What to Do When Android Auto Is Not Connecting
Nothing is perfect, and Android Auto is not an exception. You’re all buckled up, hands on the wheel, you’re ready to start but then… Android Auto is not connecting. What? Why? What can you do to fix it? – just some questions we’re going to be answering today. It’s most likely an issue with a few tiny details, like the USB cable or the app’s permissions, usually things that can be easily fixed. So let’s see what this is all about!
How to Deal with Android Auto Problems
There are various reasons why Android Auto could have stopped connecting all of a sudden. However, there are a few universal quick fixes that you could try – they work most on the time. So let’s see what they are!
Step 1: Reinstall Android Auto
This is a classic fix – whenever something stops working, the first question is “Did you try turning it off and on again?”. Well, you can try reinstalling the app as well. Simply uninstall the app from your device first, they reinstall it from the Play Store.
Step 2: Clean Your Charging Port
You might laugh at this one, but it proved itself worth trying more often than not. Get a thumbtack or a toothpick and try to get all the lint out of your phone’s charging port – you might be surprised. Your problem could be the USB not making a complete connection because of all the lint.
Step 3: Get a New Cable
When you can’t establish a connection, it could usually be the fault of the cable. It’s either too long, so the connection isn’t stable, or damaged, so you can’t establish a proper working connection. The easiest fix is to get a new, shorter and better quality cable.
We recommend the Braided USB C to USB C Cable with 60W Fast Charging, with the length on 3.3 ft (approximately 100 cm) that you can get from Amazon.
Step 4: Check If Your Phone is Enabled
When you start your car, go to your head unit’s settings and check for a “smartphone” or similar option. Tap on it and look for an Android Auto option. You will see a list of connected phones, so make sure your smartphone is showing “enabled”. If it’s disabled, change it. Also, you can delete any phones off the list you’re not using.
Step 5: Clear the Storage for the Android Auto App
Go to Settings on your phone and select Installed Apps or the equivalent on your device. Select the Android Auto App and tap on the Clear Cache and Clear Data buttons
FAQs
Is Android Auto Free?
Yes, fortunately, completely free!
Is Android Auto Better Than Just Using Your Phone In The Car?
We’ll say it is. Simply because it is definitely safer to use your car’s head unit instead of trying to use your phone while driving. Also, Android Auto is purposefully designed to be used while driving, meaning that the commands and user-experience revolve around this.
Are all cars compatible with Android Auto?
Unfortunately, no. However, there is a large number of cars compatible and the list is continuously growing.
Android Auto Not Connecting – Check Your Cables
We hope our troubleshooting helped you solve your problems with Android Auto. If not, maybe our articles “What to Do When Android Auto Is Not Working?” or “How to Use Android Auto Wirelessly” could help you make Android Auto work properly. If you want to know exactly which cars are compatible with Android Auto, check out our article “Complete List of Android Auto Compatible Cars in 2020“. Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below what worked for you or if you have other suggestions!
