Access the main functions of your smartphone directly from the car’s screen. This is what Android Auto offers and more and more vehicles are equipped with it today. Here’s an opportunity to take stock of this feature, which is gaining in popularity.

We won’t teach you anything by telling you that smartphones play a major role in our daily lives. According to a study conducted by the App Annie firm in 2019, we already spend 2.3 hours a day glued to our small screens and even double that for young people. 

So inevitably, when it’s time to get behind the wheel, the temptation is great to grab your smartphone. To satisfy this need for complete safety, but also to offer more advanced services than traditionally offered by car manufacturers, it’s now possible to display certain mobile applications directly on the infotainment system screen. 

And in this respect, two worlds coexist, just like the main operating systems today: CarPlay for iPhones and Android Auto for Android phones. And it’s the latter that we’re going to focus on here!

Using a phone while driving, is a risky practice

Formally forbidden, the use of the telephone at the wheel multiplies by three the risk of an accident. Even 23 times more for those who have the good idea to read a text message while driving.

The reason is simple and obvious. This major source of distraction diverts attention from the road and increases reaction time. For example, reading a message forces the driver to concentrate on his smartphone for an average of 5 seconds.

Also, you should know that the fact of listening to music with headphones or wired or wireless headphones, is also punished by a fine of 135 $ and the withdrawal of three points. In short, it’s better to leave the smartphone on the center console and use the device that interests us today: Android Auto!

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Android Auto: what is it?

Presented in 2014 at Google’s developer conference, Android Auto was deployed for the first time in May 2015 on a model from South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. The idea is simple: deport several information and applications on the vehicle’s screen. 

Starting with music, phone calls, and of course connected navigation. This means that you have to distinguish between two things: the interface that appears on the car’s screen on the one hand, and the appropriate application on the smartphone on the other.

The latter should be compatible with all smartphones that are equipped with Android 5.0 or later. Now, Google recommends a smartphone running at least Android 9. Of course, the car itself must be equipped with a touchscreen, but also support Android Auto. 

How does Android Auto work? How to connect to Android Auto?

First thing to do, is connect your phone to the car with a USB cable. In general, you won’t have to do anything else except click on the button that appears on the screen. It sounds logical, but Android Auto is exclusive to Android smartphones.

Forget about CarPlay even if the icon appears on the car screen. If nothing happens, check that you have installed the Android Auto application on the smartphone. Because, unlike CarPlay, it isn’t standard on Android devices.

The good news is that while Apple’s solution is the benchmark for simplicity, Android is finally starting to catch up. With Android 12, users will no longer need to go to the Google Play Store to download the Android Auto mobile application. Instead, simply connect the device to the car’s USB port and the Android Auto interface will automatically appear on the screen.

In the meantime, remember to download the Android Auto application in advance to save your data envelope, and to take a few minutes to configure it in the car. Indeed, the settings cannot be made while driving to ensure safety. And even if you let your passenger do it, the system will refuse to start the procedure until the car is stopped.

Also, like CarPlay, Android Auto will be able to work wirelessly, so you don’t have to do anything when you get in the car. Except for putting the phone on the Qi charger cradle if it’s available, and letting the device charge while you use Android Auto.

In this case, you’ll first have to pair the smartphone to the car’s Bluetooth. After setup, and depending on your vehicle, the phone will either connect automatically or you’ll need to click on the Android Auto app icon that will appear on the infotainment system screen.

Finally, if your car is far too old, you can still give it Android Auto. How can you do this? Simply by purchasing an aftermarket device, i.e. a car radio with a screen even though the car doesn’t have one. Most of the major brands of audio accessories offer them, including Kenwood, Sony, Alpine, Blaupunkt, Clarion, JVC, and Pioneer. 

Android Auto: an extremely clean interface

While Carplay has recently been updated with a new and attractive dashboard that splits the screen into three parts, each one linked to an application, the Android Auto interface is very clean. And if the first version of Android was inspired by the old Google Now interface, which few still remember, and which was already not famous, the current one seems very sad even if it’s possible to choose the background of your choice.

The advantage of this choice is that you don’t have to take your eyes off the road for too long to select an application. 

Indeed, in addition to the essential Google Maps, Android Auto allows you to use Waze or Spotify, and more generally most of the essential applications. Provided you have them installed on your smartphone. Then all you have to do is press the corresponding icon to control everything from the car’s infotainment screen.

The main menu displays rows of icons that give access to the available applications. They are large enough to be identified at a glance and are generously spaced for easy clicking.

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A black banner is permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen. Called the navigation bar, it has a Home button in the form of a white circle located at the bottom left. It allows you to return to the home page at any time. On the opposite side is an icon representing a microphone that allows you to activate Google Assistant via the infotainment screen rather than the button on the steering wheel.

The navigation bar at the bottom of the screen will be populated with shortcuts as you use apps. This makes it easier to switch from one to another without having to go back to the home page.

All applications have been adapted to fit on the car screen. This means that the amount of information and options are reduced to make interactions as short and simple as possible. In addition, Android Auto will automatically lock up if you use the screen a lot while driving, as you can see in the screenshot below. If this happens, it’s best to use Google Assistant!