A Step-By-Step Guide To Using Android Auto

There are a lot of people who use Android phones, and they would love to be able to use them in their cars. There’s an app called Android Auto that lets them sync their phone with their car, and they can use the display screen like their phone. It’s much safer than having to look at their phones while they drive.

Before you look on Google for “android auto install,” it’s a good idea to know exactly what it is. We’re here to help you learn about it and show you how to use it.

How Do I Get It?

If your Android is a 10 or above, this app is built into the OS. For anything older than that, you need to get it from the Google Play store. You also need to get the Android Auto For Phone Screens app.

You have to make sure that both your car and your phone meet the requirements to get Android Auto. Typically, your phone has to have Android 6 Marshmallow or a newer version.

That does it for the phone. You also need to make sure that your car is compatible. If it’s older than a 2016 model, then chances are good that you won’t be able to use it.

Wired Or Wireless?

This is the first thing that you need to check when you are setting up Android Auto. There are a lot of car models where you will need to use a USB cable to sync up the app with the car’s display system. Newer cars will likely have the option for you to set up things wirelessly, but you need to check with your dealer to see if that is the case.

Setting Things Up

You want to make sure that things are put in the right spots so that you can do this without putting yourself at risk. Check that you have the following items:

• A Car Holder For Your Phone – You can put your phone in this holder rather than having to use a cup holder or put it in another awkward spot. This makes things much safer when you are driving since you won’t have to worry about trying to find your phone.

• Bluetooth or an AUX Cord –  This is a must if you want to be able to hear the music coming from your car speakers or the directions that you are getting from something like Google Maps. You could try to get by without it, but it will be way too low and could actually distract you if you are straining to hear.

• USB Cable For Charging – It’s important to make sure that your phone is consistently charged while you are using Android Auto. If you’re not, it could result in a situation where you wind up with a dead phone, and that could become dangerous for a variety of reasons.

After you’ve run through that checklist of things that will ensure that you can use Android Auto, it’s time to go through the actual process of getting things up and running. It may seem a bit complicated at first, but once you use it regularly, it will become second nature.

The first step is to start your car. Then, decide if you want to have your Android App show up on your car’s display, and plug the phone into your car’s USB port. If you would rather control everything from your phone, then just open the app on the phone and do everything from there.

Your phone should now ask you via several prompts to give it permission to run Android Auto with your car. You can choose to give it access to various functions, including allowing incoming or outgoing calls and using your location so that it can give you directions when you use the Maps feature.

Using Android Auto

Now it’s time to actually start using the app. You can start it from your phone if you want to just control everything there. You can then have it automatically launch when you connect to your car or the Bluetooth in your car’s stereo.

If you would prefer to use your car’s display, then you can look at the infotainment screen and launch Android Auto from there. It may even start automatically, but you could possibly find it in the Apps menu. Where you will find the app launch button will depend on what kind of car you have.

Once the app is up and running for the first time, you’ll likely encounter a welcome screen. You can navigate through some tips on how to use Android Auto so that you won’t run into problems with it later. If you’re already familiar with it, then you can just close that screen and start using it.

Using The Available Options

People use Android Auto for several reasons. They can communicate with people on their phone without having to have it next to their ear, they can get navigation through Google Maps, and they can listen to music. There are icons for each one, and it’s easy to switch between them.

You can also check out your call history and your contacts – but you should do those things when parked, not driving. When it comes to music, you can pick your favorite one to start off and then move around by choosing other icons. You can even access your saved playlists if you have an account on those music streaming services.

If you would like to use your voice to access any particular options, you can tap the microphone icon on the screen, and that will bring up Google Assistant. You can then say things like “Call (Name of Contact),” “Open Spotify,” or “Give Directions To Get to (Address).” This allows you to drive much more safely than having to tap the screen while you’re driving – a split-second can make all the difference when it comes to avoiding accidents.

If you follow the steps that we listed, you should be able to set up and use your Android Auto app to its fullest. Then you can enjoy your time on the road.