do you have either? have you switched phones because your car only had one? (i think my coworker just did this lol)

i got it in the new car and im still a bit eh about it. i have an android, the car has both options.

let me know why i should be using it. what are some cool things i should know about?

what i know right now is i need to plug-in my phone to usb, it will play my music at full quality (nice) and make it really inconvenient for me to actually use my phone while driving (ok). i think google maps will display in dash too if i need navigation so thats cool.

i dont like having to plug-in but i might get used to it. if i need navigation then i think its very worth it. even for any long trip. for getting to work in a rush i want to just jump in the car and go. so far it has a delay and sometimes gives me an error that the phone is not responding. i have an s8 with a wireless charging mount so im used to just dropping it in there. having to unplug the cable from the mount to plug in my phone is kind of annoying but could be worth it.

definitely like the quality of the audio and the fact that i can still use the steering wheel controls to change tracks instead of fumbling with my phone if i were to use aux. displaying the music in the dash using google play looks awkward but its good to have the music info in the dash unlike aux.

also, i got a message the other day while driving, i got the notification on my phone first then in the dash. the dash showed i got a notification but i had to press home then click on the message in order for it to play it. that seems dumb. are there options for this? i would like an audio prompt asking if i want to listen to the message or dismiss it. having to touch the screen while driving seems to defeat the purpose of it. i have to be doing it wrong right??

for now im thinking ill stick to bluetooth for my work commute but use android auto for other drives.

I love it overall. I plug my phone in and stick it in a cubby and close the door. No reason to take my phone out until I get to where I'm going. If I'm just doing a short trip sometimes I don't bother and just use bluetooth.

+Google Maps is the biggest one. So much better to not have to try and glance at my phone screen.
+Not using the cars stock shitty UI
+Siri
+Easy to listen to and respond to texts
+Bonus of your phone getting charged
+It's a lot easier to switch music than unlocking my phone and scrolling around

- You have to plug your phone in

Btw, you should still be able to use your steering wheel controls with bluetooth...

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If its a new message coming in it shows up briefly as a notification and you can tap it to read it. Otherwise you just open Messages and select from there.

Also CarPlay has kind of a "dock" with shortcuts to your 3 most recent apps. Messages is usually one of them, so I don't have to go home first to open it.

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android auto has 5 icons i think. center is home, maps on the left, music on the right, exit far right, not sure whats between maps and home.

if i just leave it on the home screen it will show the song thats playing and a few cards under it, the message would probably pop up right under the music. thats the mode ive been leaving it the last few times.

its weird but it feels further to touch the screen in this car so thats why i would prefer for it to prompt me for instructions instead of having to click on it. there might be a voice command i could use.

I had read that some 3rd party units were going to support this but i didnt know it was working now.

https://www.lifewire.com/android-auto-wireless-4176354

cant find any info on if it works on the elantra but im sure going to try. if it connects relatively quick then this will ax bluetooth completely for me.

so looked more into it and it seems it only works on google phones and will work with others when they upgrade to android 9.0

no idea if my car supports it. it has wifi but thats no guarantee.

>do you have either? have you switched phones because your car
>only had one? (i think my coworker just did this lol)

old car I added a head unit specifically so I could do this.
new car has both.


>i got it in the new car and im still a bit eh about it. i have
>an android, the car has both options.
>
>let me know why i should be using it. what are some cool
>things i should know about?
>
>what i know right now is i need to plug-in my phone to usb, it
>will play my music at full quality (nice) and make it really
>inconvenient for me to actually use my phone while driving
>(ok). i think google maps will display in dash too if i need
>navigation so thats cool.


the one reason I dropped Geld on a head unit 3 years ago: to get my phone's navigation on my car's screen. now back then I was still using my iPod for actual music (because Android Auto's controls for such are still... trash)

now it's a little more usable, but I still have to use a second app (OBD2AA from the XDA Labs app store) to take away the chief thing that pisses me off about Android Auto: the screen touch limit.

trying to get you to use your voice for everything is just bullshit. more on that later.

>i dont like having to plug-in but i might get used to it. if i
>need navigation then i think its very worth it. even for any
>long trip. for getting to work in a rush i want to just jump
>in the car and go. so far it has a delay and sometimes gives
>me an error that the phone is not responding. i have an s8
>with a wireless charging mount so im used to just dropping it
>in there. having to unplug the cable from the mount to plug in
>my phone is kind of annoying but could be worth it.
>
>definitely like the quality of the audio and the fact that i
>can still use the steering wheel controls to change tracks
>instead of fumbling with my phone if i were to use aux.
>displaying the music in the dash using google play looks
>awkward but its good to have the music info in the dash unlike
>aux.

some cars can support wireless Android Auto, but you have to basically have in-car wifi for that. and I think certain phones are eligible. The Pixel is one.


>also, i got a message the other day while driving, i got the
>notification on my phone first then in the dash. the dash
>showed i got a notification but i had to press home then click
>on the message in order for it to play it. that seems dumb.
>are there options for this? i would like an audio prompt
>asking if i want to listen to the message or dismiss it.
>having to touch the screen while driving seems to defeat the
>purpose of it. i have to be doing it wrong right??

technically you can "OK Google" and ask to read your messages (or touch the voice button on your car's steering wheel/the screen). I haven't done that in a while, though.

>for now im thinking ill stick to bluetooth for my work commute
>but use android auto for other drives.

you can actually still use Android Auto directly on your phone without plugging it in. instead of fumbling through the controls of your phone, the Android Auto screen takes over your phone and you can still do the voice commands for music, messages, and navigation while your phone is mounted (like on an airvent, etc).


Now let me talk about CarPlay:

CarPlay is actually superior for driving use, now that it supports Google Maps and Waze. for one: no scroll restrictions. rewind/fast forward works on the steering wheel, the touch areas are much larger and simplified, and voice controls (such as the ones used to send messages) have on-screen fallbacks (like if you want to confirm, re-do, or cancel a message, there are buttons on the screen for that).

This is probably due to the fact that Apple recognizing that Siri is some shit. But I will say this: Siri easily found the music on my phone when I called for it. Playlists, even. And I have a pretty huge local library, and playlists with some odd names.

Android, it's basically a crap shoot. Which is why for years I used an iPod for actual music. Since an iPhone is essentially an iPod with phone stuff, that's not needed for CarPlay.

they purposely make it more difficult to do things on screen so that you are more inclined/forced to use voice???

i guess i need to read up on commands and give that an honest try. no way im switching to apple lol

i dont switch around playlists much. i usually will listen to the same playlist on shuffle for days. there are times when the playlist will stop because i finished all the songs so getting it to restart or switch was awkward in my old car. not sure what will happen with android auto. maybe i need to ask it to play a different playlist while im driving to test it out.

good to get an opinion of someone that has used both.

i had previously tried using android auto on my phone in my old car but it seemed pretty pointless. didnt give it much of a chance. i dont want to be touching my phone while driving. i think i need to mentally accept plugging my phone into usb and hiding my phone. disregard my car mount. might need to give it to my sister or something so i dont feel like i wasted money. i bought it like a year ago, maybe more so i did get very good use of it.

right now it doesnt bother me too much that its not an instant on thing but i dont like that music wont start playing automatically. im having to press the play button on screen. im sure i could use voice to get it to start playing.

ideally i would want it to play music over bluetooth when i turn it on, switch to android auto once connected then switch back to bluetooth when i unplug my phone but stay in the car putting the sunshade on, gathering my things etc.

>they purposely make it more difficult to do things on screen
>so that you are more inclined/forced to use voice???

this is especially true for Google Play Music (if you use the app).

https://productforums.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!msg/android-auto/_64MGNmpIM4/v0l-PkqfBQAJ

what's worse is that Google is trying to move people on to YouTube Music, which doesn't even work in Android Auto. Google's a mess on this whole thing.


>i dont switch around playlists much. i usually will listen to
>the same playlist on shuffle for days. there are times when
>the playlist will stop because i finished all the songs so
>getting it to restart or switch was awkward in my old car. not
>sure what will happen with android auto. maybe i need to ask
>it to play a different playlist while im driving to test it
>out.

That could be handled in the source app, if it has a "repeat all" function. I use this often but have to set it in the app before connecting to Android Auto, since that option isn't available in that interface.

>ideally i would want it to play music over bluetooth when i
>turn it on, switch to android auto once connected then switch
>back to bluetooth when i unplug my phone but stay in the car
>putting the sunshade on, gathering my things etc.

my car actually does that (Volvo V90). it'll connect to Bluetooth before it goes into AA, and will auto play. I think it's a setting though.

>>they purposely make it more difficult to do things on
>screen
>>so that you are more inclined/forced to use voice???
>
>this is especially true for Google Play Music (if you use the
>app).

i do use google play music and really like it for how i use it.

i did try to find some settings for it through android auto while parked last night. i was trying to see if i could get it to sound better so i wanted to see if EQ was on. im a bit confused on how this is handled with android auto. does it disregard the EQ you had set in the car unit? does it use the settings that you use for headphones?? i did see that selecting music was limited. i had to unlock my phone to get to EQ. the sound quality is okay in the car and android auto is definitely better than bluetooth but it doesnt bump. i have seen some mixed reviews for the car sound quality so i wanted to see if i could get it to sound great before i upgrade the speakers. its the only thing keeping me from loving this car now.

>
>https://productforums.google.com/forum/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer#!msg/android-auto/_64MGNmpIM4/v0l-PkqfBQAJ
>
>what's worse is that Google is trying to move people on to
>YouTube Music, which doesn't even work in Android Auto.
>Google's a mess on this whole thing.

im so opposed to even trying youtube music. google definitely has a problem with making multiple apps that overlap in function then they suddenly drop one.

>
>
>>i dont switch around playlists much. i usually will listen
>to
>>the same playlist on shuffle for days. there are times when
>>the playlist will stop because i finished all the songs so
>>getting it to restart or switch was awkward in my old car.
>not
>>sure what will happen with android auto. maybe i need to ask
>>it to play a different playlist while im driving to test it
>>out.
>
>That could be handled in the source app, if it has a "repeat
>all" function. I use this often but have to set it in the app
>before connecting to Android Auto, since that option isn't
>available in that interface.

i prefer to have it stop i just need a play button that while start the shuffle over again. i want to know when i have finished listening to a playlist. i think in my old car it would only play the last song over and over again. havent tested this yet.

>
>>ideally i would want it to play music over bluetooth when i
>>turn it on, switch to android auto once connected then
>switch
>>back to bluetooth when i unplug my phone but stay in the car
>>putting the sunshade on, gathering my things etc.
>
>my car actually does that (Volvo V90). it'll connect to
>Bluetooth before it goes into AA, and will auto play. I think
>it's a setting though.

i have to see if i can adjust this. what i have found is that it will play bluetooth but once it detects the connection it will switch to fm and wait for me to click on android auto, then i have to click on play music.

I think the biggest thing for me is the navigation, even on short trips that I make every day. I actually use Apple Maps still even though Google Maps and Waze are there on CarPlay since last fall. Mostly because Apple Maps has learned my entire routine, and as soon as I get in the car it knows that on Monday mornings I drop my son off at my parents' house and then I go into work, but that on Tuesdays I drop him off at daycare then work instead. The destinations pop in on the screen as soon a I jump in the car and connect (my head unit requires it to connect via lightning, but some CarPlay units work wireless.)

The overall integration with my phone and Apple Watch is great too, for text messages, music, and navigation. I'm at the point now where I really can't go back to not having CarPlay.

there are definitely times i wish i had looked at maps so i would know to avoid certain routes due to traffic.

And yeah it's a lifesaver depending on the commute in your area. For me my regular routes have bottlenecks that can make a 15 minute drive turn into 45 minutes if there is an accident or weather issues, and there are several alternate routes available to circumvent this. I don't have time in the morning to think about setting a destination for somewhere I go every day so it's cool that it just knows automatically.

I'm sure that Google Maps and Waze has the same functionality, but since all my history is there in Apple Maps along with the integration with my Watch, iPhone, and CarPlay, it's a no brainer to just keep using Apple Maps.

i have my home and work set up in waze and google but i never use them to navigate to either. i figure i might as well use waze as it gives you all the red light and cop notifications.

thankfully my commute is mad short, 12 mins on a good day but could turn into 30 mins if there is a back up. theyre doing construction on the freeway right where i pass under it and they constantly close different lanes which definitely will back you up. hopefully this catches it.

i thought android auto automatically turned your location on, maybe its a setting i need to adjust. im turning on location before i head out to the car and setting my destination. hopefully it automatically starts doing it soon.

My stock unit on my Tacoma keeps restarting at random when someone calls me or i call someone. it resets all the settings to factory so all my navigation preferences, button volumes, etc... and it's a pain to re-config them.

my pops got one of these joints in his camry and i like it
https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-MVH-1400NEX-Digital-Multimedia-Receiver/dp/B07951J34N/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1547678377&sr=8-4&keywords=double+din+carplay

also like this one
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXPM03Y/ref=psdc_2230642011_t1_B073BNFTV7?th=1

Just dreading going down this route and making sure i get all the right wiring harnesses, kits, etc... I had sub/amp installed a few years back so making sure the unit supports sub out and what not. then learning a new system. but getting sick and tired of my stereo rebooting on me.

--sig--
n/a

i couldnt imagine not having a reliable unit. i know i swapped out the factory unit in my 07 sonata once the volume knob started controlling itself. it was my first taste of bluetooth.

i actually had it installed, not sure i would be up for doing it myself. i did swap it out for the factory unit before i traded in the car.

im considering upgrading the speakers in my car but im thinking i would just get them installed. dont know if im up to doing it myself. im going to wait a while though.

good luck with whichever unit you go with.

This is the one I wanted in my previous car since it still has a volume knob: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_158XAV100/Sony-XAV-AX100.html

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my car supports both pretty well.

idk how many cars support wireless AA yet, but yeah it's a tough thing.

carplay adding google maps is a big boost bc google maps still shits on apple maps, but tbh I'm just disappointed in both of them. growth and app support has been very slow


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

what apps would you want on it?

if only because you have google maps/apple maps/waze easily accessible.

and the playlist/lockout scroll stuff is infuriating because it's just a poor design.

I just want to see a soundcloud app really, the other stuff I use is on there, and I think the messaging apps could see better support. also the ability to hide certain apps fro mandroid auto -- I have new york times installed and it shows up in the audio menu above pocket casts, which I actually use.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

it looked like i could remove notification from pretty much anything. are you trying to keep it from suggesting alternative music apps you have installed or something like that?

its mostly good. i do want it to be wireless still but connecting it isnt a big deal mostly. i do rely on voice controls a bit. waze is a no go as it wont suggest locations automatically. google maps is pretty good with guessing where i want to go. when its a saved location ive had pretty much 100% success with setting navigation location with voice. i wish it loaded quicker, it takes a couple of minutes. ill usually take off and shortly after click on android auto, then play on my music, then the navigation suggestion...or voice to set navigation if its a location that i dont go to often.

i have ran into some problems that some of you have mentioned or hinted at. on my trip i was the passenger but had my phone connected. i was trying to look up gas station and some options for dinner while we drove. no can do. you cant even type in things on the car screen while the car is driving. i understand why they do this but uh yeah.

the other day i had problems with it disconnecting. i dont know if it is the cable/adapter set up i have or if it was android auto being faulty. basically i headed to work and got android auto running. i had to make a pitstop and when i got back in the car it didnt connect. usually thats been surprising easy to reconnect after a pitstop. i unplugged the phone and plugged it back in then headed on my way. a minute later it disconnected. i ended pulling over to unplug it again then plug it back in. that was only once but that was not a good experience.

getting my playlists to play has been hit or miss. i have had to rename them so i can use the "play my ____ playlist" command. sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt.

Audible, Napster, Beyond Pod, Smart Audiobook, and Google Play apps all work pretty well overall from the dash, as well as Google maps.

There are minor quirks such as an inability to search my Napster downloads by artist, but it's no big deal. I'd like to be able to browse my youtube downloads since I listen to that a lot, but that's about it for gripes.

i dont know if its been pushed to all yet. i finally got it yesterday. i really like that it starts playing my music automatically. i could see that being annoying if theres a song on the radio i wanted to keep listening to before switching but thats rare.

it goes right into navigation but has an icon for notifications showing if you have any pending. cool.

home now goes to apps. eh. i think the previous home was cool to look at but i never used it. i dont see myself looking through apps either.

i tried using the voice control to place a call like i always do and it said it wasnt supported. not sure what thats about.

a little piece on it.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a28660216/android-auto-update-2019/