Anyone who has used something like this will most likely agree that it is very convenient to synchronize a smartphone with a car. Even a simple connection via Bluetooth with the ability to dial from the head unit is already good, and if we talk about systems like CarPlay or Android Auto, then it's generally super. We are most interested in Android Auto, but it still has too many problems. Especially often they started to complain about problems after the release of Android 11. This is especially offensive, because it was in this operating system that the function of wireless connection of a smartphone was supposed to appear. At the same time, the problems that users complain about are very serious, and they simply cannot ignore what is happening.
Android Auto is very convenient. Only in the new version it began to work poorly.
Complaints about Android Auto
The main goons, except for those that were before, began to appear exactly last week, after Android 11 came out to the general public. Before the release, it was impossible to say that the problems were predictable, but after the release took place, which is called “burst”. Regular problems were supplemented with something that was not initially expected.
Google may not link Android Auto directly to system updates, but major updates can be a source of bugs when working in a car. As our colleagues at Android Police recently pointed out, it looks like this is specifically about Android 11.
Apparently, the problems that arise when connecting Android Auto to the phone under control Android 11 are not of any regular nature, and their appearance can be very sudden. Moreover, its likelihood varies from person to person. For some, everything works fine and there are no problems, while others constantly have something wrong. In fact, even if something happens for 3-5 percent of users, it is millions of people, and the problem can be safely considered critical.
Those who are used to Android Auto will no longer want to use the system without this feature.
Some users say the music doesn't play smoothly, others say the Calendar app is missing – although in Android Auto v5.6 this bug appears to be fixed – and still others mention disabled notifications and phone calls calls that do not go through the vehicle's speakers. Moreover, a couple of people even stated that their smartphone went into such a state that it had to be reset to factory settings. Now this is no gate at all.
Which smartphones Android Auto performs the worst with
Since Android 11 can be fully installed only on Google Pixel smartphones, the problem cannot be called a massive one for our country. We don't have many of these smartphones, although we do have fans, which is proved by the number of comments and reviews in our Telegram chat that followed our thematic articles. Since we have significantly fewer users of this smartphone than in the USA, we have to look for answers there.
If you go through foreign sites or just forums, then journalists, bloggers and ordinary people do not often complain about a problem, but this is still just a certain section of society. As I said above, a few percent of users with such a problem are enough to recognize the problem as widespread.
Google has not yet reacted in any way to what is happening and did not say that any corrections will be made in the near future. But at the same time, you can be one hundred percent sure that the company is watching what is happening, collecting information and probably examining why this could have happened. In the end, as soon as Android 11 go out to more devices, the problem will become not just massive, but literally catastrophic.
Everything is fine in Android Auto and CarPlay, except for that stupid wiring. Android 11 allows you to use the system without it, but maybe that's why the problems started.
As it should be in this situation, some users have even found a kind of solution to the problem and ways out of the situation. The fact is that they were helped by disabling device scanning Bluetooth. This action did not help everyone, but in some cases the problem was resolved.
Benefits of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
In general, the use of in-car systems such as Android Auto and CarPlay allows you to make a car a gadget on wheels. You may not use all the functions, but the smartphone is our constant companion. It has everything from our home address to our musical preferences. As a result, all this can be broadcast to the head unit of the car. It turns out that the car becomes, as it were, an extension of the smartphone.
You open the cards and you have all the bookmarks. You start the music and you can select a song on the screen of the car head unit, and not on your smartphone, as with a simple Bluetooth connection. It's just convenient and native. It's good that both Google and Apple are developing this direction. It's just a pity that from time to time the number of bugs that I would like to avoid generally increases. Let's see how events develop further, but for now we will have to wait how Google will react to this and will try to fix it in the next update. Hopefully it won't take long.