GoKawiilSanuj Bhatia / Android Authority
I’m an Android guy through and through. So when I bought a brand-new car back in 2019, I was excited to see that it supported Android Auto. However, after a quick stint with it, I decided it was not for me. The software was too buggy and rigid for me at the time, and I just didn’t find it any more useful than the built-in infotainment system in my car.
However, a lot has changed over the last seven years. Android Auto gained several new features and, on paper, resolved a lot of the bugginess I remembered. With that in mind, I gave it another chance to see how much my opinion of it has changed. The answer, unfortunately, is not much. I still hate the Android Auto experience for several reasons and don’t see myself using it, despite having a few perks I genuinely enjoy.
Do you use Android Auto? 39 votes Yes, I use it regularly. 82 % I tried it and gave up. 5 % No, I stick with my car's built-in system. 3 % I don't have a compatible car. 10 %
Navigation is a step back for me
Joe Maring / Android Authority
Navigation is one of the main reasons why people use Android Auto, so it’s the first thing I tested out. I opened up Google Maps, typed in an address, and off I went.
I was under the impression that this would be a better experience than the built-in navigation in my car, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. There are two reasons for that.
The first one is that Google Maps doesn’t work with the HUD (head-up display) in my car. That means I have to look at the main screen to see the navigation instead of having some of that data right in my line of sight. First-world problems, I know, but my car’s built-in navigation does show me turn-by-turn directions in the HUD, and once you get used to that, it’s hard to go back to the old way.
The second issue is that my car reads road signs and constantly shows me the speed limit. It’s a feature that helps me a lot since I tend to miss a speed sign here and there. It shows up on my main dashboard as well as on the HUD, making sure I can always see it.
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