Android Auto is a great ally for our driving and entertainment behind the wheel… when it works well. But it is not always the case. One of the most frequent problems with Android Auto is that it is slow. Sometimes because we have introduced a change, but on other occasions we are not very clear about what could have caused it. If your car’s Android Auto is slow, these are some of the main causes and what you can try to fix it .
after update
Although keeping both the phone and the Android Auto application and the firmware of the car console up to date is essential to avoid possible performance errors, there can be a cruel irony: that in the last update there is a glitch that means that the slow experience with Android Auto.
In this case, on paper there are two options: the first is not recommended and relatively complex, to go one version backwards, and the second is to wait for a new update to be released with a patch that fixes it . In any case, we recommend that if you have the possibility, you test your mobile in another vehicle with updated Android Auto so that you can rule out suspects.
In any case, the general recommendation is always to keep all your devices updated:
- Mobile: get the latest version of Androidby going to ” Settings ” > ” System ” and there check if there is any pending software update.
- Android Auto app:Open Google Play on your phone, go to your profile (your photo) and ” Manage apps and device ” > ” Available updates “ . You will see if the application is up to date or, on the contrary, if there is a new version available.
- Vehicle firmware:it will depend on the manufacturer. Check the car manuals, the website or contact the brand’s support directly to find out the process. Take advantage and ask if similar problems have been reported.
In the first and third cases it will depend on the manufacturer in question, which is a disadvantage in that they may not release a new version or take their time. In the second case, the responsibility falls on Google.
I recently changed my car or phone
Perhaps you’ve recently bought a new vehicle or upgraded your phone and discovered that despite having a modern model, your Android Auto experience is going downhill.
All of the above applies to this case. And it is that even if your technology is new, it may have an update pending .
Depending on how you connect the phone to your car
You can connect your phone to your vehicle wirelessly or via cable, so if you normally go with one of the options and experience that slowness, try the other.
If you are slow using wireless mode
One of the first measures to carry out before putting our hands to our heads is to unpair and re-pair the car and the phone .
In the ” Settings ” of your phone, access Bluetooth and unpair the vehicle. Then go to your car and open the ” Settings “. Tap on ” Previously Connected Cars ” and look for the option to forget all vehicles.
Now it’s time to go through the process in reverse and link them again as the first time. If it is a connection failure, it could be fixed like this .
Bluetooth failures . It is no longer so much a matter of the connection being correctly established, but perhaps that the signal strength is not good enough due to distance, covers, interference from other devices, obstacles, the battery or even that the Bluetooth is out of date. In addition to remedying the previous cases in a logical way (moving the phone closer, removing the case, etc.), you can try turning this connection off and on (in extreme cases you can reset all network settings ) .
Bearing in mind that the wireless connection is more susceptible to presenting problems, the general recommendation in the event of any incident is to switch to the cable .
If you are slow using the cable
In this case, two possible problems can arise:
- Cable faults. Take a look at the condition of the cable and try another one. Google recommends a quality cable with a length of less than 1.82. Avoid extension cords and make sure it has the USB icon on the outside. meters avoid the extension cords.
- Failure of the connection port, it can be from the car itself or from the mobile. If with another cable it continues to fail, they are strong candidates. Connect your phone via cable to other devices to rule out that being the case.
With a specific application
Throughout the years and versions of Android, there are users who have reported a slow experience using specific applications , such as Waze (last summer 9to5Google echoed lag problems reported in the official Google forum and in the forum of the application itself ).
If you detect that Android Auto is only slow with one application, try uninstalling it and reinstalling it, although if, as in the case of Waze, it is a software bug, all that remains is to wait for the development team to release an update to fix it . In the meantime, uninstall the app and find an alternative app.
Android Auto crashes
If the slow movement and lag goes a step further and you end up crashing and you’ve tried all of the above, we recommend checking the following:
- That there is no pending system update.
- That all applications associated with Android Auto are up to date.
- That Android Auto has all the permissions requiredfor its operation (perhaps by modifying the mobile settings and its relevant security and privacy permissions you have revoked some).
Some solutions you can try
Have you tried turning it off and on?
A true classic in solving technical problems but no less useful and effective. Sometimes there are internal processes that can affect the user experience, so a good way to stop them and start the device from scratch is to turn the phone off and on after a few seconds .
If you’ve followed our advice and been able to update everything, but Android Auto is still slow right after, we also recommend giving it a few minutes and restarting for the updates to take effect .
Clear Android Auto cache
This procedure helps to solve various mobile software problems and also works for Android Auto.
To clear cache data, go to ” Settings “ > ” Storage “ > ” Other apps “ and tap on Android Auto. Once inside, click on “Clear cache” . This cache flushing process is to remove all temporary files from the cache , which could be the cause of slowness.
Reset Android Auto
Android Auto is an application installed in the vehicle that projects the mobile screen on the computer console and like any other application, you can easily restore it to its original state , thus solving frequent errors such as slowness.
To restore your Android Auto to its original state you have to open your phone’s settings and go to ” Applications “. Look for the “Android Auto” app and once inside go to the ” Storage ” options. There, click on ” Clear data ” to delete all the information stored by the Android Auto app.
Now you will have to start your car from scratch as if it were the first time, following the standard configuration process .
try another phone
Incredible as it may seem, you can have a high-end mobile and Android Auto goes to pedals . In fact, it is the case that numerous users who report problems in different forums have current premium phones.
After trying the classic solutions and other more extreme ones such as factory resetting their device, they have changed their phone for a more modest one to discover that the problem had been solved.
There’s no clear reason for this, though it seems that using a new phone without as many apps installed , even with more basic hardware, performs better. So without making the decision to change your terminal, try someone else’s phone or even a phone you have at home.
Contact the brand
If after trying everything, Android Auto is still slow in your car, it is best to contact the brand . They can offer you support and give you instructions about their software, possible bugs, updates…
Come to the dealer so that their technical team can guide you and carry out the relevant operations.
