Pros/Cons of AndroidAuto? [asking]

[dtbaker61]

I'm a complete novice when it comes to Android Auto... in fact I don't even have a good grasp of what I can DO with the App over and above 'regular' functionality that is on the MME center screen. So, I'd love to start by asking a couple questions to Members that do use AA:

- What added functionality/App do you use AA for ?

- Are there certain phone apps that can or cannot be used in AndroidAuto?

- Can it be used to 'cast' a custom display from ODB2->CarScanner app on phone to center screen?

- Any specific tricks or things to be careful of when installing and configuring?

Sponsored

 

[timbop]

I'm a complete novice when it comes to Android Auto... in fact I don't even have a good grasp of what I can DO with the App over and above 'regular' functionality that is on the MME center screen. So, I'd love to start by asking a couple questions to Members that do use AA:

- What added functionality/App do you use AA for ?

- Are there certain phone apps that can or cannot be used in AndroidAuto?

- Can it be used to 'cast' a custom display from ODB2->CarScanner app on phone to center screen?

- Any specific tricks or things to be careful of when installing and configuring?

I very much prefer using waze over AA instead of the native NAV, and yes you can use other apps with it but they have to be specifically written to work with AA. There is a restriction that the car imposes: it will not let you stream video but you can stream audio. For example I installed VLC (the videolan player) and it can stream audio but the car blocks video. If you open AA on your phone and select "customize launcher" under the general settings you can see which of your phone apps are supported, and then obviously choose them to be displayed on the AA launcher. In addition to waze I often listen to MLB.com broadcasts, podcasts through podcast addict, and occasionally iheartradio. I'm pretty sure spotify and a lot of other audio streaming apps will work with it also.

I don't have an OBD2 reader yet, so would be glad to hear anyone's experience with that as well

 

[WildfireOne]

The answer lies in your ability to use Google Assistant. In other words, how how well you already integrate Google Assistant into your life/daily routine determines the functionality of Android Auto for you while driving.

I use Google Assistant all the time:

"Add something to my calendar tomorrow at 130pm" and follow the prompted conversation

"Call John Rain on his mobile"

"Text Mitch Rapp" and follow the prompts

"What's the weather forecast tonight?" or "Will it rain in Spokane today?"

"What's 70 percent of 77.99?"

"Call Waba Grill in Highland" and then select the right one, when the place answers, order takeout.

All that can be done in Android Auto via Google Assistant, which offers best in class speech recognition.

Beyond the Assistant is Google Maps, which as an online resource, provides more continuously updated street and point of interest information than a built-in navigation system. And using the satellite view in Google Maps is very useful for getting an idea of what a destination actually looks like, if you've never been there before. Finally, with Android Auto, you can use other navigation apps besides Google Maps, like Tom Tom, Waze, etc

But not all apps in the Play store are accessible in Android Auto. In fact, the vast majority of them cannot, as they have to be specifically developed to work with Android Auto.

Even with the hiccups in initial setup, I use Android Auto every time I'm in the car. But your experience and how well it suits you individually would be very different from mine.

One last thing: the Hey Google hotword triggering Assistant works essentially ONCE per trip. As such, to trigger Assistant you either hit the Mic icon on Android Auto or longpress the Sync voice hardbutton to the left of Vol+ on the steering wheel...

Good luck!

Sponsored