Am I Expecting Too Much?
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Am I Expecting Too Much?
I have seen a number of thread titles and discussions about Android Auto that I thought I would try it out. I have the 2020 wired version, if that makes a difference.
So, I go through the procedure of downloading AA to my phone, attaching the wire to the car, and starting up AA on the car.
And then what??? Is that all there is? I have about 100+ apps on my phone and that's what I get? I was under the impression that the purpose of AA was to be able to drive your phone from the car screen. Obviously not. Were my expectations too high and too wrong?
AA is clearly very lame in its attempt to do what, I don't know. There are people on this forum that think AA is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think not.
So, I go through the procedure of downloading AA to my phone, attaching the wire to the car, and starting up AA on the car.
And then what??? Is that all there is? I have about 100+ apps on my phone and that's what I get? I was under the impression that the purpose of AA was to be able to drive your phone from the car screen. Obviously not. Were my expectations too high and too wrong?
AA is clearly very lame in its attempt to do what, I don't know. There are people on this forum that think AA is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I think not.
Last edited by CP; Feb 4, 2021 at 03:39 PM.
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It is up to the app designer to make a particular app CarPlay or Android Auto compatible. Only a small percentage of their apps are. The platform is there if an app owner chooses to adapt their apps for it.
I can only speak to CarPlay with more and more apps showing up. Waze and Google Maps only became CarPlay compatible within the last 2 years. If an app is compatible with either platform, it will automatically show up when connected to the system.
I can only speak to CarPlay with more and more apps showing up. Waze and Google Maps only became CarPlay compatible within the last 2 years. If an app is compatible with either platform, it will automatically show up when connected to the system.
Last edited by Foosh; Feb 4, 2021 at 03:04 PM.
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Waze is CarPlay compatible. So is Google Maps, but that only happened with new versions of the apps released within the last couple of years.
As I said, I know nothing about AA. Make sure you have the latest versions of all the apps you're interested in. If it is compatible, it will automatically show up on your screen when connected.
As I said, I know nothing about AA. Make sure you have the latest versions of all the apps you're interested in. If it is compatible, it will automatically show up on your screen when connected.
Last edited by Foosh; Feb 4, 2021 at 03:10 PM.
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Google has a rigorous set of standards for an app to be accepted for use in Android Auto. Many app developers don't want to go through the hassle or don't fit in one of the acceptable categories.
There is an app (Screen2Auto) that will let you use any app in AA. However, it requires a rooted phone and the process isn't for the faint of heart. In my case, I didn't want to root my main phone so I repurposed an old phone to be a dedicated AA "server" that is left in my car. I use my main phone's hotspot to provide it data. Sort of a pseudo wireless Android Auto and I can use any app I want.
There is an app (Screen2Auto) that will let you use any app in AA. However, it requires a rooted phone and the process isn't for the faint of heart. In my case, I didn't want to root my main phone so I repurposed an old phone to be a dedicated AA "server" that is left in my car. I use my main phone's hotspot to provide it data. Sort of a pseudo wireless Android Auto and I can use any app I want.
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Android is plug and play, in fact it plugs and plays much better with 3rd party hardware than iphone, due to its more open nature.
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; Feb 4, 2021 at 04:42 PM.
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It's pretty basic because they don't want it to be used for games or anything distracting. You can control Spotify (or w/e music you like), your navigation, and do messages more easily. When driving, that's all I really need. Typically, I only use AA or CarPlay for Waze.