Android Auto has been round for greater than a decade, and it’s an incredible answer for staying linked together with your cellphone safely whereas driving. Most vehicles assist a wired Android Auto connection, so be sure to have one of the best cables for the job. Wi-fi Android Auto is more and more widespread in lots of new automobile fashions, not simply premium ones. Plus, Google retains updating Auto with new options like assist for Google Meet in Android Auto.
Whereas it really works nice out of the field, there are a couple of settings I all the time tweak each time I exploit a brand new cellphone with my automobile. These are easy toggle switches that may make a world of distinction when utilizing Android Auto every day, and all of them will be carried out by way of your cellphone itself. Listed below are my prime 5 settings and tweaks that I like to recommend making in case you’ve simply set it up.
Cease music from auto-playing when linked
(Picture credit score: Roydon Cerejo / Android Central)
Probably the most annoying default settings of Android Auto is that your music will begin enjoying mechanically as quickly as your cellphone connects to your automobile. It may be very jarring at night time in case you had the quantity turned all the way in which up the final time you used the automobile. It can be downright embarrassing, relying on who’s within the automobile with you, and your secret responsible pleasure music begins blaring. Maintain your dignity by merely disabling this toggle swap.
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In your cellphone, head to Settings, and seek for Android Auto. Within the settings menu, scroll right down to the Begin-up sub-menu and disable Begin music mechanically. That’s it. Now the subsequent time you join your cellphone, your music will likely be within the paused state.
Reduce notification distractions from apps
(Picture credit score: Roydon Cerejo / Android Central)
By default, most messaging apps and a few media apps (YouTube Music, Spotify) put in in your cellphone will seem within the Android Auto app drawer. Any notifications from these apps will even pop up in your display as alerts. When driving, the very last thing you need is spam alerts from insurance coverage firms distracting you from the highway. There are two methods to disable notifications.
To reduce the audible pings, head to the settings menu of Android Auto, scroll right down to the Messaging sub-menu, and easily disable Play message chime. It will at the very least cease the audible alerts, however will nonetheless present you incoming messages. For those who want to cease this as properly, you possibly can merely disable the primary sub-menu merchandise known as Present message notifications.
One other manner to do that is to disable any undesirable apps from the app drawer so these notifications are mechanically eradicated. From the identical settings menu in your cellphone, scroll as much as Customise Launcher, and easily uncheck the apps you don’t want to use with Android Auto.
Forestall Android Auto from mechanically beginning up
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One of many nice issues about Android Auto is that it seamlessly begins up whenever you begin your automobile, however not everybody may need it arrange this manner. Android Auto does drain your battery faster when linked wirelessly to your automobile’s head unit, and also you may not all the time want it in case you want tuning in to the radio or do not want maps for shorter journeys.
Sadly, there is no devoted setting for this in Android Auto itself in the intervening time. Not one of the selectable choices within the Begin Android Auto mechanically menu means that you can do that. One workaround that has confirmed to work for me is to disable the toggle Begin Android Auto whereas locked.
In doing so, your cellphone will nonetheless hook up with your automobile by way of Bluetooth (for calls), however Android Auto will not begin, offered your cellphone is locked. For those who do have to allow Android Auto in the course of your drive, you must see a notification in your cellphone that claims “Android Auto is accessible,” and tapping it ought to launch it. You would additionally manually allow it by way of your automobile’s dashboard.
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Create Shortcuts for frequent duties
(Picture credit score: Roydon Cerejo / Android Central)
You can provide voice instructions to Google Assistant to name a contact or discover locations alongside your route. For those who’re one of many fortunate ones, likelihood is that you have already got Gemini in Android Auto, which is way superior by way of understanding directions. Nevertheless, there will likely be instances when Assistant is solely unable to grasp what you’re asking it to do because of wind noise in case you’re driving with the window down or noisy youngsters within the again seat. In instances like these, it’s good to have shortcuts for continuously used actions already arrange.
In Android Auto settings in your cellphone, faucet Customise Launcher, then faucet Add a shortcut to the Launcher. You may set shortcuts for “Name a contact” or “An Assistant motion.“ The previous is self-explanatory because it principally permits you to create a one-tap name shortcut for a contact. The latter is the place it will get fascinating, because it permits you to create any command that you simply’d usually give Assistant, corresponding to “discover all fuel stations close to me.” You may then label it and even check it out (Android Auto must be lively for this) earlier than saving it.
(Picture credit score: Roydon Cerejo / Android Central)
When you create these shortcuts, you possibly can then return and reorder them to the highest of the listing in order that they’re the primary icons you see whenever you open the app drawer in Android Auto. Now, your favourite contacts and most used actions are only a faucet away.
Allow fast controls
(Picture credit score: Roydon Cerejo / Android Central)
Beneath the identical Android Auto settings menu, allow the toggle known as Taskbar widgets. What this does is allow you to management music playback from the taskbar, even when you have one other app like Maps open in full display. By default, the taskbar will present you different apps, however doing so means your passenger can’t pause or skip a monitor when you have one other app in full-screen mode.
These are some quite simple but essential tweaks you are able to do to Android Auto for a safer and extra pleasurable drive. Have an important tip that’s lacking right here? I’d love to listen to about it within the feedback.
Google’s best but
The Google Pixel 10 Professional is the easiest way to expertise Android, the way in which Google supposed it. Plus, it will get two unique options for Android Auto known as Name Display screen and Name Notes, which have begun rolling out.
