Android Auto has been with us since 2014. A lot has happened since Google launched the in-car infotainment platform, not least it being widely adopted across the automotive industry. That wasn't the case in the early days, where you would rarely find a vehicle with Android Auto. At the time, Google released an app for phones so people could use the platform on their handsets.
The company now says this app is unnecessary and will be closing it. While Android Auto may not have the proliferation of Apple CarPlay, it is included on most new models (support for both rival platforms). Android Auto for phone screens was something of a placeholder that allowed users to use the platform on their smartphone.
Now most people can do that in their vehicle infotainment system, the need for the smartphone app has gone. Especially as Google has been increasingly building out Android Auto. In 2020, the company brought Google Assistant driving mode to the United States and globally in April. This is important because it means Google Assistant driving mode essentially replaces Android Auto for phone screens.
Moving On
And that is exactly what Google is telling people in a prompt when they fire up Android Auto on their smartphone:
“Android Auto is now only available for car screens. On your phone, try Google Assistant driving mode instead.”
It seems this message is only appearing on Google's own Pixel Phones, and only those running Android 12. It is unclear what happens on older versions of the OS, but the message seems clear enough… no more Android Auto on smartphones.
Tip of the day: To prevent attackers from capturing your password, Secure Sign-in asks the user to perform a physical action that activates the sign-in screen. In some cases, this is a dedicated “Windows Security” button, but the most common case in Windows 10 is the Ctrl+Alt Del hotkey. In our tutorial, we show you how to activate this feature.
Last Updated on February 14, 2022 8:22 pm CET by Luke Jones
