Facelift Android Auto Google Map Saved Places. Should they sync to my account?

[GeoffT]

I'm just starting to try out Android Auto in my 2018 8V. It's all working OK, but I've got an issue with saved places. In my Google map account I have the standard Favorites/Want to Go/Starred folders of saved places plus a few more in my own named folders. I was fully expecting those to show up in Google Maps within AA but they don't. I can see a saved places list but they only show the standard categories and the favorites one on there is empty. It is as if the AA Google Maps isn't synchronising with my Google Maps.

Have I missed a "sync with Google Maps" tick box somewhere or is this not how it should work?

I'm running Android Auto 6.2.610914

 

[GeoffT]

Having done a bit more googling of this, it seems that this feature doesn't work with AA. Seems a major downside to me. What is the point of having saved places on your Google Map account but not being able to access them in Google Maps in the car? Also I've noticed that AA Google Maps only displays the speed limit if you have a route set, which is equally daft. The routing may be better than Audi nav and the voice search works well, but IMO AA is a long way from making it worth plugging my phone in every journey.

 

[AlS3BE]

I would have thought google maps on AA would be the best since the both made by google. I have google maps on my CarPlay and it’s got my saved places like home, works etc.

 

[GeoffT]

I would have thought that too. I get the standard saved places folders within AA (starred/favourites) but they seem to be completely independent from the ones on my Google map account and don't synchronise between the two. Do yours in Carplay synchronise?

 

[AlS3BE]

As far as I can see CarPlay is more or less just mirroring the iPhone. Whatever the phone has is what shows up.
In google maps I see my usual home, work and saved places. In saved places it has my favourites, places I want to go and starred places.

 

[GeoffT]

Interesting. So if you access Google maps via a PC/Mac or tablet and add a saved place there does it then show up in the car in Carplay?

With mine even if I add a favourite to Google maps on my phone, it doesn't show up in AA. Its as if they are two completely separate versions of Google Maps.

I was hoping someone with Android gear would have chimed in with "it works on mine" but as no one has and from Googling it I reckon it just doesn't work like that. That is even more strange now I know it works via Carplay.

 

[GeoffT]

Well that's very odd - I've just gone back to the car to take some screenshots showing the favourites list on the phone being different to the AA one in the car, and miraculously my favourites folder in the car is now populated correctly with my Google Maps account ones. Yesterday it was empty.

I still don't get access to any of the custom folders I have added in Saved Places but maybe they will appear in a day or so!

 

[AlS3BE]

If I add a new place on my iPad it appears on the iPhone and ultimately CarPlay.
Always been quite seamless for me.
I don’t use google maps on pc or mac so not sure if it’s the same.
All my stuff is apple and the sh1t just works . Never have any issues with them.

 

[AlS3BE]

Well that's very odd - I've just gone back to the car to take some screenshots showing the favourites list on the phone being different to the AA one in the car, and miraculously my favourites folder in the car is now populated correctly with my Google Maps account ones. Yesterday it was empty.

I still don't get access to any of the custom folders I have added in Saved Places but maybe they will appear in a day or so!

Sounds like the phone isn’t synchronising with the pc or other google apps.
Maybe it’s a timing thing. Try closing all the apps on the phone and restarting it so it kinda forces it to update.

 

[GeoffT]

Sounds like the phone isn’t synchronising with the pc or other google apps.

The phone is synching OK with Google's "mothership" - it updates saved places straightaway if I go into Google Maps directly on the phone. It's Android Auto's version of Google Maps that was showing different favourites to the phone it was running on which you would think was the easy bit.

I know there have been some Android issues in general the last couple of days, maybe it's something to do with that.

 

[AlS3BE]

As far as I’m aware AA and CarPlay is essentially fancy screen mirroring. There isn’t a separate app as such. Everything is running off the phone so you would think what’s on the phone would be on the MMI. The mmi essentially just a screen and control knobs for your phone.
Maybe try deleting the app and reinstalling it or if you can try another phone and see.
Only restrictions I know is if you are moving the apps limit functionality. Google maps limit the text input if you are moving. Other apps do similar things.

 

[relaxrn]

Well that's very odd - I've just gone back to the car to take some screenshots showing the favourites list on the phone being different to the AA one in the car, and miraculously my favourites folder in the car is now populated correctly with my Google Maps account ones. Yesterday it was empty.

I still don't get access to any of the custom folders I have added in Saved Places but maybe they will appear in a day or so!

Hi GeoffT
Did your favorites just automatically populate or did you find a way for it to happen?

 

[GeoffT]

Hi GeoffT
Did your favorites just automatically populate or did you find a way for it to happen?

They just eventually appeared. All I did was disconnect and reconnect the phone a few times. Strange.