I connect my phone to my vehicle as usual... and it simply charges! No Android Auto, even with a known good cable.

Is this a widespread issue?

 

This is Ford Sync 3 and the Z Fold 3. It has to be model-specific to the Z Fold 3 because I used the same cable to connect my Darling Bride's Note 10+ today and Android Auto popped right up. On my Fold 3? Only charging. This is BRAND NEW as it has worked on my phone since I got it in August!

 

Yes, I did: though I don't understand how the one cable would just stop working with my phone, yet work perfectly for hers. I'll keep working on this.

 

How could it be the cable if, two weeks ago,it worked perfectly; now it doesn't; but if I disconnect my Z Fold 3 and the Darling Bride connects her Note 10+ it immediately works? No, I'm suspecting the last security patch broke it.

 

There are a lot of complaints in the Samsung Members app about this issue, with some members suspecting Android 12. I posted this reply:

I don't believe it's Android 12: it was working perfectly fine with my Z Fold 3 until a couple of weeks ago when my phone installed the February security patch. Since then, Android Auto is 100% broken. I've cleared app cache and data; unpaired my phone from the vehicle and reconnected it; and started all over. Connecting my phone to my vehicle does nothing but charge it... yet if my wife connects her Note 10+ using the same cable, Android Auto works fine. Her phone also has the February security patch.

The phones have different firmware, of course: based on the other posts of Android Auto suddenly breaking on certain phone models, the technician in me suspects a line of code in the security patch of the affected devices as the culprit.

I would respectfully challenge Samsung engineers to look at the code that is common to these devices and find out what is different from the code on the Note 10+. Somewhere in there is the cause, I believe, for Android Auto not working. Once identified, Samsung can immediately send out a supplemental patch to fix it.

 

Here are are, seven weeks of no Android Auto on many newer devices - one look in the Samsung Members app community proves that. I'm having to plaster my phone onto my dashboard, aka ten years ago, for my road trip tomorrow (BTW I will be afk for the week). Perhaps when I return to civilization, the Android 4.1 March 2022 update will roll to devices in the US, fixing what I'm sure the February patch broke.

EDIT:

It didn't

 

Mystery solved.

Google did it - Android Auto is being killed off in favor of Google Assistant Driving Mode (which currently doesn't support Waze). Once again, Google replaced a perfectly good app with an "improvement" that's not even close to being its equivalent.

https://9to5google.com/2021/10/12/google-assistant-driving-mode-bluetooth/

 

Isn't it "kick in the butt" irony that I received a shipping notification today - that my crowdfunded AAWireless has shipped? So I could enjoy getting into my vehicle and connecting to Android Auto without plugging my phone into the vehicle... IF Android Auto still worked!



EDIT:

And my brand new, useless cool tech arrived today! GRRRRR

 

UPDATE:

I went to Google's feedback form and sent this...


I don't know who made the brainless decision to kill off Android Auto in favor of Google Assistant Driving Mode, but they need to be cleaning bathrooms and not making such important decisions.

Assistant Driving Mode may be great for users who don't have a vehicle compatible with Android Auto: but forcing those of us who DO to use an "upgrade" that isn't nearly as versatile is a huge step backward.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3: since Assistant Driving Mode only works in portrait mode, it's unusable for me. I don't have a mount for the phone and the screen is too narrow. Plus, I use WAZE and not Maps.

PLEASE, Google: restore Android Auto for those of us who can use it, and continue development of Assistant Driving Mode for those who can't. That gives everyone something to help them on the road. What works for one, however, won't work for the other.

 

So the plot thickens! Android Auto is shutting down, but only the app for use on the phone... not the vehicle screen:

https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-is-shutting-down-android-auto-for-phone-screens

That puts the ball back in Samsung's court - it's on Sammy to explain why newer model flagship devices have lost the ability to use Android Auto, while older phones are unaffected.

 

UPDATE: I installed the latest version of Android Auto, 7.6, hoping it would resolve the loss of connectivity. It did not. That's the latest and greatest release from Google... which means, SAMSUNG, this is your problem to solve!

Why is it being ignored? I used chat on the Samsung support website, and the agent told me there were no other reports of Android Auto not working! I told him to tell his boss to look in the Samsung Members community, where he would find dozens of complaints - all from owners of newer Galaxy flagships.

 

I installed Android Auto version 7.7.6 and even the 7.8.1223 beta; booted into recovery and wiped system cache. Still not connecting.

 

June Security patch is rolling out... if I were a betting man, the cynical ol' Chief would plunk down money on Samsung continuing to gaslight this issue and not address it. Meanwhile, I bought a car mount for the Z Fold 3 - at least I can use Waze again!