Android Auto

[sebtomato]

Hi,

I have received my new car a couple of weeks ago, and played with Android Auto since.

Overall, I would say that the Audi implementation/integration is fairly poor, unless I have missed something.

1) I would expect Android Auto to launch automatically in the car once a device is connected via USB. Instead, have to go to Menu and then select Android Auto each time the car starts. I understand Android Auto should soon support wifi connection (instead of USB), but I am not sure the car can support that

2) Steering wheel Voice button can't be mapped to Android Auto (triggers the car voice control instead)

3) Difficult to go between the integrated MMI media player and Android Auto (for instance, changing a song and then go back to sat nav, like Google Maps). Back button does not work. I wish they would just have a Android Auto physical button

4) Within Android Auto, difficult to switch between application (for instance, going back to navigation after changing music in Google Music). Back button doesn't work and no voice commands either (like "Show navigation")

5) Android Auto seems to be designed primarily for touch screens

6) Virtual Cockpit can only work with the Audi navigation system (can't display apps or navigation from Android Auto)

7) lots of duplication of functionality in the car, between MMI, Audi navigation, Audi Connect (with its own 4G connection), Android Auto etc.

Seems like Android Auto is just an afterthought, or the internal teams didn't want it to compete with their own services, which are unfortunately quite poor (e.g. Audi's own sat nav vs. Waze) and probably never to be updated during my ownership of the car.

S.

 

[RS200Z]

For point 2, you need to press and hold the voice button on the steering wheel.

 

[KenL]

I am impressed with it other than it can be slow to launch.

My car will flash up that you need to go to connection manager but if you ignore this it then connects automatically.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Android Auto was an afterthought, as this was only introduced to the FL model and had to be implemented into the existing MMI as was the Apple app.
I find that Android Auto works fine and Google maps are updated frequently and can be used with no data charges.

 

[cuke2u]

Point 1) there is a setting within the phone app you can tick so that aa will start automatically when the usb cable is connected. I am nit sure about wifi as this has been promised since last year...

 

[sebtomato]

Point 1) there is a setting within the phone app you can tick so that aa will start automatically when the usb cable is connected. I am nit sure about wifi as this has been promised since last year...

That seems to start Android Auto on the phone, but not on the car. I have to go to Menu and then select "Android Auto" each time I start the car

 

[mikemod]

You can go into the Android Auto app, settings and enable "OK Google" detection.

Then you just say "OK Google" for voice commands without having to press anything.

Mine's the same, you have to go into the MMI to select "Android Auto"

Android Auto is till a Beta release so still in early development.

 

[sebtomato]

Then you just say "OK Google" for voice commands without having to press anything.

How do you switch between the music app and the navigation app for instance? I can't find a way through voice commands, so have to press many buttons each time.

 

[cuke2u]

Its been in beta since 2015, sorry sebtomato for giving the wrong info, I never use it myself but just assumed it would automatically open on the car screen if it opens on the phone...

 

[sebtomato]

but just assumed it would automatically open on the car screen if it opens on the phone...

It would be a perfectly valid assumption to think that MMI would automatically switch to Android Auto once a compatible device is connected via USB, but it's not the case: I have to go to MENU and then select "Android Auto" each time.

 

[Spinstorm]

Hi,

I have received my new car a couple of weeks ago, and played with Android Auto since.

Overall, I would say that the Audi implementation/integration is fairly poor, unless I have missed something.

1) I would expect Android Auto to launch automatically in the car once a device is connected via USB. Instead, have to go to Menu and then select Android Auto each time the car starts. I understand Android Auto should soon support wifi connection (instead of USB), but I am not sure the car can support that

2) Steering wheel Voice button can't be mapped to Android Auto (triggers the car voice control instead)

3) Difficult to go between the integrated MMI media player and Android Auto (for instance, changing a song and then go back to sat nav, like Google Maps). Back button does not work. I wish they would just have a Android Auto physical button

4) Within Android Auto, difficult to switch between application (for instance, going back to navigation after changing music in Google Music). Back button doesn't work and no voice commands either (like "Show navigation")

5) Android Auto seems to be designed primarily for touch screens

6) Virtual Cockpit can only work with the Audi navigation system (can't display apps or navigation from Android Auto)

7) lots of duplication of functionality in the car, between MMI, Audi navigation, Audi Connect (with its own 4G connection), Android Auto etc.

Seems like Android Auto is just an afterthought, or the internal teams didn't want it to compete with their own services, which are unfortunately quite poor (e.g. Audi's own sat nav vs. Waze) and probably never to be updated during my ownership of the car.

S.

1) It doesn’t work like this on any car that supports either AA or CarPlay - the car manufacturers don’t want it taking over the car immediately. And honestly I don’t see the big deal. Just click on it when it connects on the MMI.

2) As said before press and hold to use Google voice activation

3) Why aren’t you using AA for your media? If your listening to songs on your phone and not streaming just use Google Play Music as that will include any media on the phone.

4) Maybe its just me but I always leave the cursor on the 4 “home” button selectors (ie, nav, phone, home, music) and then I just scroll left or right and press down.

5) I agree with this statement totally; the next generation of Audi will be all touchscreen like the new A7 and A8.

6) This is true for CarPlay as well - and it won’t change - even in the Android powered Audi MMI system the VC will stay siloed and run separately. (However ((and I haven’t tried this) on the TT you can actually launch AA ON the VC windowed and there is a setting in VCDS/ODB11 to enable this but I have’t tried it and I am not sure its a better solution).

7) Yes your right - and this will continue.

As far as Waze goes - it is super buggy - its a shame that despite beta testing it loads slower than Google Maps and doesn’t always stay up to date with location and it is super laggy.

 

[sebtomato]

1) Not a huge deal, but AA icon seems to take several seconds to be displayed each time too.

2) I will try. Using the right "contextual menu" button next to the scroll wheel seems to launch Google voice too

3) I have also tried to use AA for my music (Google Music), but it's a bit of a pain to go from the sat nav app (e.g. Waze) to the Music App, and then back to navigation. I haven't found yet a voice command to do that, like "Show navigation", and the Back button does not work (serves another menu purpose when in AA)

Some more limitations:

8) Keyboards?

There does not seem to be a virtual keyboard to enter destinations in Google Maps or Waze. It's basically quicker to disconnect the phone, and bookmark a location searched for, when voice search doesn't work. My Tomtom live device is better in that respect (can type addresses or postcodes).

9) Phone calls

Don't seem to be able to display the full contact list?? Just recent calls and favourites showing... Basically, the dialler in Android Auto is much worse than the Audi one. I know AA tries to block people browsing lists while driving, but surely, browsing a list of contacts should be allowed?

10) VOIP calls with WhatsApp

Simply not possible. Only chat/text messages supported with WhatsApp and Skype. No voice calls. I really wonder why Google would introduce such limitation, as clearly microphone and audio functionality is available???

If I want to make a VOIP call while driving, then I have to connect my phone to MMI via bluetooth and then use the relevant apps directly (not Android Auto).

Overall, I was looking forward to trying Android Auto, but it seems very restricted/limited right now, and Audi's implementation/integration is quite poor.

Hopefully, Google will improve on the functionality soon, but I am not hopeful about my car ever getting an update from Audi on the integration. I am surprised that Google's functionality is not more mature, after having the product released for more than 2 years, and millions of cars with the option to use Android Auto. It's to wonder if they are really investing in it.

I would be happy if Audi could just start AA when connected, and allow for one of the buttons (e.g. steering wheel) to be the AA one.

 

[Spinstorm]

1) The icon takes a few seconds as the phone has to change its mode and then send the data to the car. That would happen wireless or wired.

2) just scroll sideways on the mmi wheel and select music - it takes a few seconds but its not that difficult.

Your right about lists and searching - it stops at 5 clicks unless your stationary and that is annoying. But using voice to swap between then is slower than using the MMI wheel! if you could use voice as it needs an internet connection that works and on the move there is always some delay.

8) There is a keyboard you can use - I am not sure off the top of my head how to get it to appear but its the same style as Audi uses on the MMI and its slow and frustrating.

With a touch screen its a full size keyboard and much easier. And on the subject of lists - with a touch screen you can press and hold a letter and scroll through lists that way which extends the 5 touch limit... but you can't do it on an Audi with MMI touch.

9) I totally agree - if it isn't a favourite and I need to find a contact I use the telephone controls and not AA. But even then I can't "type" a number while driving using MMI - again this is where a touch screen is better. Obviously using google assistant we do get the benefit of asking it to call places of business etc using just the name and location and thats seamless generally.

10) Apparently there third party APIs (the way that the apps interact with AA) do not support third party calling yet which is why you can use Skype etc. Hopefully that will change but as of right now you can't use it.

CarPlay has similar issues - except there is no touch limit and you can use VOIP calls - but for those two things there are many more frustrating things it does as well.

I am sure that AA will improve - it is updated regularly - in fact it got a big update only a few weeks ago that made massive changes so it isn't being ignored.

 

[sebtomato]

I have finally found the on screen keyboard from Android Auto: have to push up the MMI control wheel, but only seems to work when the car is not moving. It's possible to enter a work, one letter at a time, scrolling the alphabet.