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Google Maps is a Google app that runs on top of another Google app, so it works great on Android Auto. No wonder, then, that most users rely on his Google Maps for navigation.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
However, Google Maps isn’t for everyone. Android Auto also has a wide range of other navigation apps, including his Waze, another Google-owned solution whose main selling point is crowd-sourced traffic data.
Recent server-side changes forced by Google seem to be causing chaos in the Android Auto world. I’m not sure if this is intended behavior or just a bug, but I couldn’t find a clear reason when I asked around.
Here’s exactly what happens:
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google Assistant integration into Android Auto has a simple but important purpose. It’s about allowing users to control their experience with voice commands.
Apps like Android Auto shouldn’t cause driver distraction, so Google Assistant allows users to interact with apps without looking at the screen. Voice commands are important, allowing users to configure navigation, set new destinations, play music, make calls, and send messages.
The default Android Auto behavior for navigation apps allows users to tell Google Assistant to set a new destination in the software running on the screen. If you’re running Google Maps, telling Android Auto to set your destination to a new address will reconfigure your Google Maps navigation. The same thing happens with Waze if they run Waze.
Starting this week, Android Auto will handle requests, but the application will switch to Google Maps. Google Assistant accepts voice commands, but instead of executing them in an on-screen application, it launches Google Maps and sets a destination using your voice.
Naturally, users believe this is a way to force Google Maps because switching from another app to Google Maps on every request prevents them from continuing to use another navigation app.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
We first reported this behavior earlier this week when Google began rolling out Android Auto 11.7, but it appears the search giant has enabled the same experience for other versions as well. This change is likely to be made through a server-side update to the Google app that enhances Google Assistant functionality in Android Auto.
Users say Android Auto will always launch Google Maps when they ask Google Assistant to set a new destination in another app, but everything else works as expected. When I configure navigation using touch input in Waze, the experience works correctly and Google Maps does not load.
As Google remains tight-lipped about this strange change, many users are resorting to the extreme workaround of disabling Google Maps on their mobile devices.
Common workarounds in the Android Auto world do not improve the experience. Clearing cache and data, changing cables, and other common solutions do not resolve the bug. It’s unclear whether downgrading a Google app to a previous build will return it to normal.
Nothing worked, so users decided to disable Google Maps on their devices to prevent Google Assistant from switching to that interface when prompted to set up navigation in another app. However, disabling Google Maps for the sole purpose of addressing this shortcoming has mixed results.
While some users claim that everything is back to normal after disabling Google Maps, others explain that the navigation app fails to load or configure navigation because it relies on Google Maps data. In some cases, Google Assistant may not be able to process your request, and you may be able to see your voice commands but not be directed to the requested address.
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Some users claim they have disabled Google Assistant on their mobile device, but the Assistant works fine when the phone is connected to the vehicle to run Android Auto. This is another sign that Google Assistant is the cause of this problem.
Google remains tight-lipped about this change, leading many to hope that it’s just a bug that the company will eventually resolve. If you have a problem with a Google app, you should expect a fix within a few days, as Google usually releases updates for such apps on a regular basis. If the glitch is with Android Auto, you’ll have to wait for a new release, but all signs point to that not being the case. Server-side rollouts and new behavior appearing in multiple Android Auto versions indicate that app updates are not the cause of enabling this controversial behavior.
On the other hand, if you don’t want to use the app on Android Auto, disabling Google Maps is the only solution. Another solution is to rely on touch input in the navigation app, since Google has made his Google Maps only use voice commands.
Let us know if you don’t see this change in Android Auto, especially if you’ve already updated to version 11.7. We reached out to Google for information about this change, but have not heard back. We need more information from you to determine exactly what happened and how the issue can be fixed.
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