Android Auto has been around for over a decade, and it’s an amazing solution for staying safely connected to your phone while driving. Most cars support wired Android Auto connections, so make sure you have the best cables for the job. Wireless Android Auto is becoming common not only in premium cars, but also in many new car models. Also, Google keeps updating Android Auto with new features like support for Google Meet.
Although it works great out of the box, I have to change some settings whenever I use a new phone with my car. These are simple toggle switches that can make a huge difference when using Android Auto daily, and they can all be done right through your phone. Here are my top five settings and tweaks I recommend if you’ve just set it up.
Prevent music from auto-playing when connected
One of the most annoying default settings of Android Auto is that your music will automatically start playing as soon as your phone is connected to your car. This can be very irritating at night if the car has been noticeably louder since the last time you used it. This can also be extremely embarrassing, depending on who is in the car with you, and your secret guilty pleasure music starts playing. Maintain your dignity by simply disabling this toggle switch.
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On your phone, go to settingsFind more android auto. In the Settings menu, scroll down start up Sub-menu and disable Start music automatically. That’s it. Now the next time you connect your phone, your music will be in paused state.
Reduce notification distractions from apps
By default, most messaging apps and some media apps (YouTube Music, Spotify) installed on your phone will appear in the Android Auto app drawer. Any notification from these apps will come as an alert on your screen. While driving, the last thing you want is spam alerts from insurance companies distracting you from the road. There are two ways to disable notifications.
To reduce audible ping, go to Android Auto’s Settings menu, scroll down Message sub-menu, and simply disable ring message chime. This will at least stop the audible alerts, but will still show you incoming messages. If you want to prevent this too, you can simply disable the previously called sub-menu item Show message notifications.
Another way to do this is to disable any unwanted apps from the app drawer so that those notifications automatically go away. From the same Settings menu on your phone, scroll up customize launcherAnd uncheck the apps you don’t want to use with Android Auto.
Prevent Android Auto from starting automatically
One of the best things about Android Auto is that it turns on seamlessly when you start your car, but not everyone will want to set it up that way. Android Auto drains your battery quickly when connected wirelessly to your car’s head unit, and if you like to tune in to the radio or don’t need maps for short trips, you won’t always need it.
Unfortunately, there is no dedicated setting for this in Android Auto at this time. None of the selectable options Start Android Auto automatically The menu allows you to do this. One solution that has worked for me is disable toggle Start Android Auto when locked.
By doing this, your phone will still be connected to your car via Bluetooth (for calls), but Android Auto will not start, provided your phone is locked. If you need to enable Android Auto in the middle of your drive, you should see a notification on your phone that says “Android Auto available” and tapping it should launch it. You can also enable it manually through your car’s dashboard.
Create shortcuts for frequent tasks
You can give voice commands to Google Assistant to call a contact or find a place along your route. If you’re one of the lucky ones, chances are you already have it. Gemini in Android Auto, which is far better in terms of understanding instructions. However, there are times when the Assistant is unable to understand what you are asking it to do due to wind noise when you are driving with the windows down or when kids are making noise in the back seat. At such times, it is good to set up shortcuts for frequently used actions in advance.
In Android Auto settings on your phone, tap customize launcherthen tap Add a shortcut to the launcher. You can set shortcuts for “Call a contact” Or “A supporting action.“ The first one is self-explanatory as it basically lets you create a one-tap call shortcut for a contact. The latter is where it gets interesting, as it lets you create any command you’d normally give to the Assistant, like “Find all gas stations near me.” You can then label it and even test it before saving it (Android Auto must be active for this).
Once you’ve created these shortcuts, you can go back and rearrange them at the top of the list so that they’re the first icons when you open the app drawer in Android Auto. Now, your favorite contacts and most used activities are just a tap away.
Enable Quick Control
Under the same Android Auto Settings menu, enable the toggle called taskbar widget. This lets you control music playback from the taskbar, even if you have another app like Maps open in full screen. By default, the taskbar will show you other apps, but doing so means your traveler can’t pause or skip tracks if you have another app in full-screen mode.
These are some very simple but important changes you can make to Android Auto for a safer and more enjoyable drive. Do you have any essential tips that are missing here? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Google’s best ever
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the best way to experience Android the way Google intended it. Additionally, it gets two special features called Call Screen and Call Notes for Android Auto, which have been rolled out.
