chose from.
We need a Linux open source alternative for phones… But I’ve been told it’ll never happen because the hardware is locked down and too different to be able to run custom roms…
I don’t know what the solution is
The real solution would be for the EU to mandate an standardized open source connection platform that all car companies are required to support.
I currently use android auto on my truck. I had to make a bunch settings modifications to make it semi-functional. It took me months to figure out how to get it to do what I wanted, when I wanted it
For usability the solution is using some custom ROM like Graphene OS or iode. They support AA now.
For privacy the solution is to use a very old car with no infotainment. Modern cars have telemetry and always on connectivity you can’t control. Even Linux phones will not help with that. We would need open source cars which will never happen.
We would need open source cars which will never happen.
:'(
Revenue and data.
I have equally bad experiences with both Android Auto and Apple Carplay. I don’t really want either and am fine with what I’ve got (only 1/3 of the cars I own even has Carplay/Android Auto). I mostly dislike how it’s been implemented with “safety controls” that require the phone to be plugged into the infotainment center in some cars and the requirement that I only connect it while at a stop with the car in park. If someone is driving with me and they want to change to their phone I have to pull over and that’s stupid.
The infotainment centers themselves with their stupid touch screens and lack of buttons are where my real problems start, and the end with the tracking BS and telemetry data. You can keep the new cars. I don’t want them.
You just need a wireless Android Auto dongle. I have an older Honda without wireless AA. I got an “AAWireless” adapter that physically plugs in, then I connect my phone via Bluetooth and WiFi while I wireless charge it. The cool part is that it also removes the safety stuff that prevents you from typing while car is in motion and taking “safety breaks” while scrolling on head unit. I highly discourage distracted driving (just don’t be an idiot).
We have a wireless Android Auto dongle. And it takes an age to auto connect. Not to mention the problems with it still wanting us to pull over and put the car in park to switch, something I thought would be circumvented when I bought it but somehow is not. Usually it’s the person in the passenger seat trying to change something and not being able to. I’m not advocating for distracted driving. I’m pointing out that someone else in the vehicle who’s not driving can’t interact to change certain things even though it’s perfectly safe for them to do so.
If your dongle has a configuration app, I’d look in there for options to sidestep the safety pause bullshit. I couldn’t agree with you more! The head unit can’t tell if its the driver or passenger tapping it, so why on Earth would it force the vehicle to be stopped or in PARK?!? Idiotic babysitting for no reason isn’t safer.
That’s nothing to do with android auto/car play and entirely down to the manufacturer of your car being an asshat.
Is it a Mazda? Mazda is one of the worst about this. I think they’ve gotten better in their latest cars, but that doesn’t fix the existing ones.
It’s a Honda. But that’s exactly the point I’m trying to make here. With both car play and Android Auto I have issues but they’re down to how the manufacturer chose to implement each. Car manufacturers deliberately hamstrung these features and still didn’t get what they wanted.
Dacia’s implementation isn’t bad. The only safety limits in there are the ones imposed by Android Auto.
But I totally agree with you, when your car/android auto/phone combo acts dumb, finger pointing to who is at fault hardly matters, because it doesn’t work and that’s all that matters (except for knowing which manufacturer to avoid the next time).
Back to the days of rip out the head unit and stick one in that does have the features you want?
I just had a little magnetic clip for my air vent where I could attach my phone and put up a map.
I’d sooner go back to doing that than use a “Gemini-based AI assistant” in my fucking car.
I quite literally just bought one of those clips recently because I am done with Android Auto, and Google in general as much as I can be.
That’s another reason the manufacturers are increasingly locking vehicle features behind the touchscreen. If you buy a 3rd party replacement, you can’t control the AC.
I’d rip out the touch screen SO fast
No need to do that. You could get a Slate and put in what you want.
And replace it with what? You can’t just hot glue knobs on the center console and expect them to work.
That’s the “why I can’t do it” part.
But if it was possible to get knobs and buttons for everything and a small-ish screen only for info, I’d take that. I’d pay for that. Touch screens are dangerous. I’d at most be comfortable to swipe on the screen to show different infos like GPS, temperature/airflow, music/radio. Otherwise I want buttons and knobs with little lights.
And then lose control of numerous functions of your car.
It’s simply not an option in modern cars.That’s the “why I can’t do it” part.
But if it was possible to get knobs and buttons for everything and a small-ish screen only for info, I’d take that. I’d pay for that. Touch screens are dangerous. I’d at most be comfortable to swipe on the screen to show different infos like GPS, temperature/airflow, music/radio. Otherwise I want buttons and knobs with little lights.
I 100% understand what you mean. I just bought a VW ID.4, and IMO they have a good balance. Everything needed for normal driving is handled with buttons, and although some are touch, they do have haptic feedback, and it works OK IMO.
I was looking at the Skoda Enyaq, because it has traditional buttons and more things operated through them.
But it cost about €5000 extra for the same features as is in our fully equipped ID.4 when used and 4 years old. But now I’m happy we chose the ID.4 instead of an Enyaq with fewer features. Because the ID.4 works way better than I expected.
It’s crazy and previously absolutely unheard of that the Skoda version of a similar car to a genuine VW is more expensive.Oh wow, it IS odd that Skoda would be more expensive and €5k is a lot! Very odd indeed.
I’m glad you found a car you like!
Are you talking about music/NAV systems or CEOs?
I imagine they’ll try to make this increasingly difficult; maybe even impossible.
I doubt it will be completely impossible - we’d just be returning to a situation similar to game consoles and modchips - any aftermarket parts need to lie to the “authentication” checks in place first.
I would expect that certain aftermarket groups would specialize based on popular models, maybe even prioritizing models designed to be interoperable with others design and parts wise (Subaru and perhaps Toyota comes to mind).
If it doesn’t affect emissions those mod chips will not violate your warrantee - magnuson-moss was writen decades ago to protect replacing your factory radio. There are a number of other laws around third party access to car diagnostics.
It already is for a lot of modern cars. Especially EVs. I imagine they are so tied into the functionality of the car that it makes the vehicle impossible to drive without the OEM headunit.
Couldn’t a savvy user just find an exploitable firmware revision, never connect the vehicle to the internet, and install aftermarket software or hardware to bypass the authentication checks? It would be more of a pain in the ass than the previous drop in system, but I’d imagine it’s possible.
Depends on how heavily things are locked down, and how much money this tech-savvy person is willing to risk on a bricked automobile.
If the auto industry successfully locks 99.9% of their buyers into their walled garden by making it such a pain in the ass to bypass it, they’ve already won.
I’m doing my part by living car-free, never liked them. Unfortunately that’s not an option for everyone.
The vehicle comes from the factory connected to the internet.
You’d have to find the exploit before they do, and it would be hard to replicate because once they find out, the only cars vulnerable to your exploit are ones manufactured before the patch who have been disconnected from the internet (which is like 2 cars).
It’s theoretically possible but very hard to replicate. And on top of that theres always the risk of the car manufacturer voiding the warranty on your $50k vehicle and/or cozying up to your insurance company and convincing them any damage is a result of you preventing their systems from running as intended.
It’s a messy high risk low reward game to play. Better option is to just buy a different car if you can.
Right, but that requires somebody to find and document exploitable firmware revisions, create and distribute hardware/software to exploit them, develop the aftermarket software/hardware, and all that potentially separately for each car model. And then that just becomes a war with the manufacturers, who might try to update their firmware more aggressively, lock things down more, and threaten/sue people working on such things.
Good luck. Everything is integrated now with nonstandard form factors. The work and cost to do my 2020 transit is ridiculous. Phone mount and Bluetooth it is.
Car mechanics are basically going to need to become hackers.
99% of them won’t, but yeah, a couple will figure out how to ‘unlock’ your car, like a smartphone, install a custom OS on it.
I wish I could develop my own apps on my own car. I mean I own the car… why can’t I “sideload” my own created apps? Their apps are sht anyways.
Not only will Automotive Linux not save us it will power the new proprietary car systems
You can, but it’s a Google filled minefield. A good view of it is reading into all of the trouble of using Android Auto in GrapheneOS without destroying all the privacy protections. It’s essentially impossible to get navigation going without doing so, but audio for music and phone calls can be done with some hoop jumping. You’re still probably better off just using bluetooth though.
There are open source navigation apps. No need for google.
No, you misunderstand what I was trying to say, so I probably didn’t communicate it well. You cannot use any of them, open source or not, without allowing the Google Play Services some rather invasive permissions. That’s the Google I was referring to.
Best thing to do is remove google play services if at all possible. Installing microg will solve most issues. This of course means rooting the device. Which is admittedly not an easy task when dealing with head units.
.? No the information entertainment system is fully proprietary as far as I know. Without any way of flashing something else like Linux on it.
You probably can, just nobody bothers to do it. My Subaru has installable apps. Hell older Hondas (and possibly current ones) just run android. You can even get to the regular android UI on them.
I’m pretty sure the sofware that is running on the information entertainment system from VW is fully proprietary without any way of flashing it with a custom rom or running Linux on it.
I’m not taking about connecting other devices like apple or android phone to this system.
Could it be money?
It’s money, isn’t it?!
So, by utilizing built-in systems, the car manufacturers would indeed be able to collect more data about how you use the systems in place, while also possibly getting more money out of you through subscriptions.
Nooooooo that’s totally unlikely. It’s probably just for our best!
It’s not money. The executives of these companies revealed the reason they are doing this is because they believe they can provide a better end user experience. They wouldn’t lie would they?
Money.
There I wrote the whole article in one word.
