Anyone using Android Auto?

Apps & Core Settings
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Also:

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Have you made any progress with Android Auto? I won’t load Google apps on my phone and I’m afraid to side load anything that might make my phone flip out.

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No sorry - I have parked it. Unable to get it to work satisfactorily on either my BraX3 or Google P8P. I have a temporary work around using my systems integral system via Bluetooth - it’s not ideal but is adequate for now.

Some people have reported having AA operational but I am sceptical, as I don’t think we are all comparing or talking about the same thing or at least the same level of functionality - or perhaps in a few cases they have installed G apps or signed into G accounts so have broken the privacy of their device.

However I also have an older install of AA in my vehicle (basically it was installed in early/mid 2020 when my vehicle was about a year or so old) while some people who have reported it working have much newer installs or vehicles (2023-2025) - so that may also be a reason some people report it working (e.g. my AA only works with Android Phones if both USB and Bluetooth are connected simultaneously - while the same unit with CarPlay works with my iPhone happily on USB only (no Bluetooth) - so older AA modules may have reduced functionality that’s more reliant on the G apps being on the actual phone).

I’m basically waiting to see if anyone else has done an exhaustive test of AA functionality and what they find before I revisit it again…

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Thanks. The first time I connected to the car with AA enabled it wanted to download all of the Google apps. Loading them would mean I waisted my time getting a privacy phone. :zany_face:

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You can find links to “de-googled stub apps” that I host and are referenced in our AA guide:

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Yes rik I understand that but I trust Google as much as I trust my government. :thinking: I will look at those stubs and see if I can figure out the installation. I don’t want to find myself in the position of losing all my work on this phone since there is no backup and recovery that restores your phone like an iPhone.

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Seedvault is integrated for device backup and restore, but it is not fully comprehensive (as it can only run with user level permissions, not root level permissions). So yes your point is largely true.

There isn’t a lot of ways around it, AA has a lot of deeply embedded Google bits. The “stub apps” at least alleviate the challenge of needing to give Google apps access to location and voice input. But others use the “full Google” apps but deny any network permissions from them. Anyway it will take some testing on your part.

I don’t have a car supporting AA so have not been able to get deeper experience with it (but have tried it in a rental car and in a friends car for short periods).

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I plan to do it. I’m waiting for a time when I can focus on it. I lime iode so it’s worth the effort. I left iPhone for this and enjoy seeing where it goes. Even more happy that I get input from you and others.

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I just found a post from a fellow Saab enthusiast here in the USA that has custom built Android Auto / Apple Car Play kits including 3D printed dash bezels etc. for my 2006 9-3 SS. It is now on my “birthday wish list” so some day maybe I will have an AA capable device just yet :slight_smile:

3 Likes
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I forgot to ask you where the stubs can be found.

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On my Pixel 5 iodéOS 7.1, I was trying all the ways I know to connect to VW Tiguan 2019 via AA, but I did not succeed. Wired or wireless, no connection what so ever. AA is installed, 3 AA stubs installed, but still no way to connect to my car. I am out of ideas how to proceed.

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Our documentation has links to the stubs I had re-posted for that purpose (as the sources I found each had 2 out of 3 stubs posted but neither had all 3): Android Auto - iodé

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Shortest route GitHub - rik-shaw/aa-stubs: Android Auto stub apps for use with de-Googled ROMs

AndroidAuto is doing great. Pixel 9a←→ Renault Captur 2017. Only use it for calls.

1 Like
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Thanks.

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Yes that should be the same link in our documentation.

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rik you’ll be happy to hear I finally took the dive. It was easier than I feared. It works too. I have Android Auto and it displays and works with Comaps. I will update after I’ve actually driven around and used it for a few days.

For those that are noobs to this like me, enable developer’s options on your phone and go to the directory on your PC where you downloaded the stubs to. Make sure you have adb on your PC and when you are finished, turn off the developer’s option.

All in all I’m tickled. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Well, now I feel bit silly. AA is on my Pixel 5 activated and then downloaded from Aurora. All 3 Ricks stubs installed. OS is iodéOS ver. 7.1. But somehow, no AA connectivity what so ever. And if I try to find AA in Aurora Store again, I cannot find it there. It does not show up… May be some glitch in my brain is pushing the solution out of my reach :grimacing:

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So you plugged it in to your car and no response?

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So you plugged it in to your car and no response?

Nope. After connecting (both wired and wireless) it prompted me to download AA. Even thou the app is downloaded and installed (including 3 stubs) on my Pixel5. :man_facepalming:t3:

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Mine updated AA on it’s own. Didn’t ask, just did it. I do have some times that it doesn’t auto connect. I wish I could figure out how to keep apps from auto updating. If it’s working I don’t want an update to screw that up.