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It’s been nearly a decade since I used Android Auto for any length of time. Having recently tried an Android phone out as a daily driver, I was reintroduced to the new version of Android Auto—and I quickly wanted to run back to CarPlay.
An easier-to-use app drawer Pages just make more sense than scrolling.The app drawer on Android Auto seems much less intuitive to me than Apple's CarPlay version. With CarPlay, I can swipe page to page, and icons always land in the exact same place on a grid.
With Android Auto, it’s a traditional scrolling experience where icons can be half on the page and half off. Depending on how much I scroll, the icon might land in a different spot, meaning muscle memory can’t be a factor here.
Really, that’s my biggest issue: muscle memory. I’ve memorized where the maps button is on CarPlay, for instance. That’s integral for me, as it helps me keep my eyes on the road when driving. However, with Android Auto, I feel like I’m constantly fumbling and having to look at the screen (while stopped for safety) instead of being able to just memorize where an app belongs.
A way to disable For You without disabling half of Android Auto No, I don't want to see news headlines in the car.
Credit: r/sccabrian | Reddit
When using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, I typically like to stay on the dashboard screen. Using the dashboard shows me the map, next turn, and media controls in one place.
On CarPlay, you can entirely disable widgets by turning off Siri Suggestions. This might seem like overkill, but on my dashboard, I want nothing more than a map and media controls. I never want to see calendar events, HomeKit controls, or anything else—just show me the basics.
On Android Auto, it’s a different story. The For You section seems to have no real way of being completely disabled. There seem to be methods of curtailing what information goes in there, but I did quite a bit of researching on how to turn For You off and came across no real way to do so.
It actually seems like a pretty big point of contention in the Android community from my research. Many users are frustrated with the For You section—and rightfully so.
Google really needs to fix this and make it so you can simplify the dashboard on Android Auto. A simple dashboard will lead to a less distracted driver.
Photo descriptions read to you It's nice to know if it's a picture of a dog or a car accident.
This might sound like a simple thing, but Siri through CarPlay will read out photo descriptions of messages that you receive. Instead of hearing, “So and so sent you an image,” Siri will actually describe the picture via voice.
The description isn’t always 100% accurate, but it’s typically enough to give me a gist of what the picture is about. Why is this important? If Siri describes the image of a cut on an arm, and the picture is from my wife, I should probably pull over when it’s safe to do so and look at the picture myself to see what’s going on and if I need to do something. If the picture is described as a car accident by my best friend, and my wife is in the car, she can pick up my phone to check it out and see what happened.
Surprisingly, Google, even with Gemini, doesn’t offer this functionality yet. I’d imagine it’s a feature that isn’t too far off, but it still is surprising that it’s not something Android Auto does yet.
Better Do Not Disturb while driving focus options Deep integration is just what Apple is known for.
Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
I rely heavily on Apple’s Focus Modes every single day. I have work, church, date night, sleep, and a few other Focus Modes that I use throughout the week. Then there’s the driving focus mode—one I don’t use often, but I am glad exists within the Apple ecosystem in the way it does.
Apple’s driving focus mode can communicate with individual apps what your current focus state is, and apps can change how they operate depending on that. It also integrates deeply within the operating system in other ways, showing friends or family who go to text you that you’re driving instead of just in a normal focus mode, for example.
Android does have a driving do-not-disturb mode, but it’s simply not as integrated as Apple’s. Most of Android’s focus modes are glorified do-not-disturb modes, and they stop there. Google needs to do a better job of integrating focus modes deeper into the operating system and allowing system and third-party apps to monitor when you’re in a focus mode to change how they operate depending on what your settings are.
My first in-car infotainment upgrade was Android Auto. I bought the Pioneer AVH-4100NEX nearly a decade ago, and used it heavily with Android Auto at first before transitioning to Apple’s CarPlay a few years later.
Now, returning to Android Auto after so long, I just see so many things that Google could do better on—and I hope they do. Even if you’re a die-hard Android fan, you can admit that there are some things Google could do better with Android Auto. Not only would it make Android Auto easier to use, but also be safer for drivers on the road.
Here’s to hoping Google fixes these issues (and more) in future Android updates.
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