Google is shutting down its Android Auto mobile app in favor of Google Assistant

Post by hulitu » Fri, Aug 20, 2021, 6:30 PM UTC

technothrasher wrote: post #37

sc00ty wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What make/model car do you have and what doesn't work properly? I ask because I've never really encountered an issue with it other than the Waze UI suddenly disappearing.

I've used it in various cars (Ford Fusion, VW Tiguan, Audi Q5, Nissan Rogue) and it seems to have different issues with each car. On one the screen locks up, on another the volume doesn't work right, on a third the voice commands don't always work. I'm sure it's a nightmare for Google trying to make it work right with all the different automotive head units out there.

Post by ethbr0 » Fri, Aug 20, 2021, 7:29 PM UTC

Closi wrote: post #52

travisgriggs wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think that is?

I suspect it’s cultural - maybe starting new apps is seen as more desirable than making existing apps better. And if you keep starting new apps you can’t keep iterating/updating/maintaining all the old ones too without spreading your engineering talent too thinly. Google’s internal culture, at least from the outside, doesn’t seem to be one that often releases a bad product and iterates it into a good one - sometimes…

Post by jfengel » Fri, Aug 20, 2021, 8:35 PM UTC

Msw242 wrote: post #6

But I need that app in order to access the light/dark mode toggle in the developer settings. Google seems to love killing products/services.

Post by mariushn » Fri, Aug 20, 2021, 8:54 PM UTC

BrandoElFollito wrote: post #62

Someone1234 wrote: post #5

Just in case some people are confused: There are two different things with the same name - - Android Auto vehicle communication technology that mirrors your phone's screen to a vehicle's head unit. - Android Auto phone app that displays the same interface on your phone's screen like a normal app (e.g. mount your phone up high and use directly, or use some other screen mirroring technology to send it to the head unit)…

I still do not understand that Google announcement. I use Google Auto on my car display. It starts when I connect the phone with a USB cable. At the same time, I see on the phone that an app as started. Isn't this Google Auto? In other words, could I uninstall today the Google Auto app and still project on my car display?

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 5:49 AM UTC

gangstead wrote: post #33

jfoster wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact that the situation exists where Google has two products that do the same thing and one of them has the same name as another of their products that does something different is just bad news overall. It's great that this specific instance will be resolved soon but are Google, as an organisation, learning any broader lessons at all?

At least these are two similar "driving mode android app" products. I feel like Microsoft is a worse offender at this. As soon as they get some traction with one product they start overloading the name. Think of all the unrelated products crammed together under the umbrellas: ".*365", "Visual Studio .*", "Surface .*"