You’re driving along, checking the map occasionally, or listening out for turning instructions from Android Auto when it happens again. At the worst possible time, the connection with Android Auto drops. You’re driving blind, your music has turned off, and hands-free calling is disabled.
Why does Android Auto keep disconnecting, and what can you do to stop it happening?
What Is Android Auto?
Android Auto is a mobile app developed by Google that lets you interact with your phone in a limited way via your car’s touchscreen head unit. This turns your car's display, which typically just relays warning messages, and media information, or allows you to adjust climate settings, into an extension of your phone.
It looks like this:
Basically, if you connect your Android phone to an Android Auto-enabled car over USB, it should initiate the interface on the vehicle’s display. Simultaneously, the phone will be blocked from use in any significant way while it's connected to the car.
While earlier versions of the app could be accessed using the phone, this is no longer the case. Instead, the most recent releases of Android Auto restrict control of the app to your car’s head unit.
Why Android Auto Disconnecting Can Be Dangerous
The first thing you want to do when Android Auto cuts out is reconnect it. But doing so is dangerous when driving. Reconnecting usually means removing and replacing the cable while in transit, and that almost certainly means taking your eyes off the road.
Even if you can do it by feel, you are still distracted. That is not safe when you’re at the wheel, and your attention must be on your speed, surroundings, and using your judgment to anticipate potential hazards.
If Android Auto does disconnect when you’re driving and you have no one in the passenger seat to intervene, do the sensible thing: stay calm, look for a safe opportunity to exit the freeway, find a place to park, and attempt to troubleshoot again.
What can you do if Android Auto cuts out and disconnects regularly? When it’s safe to do so, try these troubleshooting tips.
1. Check Your Car Is Android Auto-Compatible
You’re going to have to refer to your car’s manual or consult the dealer for this. Not all cars, even modern ones, are Android Auto (or Apple CarPlay) compatible. As a rule of thumb, cars from 2017 and later typically run Android Auto with Android 9.0 Pie and later devices.
Speaking from experience, my own vehicle (a 2017 Citroën) did not have Android Auto when it was first purchased. During a service, it appears that the system was enabled through a software upgrade. Obviously, your Android Auto isn’t going to start disconnecting if it isn’t there in the first place. However, it is possible that the car’s software doesn’t fully support the service without an upgrade.
As such, check with your dealer to find out if Android Auto can be fully enabled.
2. Update Android Auto on Your Phone
If your car has Android Auto but you’ve recently experienced drop-outs and disconnections, try updating the app on your phone. To do this:
CloseWait while Android Auto updates. Once this completes, it may be worth restarting your phone before attempting to connect it to your car again.
3. Clean Your USB Cable and Ports
Now is the time to confirm that the cable is clean and complete. Check not just for dirt and dust at each end of the cable but also for breakages in the casing. Such problems can cause disconnections.
You should also check your phone’s USB port as well as your car’s. Blowing into the USB-C port on your phone should be a relatively common piece of maintenance, particularly if it spends time in your pocket. When it comes to the USB port on your car, however, things are a little different.
USB ports on cars are prone to the same dirt and dust that affect other parts of the vehicle. If the USB port on your car has become dirty, this could compromise a reliable connection with your phone.
4. Check Your USB-C Cable Is Connected and Working
In many cases, Android Auto won’t connect because of a problem with the chosen USB cable. The best course of action here is as follows:
- Ensure you’re using the USB cable that shipped with your phone.
- If this is not possible, use a like-for-like or high-quality replacement.
You should now find that the connection is more reliable.
Simply plugging in a USB cable might not solve the issue, as you need to understand USB cable types and which one to use. Your cable might appear to work, but it isn't supplying power. While unusual for USB-C, this isn’t unheard of.
Ensure that the USB-C cable you’re using is fully compatible with both your phone and the car and that it works for data and power. Most head units use the USB 2.x standard, so the data transfer is limited to 480 Mbps. Consequently, a “super-fast” USB 3.x cable is unlikely to have any real impact (other than potentially being of higher quality).
5. Restart Your Infotainment System
If switching to a different USB cable didn't fix the problem, you should try restarting your car’s infotainment system. This way, you give it a chance to set up a new connection with your phone.
How to restart the infotainment system varies depending on the car manufacturer, so your best chance to find accurate instructions is to visit the producer’s website. The way to do it in most cars is usually to keep the power button pressed for longer until the screen goes blank and then restarts.
6. Check Android Auto Is Correctly Configured
There is a chance that Android Auto disconnecting at inopportune times could be due to it being misconfigured. To check this on your Android device:
Here, you’ll find a number of settings that can be toggled to improve connection stability. Try the following:
- Set Start Android Auto automatically to Always.
- Enable Start Android Auto while locked.
- If your car doesn’t have wireless support for Android Auto (see below), you should disable Wireless Android Auto.
With this adjusted, you should see better connectivity from Android Auto.
7. Clean the Android Auto Cache
One of the most common issues with mobile apps on Android can be solved by clearing the cache. Incredibly, this even applies to Android Auto, despite the relative importance of the software.
To rule this out on Android Auto, grab your phone, then:
CloseNow, retry your connection with Android Auto.
8. Set Battery Usage to Unrestricted
If your phone's battery is running low, its battery optimization feature may stop the Android Auto modules from running. This makes Android Auto disconnect on a low battery.
Of course, you could recharge your phone, but Android Auto will not reconnect until your battery charges a bit.
CloseIf your phone is suffering from poor battery life, check out our guide on how to extend battery life on Android.
9. Try a Different Car
Now, we’re not suggesting you should pop out and buy a new car just to deal with an Android Auto issue. But if you can find another vehicle with a suitable head unit, it is worth checking if it works with your phone.
After all, the problem might not be with Android Auto on your phone. You could be experiencing an issue where the setup of your vehicle’s Android Auto version is incompatible. The only way to rule this out is to find another vehicle, hook up your phone, and see if you experience the same issues.
If it works fine, you know the issue is with your car. If it fails to connect or stay connected, then the issue is either the cable or your phone.
Android Auto Disconnection Issue: Fixed!
By this point, your Android Auto disconnection issue should be resolved. You can now expect trouble-free navigation and in-car entertainment without worrying whether it might all suddenly stop at that crucial moment.
If you still need some convincing on that, don’t worry. It's possible to connect wirelessly to your car thanks to Android Auto Wireless. This is built into some newer cars, but you can also use an aftermarket head unit or a special dongle.
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