Android Auto signal strength bug still exists

[nickdalzell]

Pioneer head unit in my Ridgeline. Not cheap ($499 when bought a year ago) has this bug with any Android Auto compatible phone (including the Z Flip 4) that makes it think there is no signal (shows a signal bar symbol with slash through it, and sometimes alternates between that and LTE/5G) even when there is, and sometimes causes issues with apps like YouTube music.

I've tried different cables, and even pull over in the so-called 'no service' area and check the phone, and the phone has 4 bars of LTE at the time. Sadly, Google has not yet fixed this although they have redesigned the UI of the Android Auto interface.

The only workaround is downloading the music on said apps, like I downloaded my SuperMix and then it works. But if it tries to play a song that's not downloaded, it just loads indefinitely, and of course, using Assistant won't work. I do still get text messages read out to me though, but trying to respond just ends with it saying 'I can't find a connection at the moment!'

 

[Dannydet]

I've totally given up with android auto.

 

[nickdalzell]

Sadly my short time with CarPlay wasn't much better. The entire UI would often freeze up completely just trying to load up SiriusXM. Sometimes, I got lucky and heard one song first.

At least if I download the music to YouTube Music it works flawlessly, including just starting playback when I start and go. I wish the UI wasn't so ugly though. It has pretty much the same layout as my mom's Hyundai Sante Fe, but that vehicle has it looking straight out of Android 2.3 in the UX department, while mine is doing a bad rendition of the '70s with its hip rounded corners and harvest gold music player controls.

 

[mikedt]

I thought Android Auto was dead and discontinued.

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[nickdalzell]

Not yet. But unlike a Google service (Play Music, Inbox, Reader RIP) Android Auto is an actual interface that runs locally off the phone, with some things that allow connectivity (Maps, Navigation, Assistant, etc) so the worst that might happen if Google killed it would be 1) no more updates (that's a bad thing?) or 2) the connected features would quit working, which would be of no issue if one is like myself and keeps their content on their phone.

Picasa is a dead product too. But I hear stories of people still somehow using it on their PC.

 

[IOWA]

Can't say I've seen this issue, but AA is built into my car natively I'm not using an aftermarket HU.