Android Auto is a great tool for music, navigation, and managing incoming calls or text messages. Unfortunately, it tends to have bugs here and there. Two major Android Auto issues are an unresponsive Google Assistant or a lost GPS signal. Both of these issues can be fixed and the steps below will give you a good chance of fixing them.
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Android Auto runs neatly. Rather than operating directly from the head unit in a vehicle itself, the operating system collects its information directly from your Android phone. From there, it can use Google Maps, your call and text log, and Google Assistant for a hands-free experience.
Of course, there have been known issues with Android Auto, both in the new redesign and the previous update. One issue is Google Assistant not responding or having issues when the magic hot words are used. Another problem is that Google Maps cannot locate your GPS signal, although using it on your phone would work just fine. Although absolutely frustrating, both have a solution.
Google Assistant doesn’t respond to “Hey, Google”
For some reason, there is a bug in Android Auto that causes Google Assistant to have a few issues when invoked. It wasn’t until saying “Hey, Google” that some users found their screens or taskbars went completely black.
Funnily enough, tap the mic icon to make Google Assistant listen for all commands. Only the hotwords feature is broken in this issue.
Since this problem made the rounds, Google applied a fix in the latest Google app update (14.6.8.29). After the update, users should be able to access Google Assistant via voice commands. This update includes the ability to ask the Google Assistant about your trip by saying phrases like “What’s my ETA?” or “What’s my next turn?”
Google Maps cannot find GPS location
Another thing that is more than a little frustrating is a sudden loss of GPS signal while using Google Maps with Android Auto. For some reason, there are instances where Google Maps will think you’ve suddenly gone underground and completely lost the signal. Operating on the mobile version of Google Maps would say the opposite, as in most cases there is clearly a GPS signal.
To resolve this issue, Google has released a patch for the Google Maps app on Android. With the latest version (11.66.0602), users can navigate using an accurate GPS signal.
If you are in a situation where you are having any of these issues, make sure that all of your apps are properly updated. From there, you should see fixes in Android Auto for those specific issues.
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