My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto • Hacker News Board

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#61

Post by taneq » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:36 PM UTC

ButlerianJihad wrote: post #49

ninju wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even hardware features (heated steering wheel, rain sensing wipers, etc...) are now behind software switches which the car maker can control based upon subscription or trim-level purchase. All the hardware pieces are installed at build time

> heated steering wheel As a licensed driver who resides in the Sonoran Desert, can you even imagine the horrific visions that just flashed before my eyes? We often joke around here that wearing oven mitts is a good way to get our cars started in the late afternoons. It's not really a joke. I personally have several pairs of gloves, and I never fail to don those gloves when I go out, whether I am walking, riding an e…

Living in Australia where it gets hot and also kinda cold, having seats that are both heated and vented is awesome. Cold? Seat gives you a warm hug. Hot? Seat blows cool air to cool itself down after being parked, and to stop you getting sweaty.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#62

Post by spankalee » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:36 PM UTC

wildfireday2 wrote: post #46

His good points here are undermined by the profane, emotional high-cortisol crashout. There’s a place for well-written, witty diatribes and polemics, but throwing F-bombs and F-yous into complaints is not that.

It's his blog. He can talk however he wants. You, however, don't have to read it.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#63

Post by tonymet » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:36 PM UTC

BeetleB wrote: post #13

It's not an indictment of modern software. It's an indictment of using SW where not needed. Don't put discrete, isolated HW functions behind a SW powered screen. It's that simple.

wouldn't that be impossible in this case? since android auto needs to draw to the screen, control infotainment, etc. even a dedicated USB + rocker switch for android auto would still need a software path to do those things

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#64

Post by Our_Benefactors » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:38 PM UTC

maxdo wrote: post #3

that's a symptom of a bigger problem. Someone in auto industry decided that plugging device, and dependency on core functionality of the car to 3rd party device, that might be lost, have battery died, used for something else, etc is a good way to save money and not do proper software. It's even more bizare now, mid 2026, when software is solved with AI. It's good that there are some companies, that ban android/apple…

> It's good that there are some companies, that ban android/apple car since that's an ugly experience for the user

Hello, Elon

Seriously this is so wrong. I love being able to carry all my preferences from my phone directly to the car without any additional configuration. Before this, we had to do stupid stuff like entering individual contacts in the cars system.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#65

Post by foofoo55 » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:39 PM UTC

> I am not your QA department

The article is a lovely cathartic rant against agile software development methodologies applied in the wrong place in the wrong way, whether or not the software(s) in question used such methods. On of the worst assumptions, I believe, is that the end-user is willing and able to function as testing/QA without detriment to the product and company.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#66

Post by taneq » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:39 PM UTC

BeetleB wrote: post #13

It's not an indictment of modern software. It's an indictment of using SW where not needed. Don't put discrete, isolated HW functions behind a SW powered screen. It's that simple.

It’s an indictment of business attitudes towards customers. It’s not the software’s fault, the software is doing what it was supposed to. The fault lies with the organisation that decided that’s what it should do.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#67

Post by tonymet » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:40 PM UTC

The practical solution here would be closing the feedback loop with customers. The business does want happy customers, it's important they return to purchase in 5 years. The problem with car companies is that they don't get immediate feedback (telemetry, tickets, etc) when they do push an issue. And they obviously don't have gradual roll outs the way tesla does.

Rather than hamstring all software by requiring DOT testing before firmware updates are published, follow Tesla's model which has been very reliable within the industry

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#68

Post by faangguyindia » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:40 PM UTC

tcoff91 wrote: post #58

faangguyindia wrote: post #52

why OTA update OS that frequently? I've been lately into mobile apps and i am finding that there is no system which combines these 3 1. AOT 2. JIT (for hot paths) 3. Interpreter for non JIT paths or where you explicitly do not want jit. Imagine, a system which compiles your app to AOT but when you push OTA update, part of the app are selectively replaced to JIT or Interpreted mode. it's theoretically possible but nob…

You can't update any AOT code due to how code signing works in these OS. And Apple completely bans JIT on iOS and iPadOS.

no, i am not asking for AOT OTA update.

AOT will be in base app and it will include JIT or Interpreted OTA updates.

For Apple, JIT can simply be disabled and OTA update can run patched part in interpreter.

But JIT works on Android (well), so this Hybrid system is capable of being much faster than React Native where your JS code only runs in Hermes VM which isn't JIT.

In this system, all your crazy math and algorithms (on hot path) stay easily updatable as this small part can be run on JIT with snapshot saved for next load if it has not changed!

JIT on average is 100x faster than dumb interpreter for language like Dart.

Does it already exist? otherwise i am seriously thinking about building something like this.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#69

Post by jasonjayr » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:41 PM UTC

Telaneo wrote: post #23

gruez wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It’s just disabled on the cars sold without the option. So exactly like software licensing? Most apps nowadays don't even require a purchase to download. The download is free but you need to pay $4.99/month subscription to use, or $99.99 for a "lifetime subscription". The code's are all there. The author just doesn't want you to use it.

Ahh, DRM-ed cars. I should have seen that one coming, really.

They saw the "You wouldn't download a car?" meme one too many times, and panicked.

Re: My car’s OTA update broke Android Auto

#70

Post by nicholasjarnold » Thu, Jul 16, 2026, 11:41 PM UTC

loveiswork wrote: post #47

hparadiz wrote: post #41

Auto manufacturers need to realize that one bad software experience means lost sales of entire cars. Fail to provide a good experience at the cost of your brand for years to come.

We just sold our 2025 Subaru Outback specifically because the software experience was bad. To exit a climate control modal on the screen you have to find and tap a tiny red "X" box in the furthest corner of the screen from the steering wheel.

Cathartic to read this! Just had a very similar experience with a Subaru from the same generation as yours.

While that particular issue isn't solvable, I am open to any advice on coding tools that might allow one to unlock other settings or make changes like "ensure auto-stop is fully disabled across restarts and drivers".