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Where to use Android Auto
Android Auto is available as a control interface on a large number of modern cars: virtually all cars with a large on-board display (standard or optional) manufactured after 2018 have Android Auto support. Specifically, we can find support for Android Auto on the cars of the most famous manufacturers (Alfa Romeo, Audi, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroën, Fiat, Ford, Maserati, Kia, Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Smart, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Volkswagen and Volvo). In addition to the integration in the cars we can use Android Auto by adding a compatible car stereo, choosing between famous car radio manufacturers such as JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony.
To find out if your car or car stereo is compatible with Android Auto, we can do a search on the Android Auto website.
How to install and use Android Auto
Both in the case in which the car is prepared and in the case in which we use a compatible car radio, the installation and association procedure with Android Auto is identical and is very simple to perform. First of all connect the phone to the on-board computer or car radio Bluetooth, we install the Android Auto app on the phone and, once the installation is finished, we open the app and provide all the required permissions, so that we can benefit from the Android Auto interface directly from the on-board computer or from the car radio display, even with the phone switched off.
It is not necessary to do anything else: from now on, every time we enter the car with the phone configured, the display will immediately show the Android Auto interface and we will immediately have access to favorite apps and access to the Internet via the network. cellular data, even leaving the phone charging with the monitor turned off.
Car stereo with Android Auto
If our car does not provide native compatibility with Android Auto, we can integrate it by replacing the stock car stereo and focusing on a recent model such as the Sony XAV-AX3005ANT SintoMonitor, available on Amazon for less than 350 €.
Obviously this type of car radio must be installed by an expert auto electrician, since it is not easy to connect all the wires and supply the electrical energy necessary for operation. Before proceeding with the purchase, we also check the dimensions of the slot for the car radio on our vehicle: in fact, not everyone has the necessary space, so it is better to talk to an expert auto electrician even before proceeding with the purchase, so as to also agree the cost of installation.
Android Auto functionality
With Android Auto, once we have given all the permissions needed by the application, we can immediately start Google Maps, so as to have one traffic overview to get home and to work (according to the addresses marked in the Google Maps settings) and the situation of the weather. Of course, we can also search for the route for new streets or for new destinations, without having to bother with the Maps app on the phone.
We can customize the interface by adding the applications we use the most, so that we can launch Spotify, YouTube, Waze or other apps without ever having to open the phone. We can also initiate a phone call by opening the app Phone and choosing between the contacts in the address book or the recent contacts. Voice recall works also on Android Auto “Hey Google”, so you can launch commands without ever touching the phone screen and without distracting us from driving (which is essential).
Tapping the specific button accesses the settings, where you can choose whether to keep the screen always on and whether to activate the app automatically when connected to a particular Bluetooth device (such as the car stereo). Obviously this application requires that the mobile phone is connected to the car charger and that it is placed on a suitable support (as explained in the article on how to connect the smartphone in the car).
To learn more we can also read our guide Best Apps for Android Auto.
Conclusions
Android Auto is, along with Apple CarPlay, one of the best tools to use in the car for bring a part of the flexibility and convenience of the smartphone even in the car, so as to no longer have a thousand different interfaces for each car or for each car manufacturer. Despite its convenience it must be said that not all modern manufacturers have integrated support for Android Auto: for example Tesla vehicles, the most famous electric cars, can connect to the phone via Bluetooth but do not use simplified interfaces such as Android Auto, since Tesla’s operating system already offers everything you need for navigation and entertainment.
To learn more we can read our guides transform the mobile phone into the on-board computer with other similar apps and Better Apple Carplay or Android Auto? differences and functions.