4 Android Auto points that drive customers loopy

If there’s one clear firm that is shedding the infotainment wars in the mean time, it is Apple with its CarPlay system. The truth is, Android Automotive OS, which is fully completely different from Android Auto, is quickly gaining traction with a few of the world’s largest automakers. Nonetheless, in doing so, it is left Android Auto itself to flounder. Because the extra open possibility of the 2 infotainment titans, Android Auto earns some good marks for its extensive applicability, however that very same characteristic additionally causes it to lose favor with some customers. Moreover, it is perhaps worse than Apple CarPlay in a single key class, and that is one factor customers do not wish to compromise on in 2026.

Worse connectivity reliability than Apple CarPlay

The one factor holding Android Auto again throughout all platforms

Maybe the largest criticism I hear from customers about Android Auto is its unreliable wi-fi connectivity. CarPlay has its personal points right here, do not get me unsuitable, however Android Auto is perhaps even worse on this respect. Most automobiles now come normal with wi-fi connectivity, however it nonetheless would not at all times work. The truth is, that is the very motive that I begrudgingly selected to make use of CarPlay in my 2025 Volkswagen Atlas slightly than Android Auto with my work telephone.

You would possibly say, ‘However Tanner, why do not you simply use a wired connection?’ To which I’ll inevitably reply, “I paid for wi-fi connectivity, and I’ll use wi-fi connectivity.” It should not really feel like pulling my tooth for a automobile’s options to work as meant, however nonetheless, right here we’re. One factor is for sure, although: if Android Auto mounted the fixed disconnects, I’d fortunately make the change.

An open however fragmented ecosystem

There is a worth to pay for being the world’s best possibility

Maybe probably the most irritating a part of Android Auto is that it really works flawlessly for some and horribly for others, even once they each have brand-new telephones. Android is clearly the extra widespread OS for these outdoors of the Apple ecosystem, and is utilized by numerous manufacturers throughout the nation and world. The worth, although, is that quite a few compatibility issues come up with every replace throughout fashions and completely different applied sciences.

A setup that works high quality on a Pixel could also be horrendously flawed on a Samsung, Motorola, or OnePlus. That is largely as a result of completely different manufacturers from completely different firms, from the telephone to the infotainment system itself, could not work as nicely collectively as others. That is infuriating for drivers, and rightfully so. Once more, for those who’re paying a considerable amount of cash for one thing, you’d ideally like all its options to work accurately.

Stability points are infuriating

Nobody enjoys a laggy show, particularly in a automobile

A laggy Consumer Interface can stunt anybody’s opinion of a platform, irrespective of its producer, and Android Auto is likely one of the greatest transgressors in that respect. All of the options are great, however you need to get to stated options with out ticking off the consumer, and much too typically, that is not the actuality. That is particularly frequent on mid-range telephones, which merely do not have the quality-control capability to maintain up with the demand of Android Auto and the whole lot else on the identical time. This jogs my memory of one other problem.

Android Auto is a much more resource-intensive platform than CarPlay, and in consequence, older Android telephones with heavier skins merely cannot sustain with the calls for Android Auto locations on the consumer’s machine. This results in the lag everyone knows and hate, together with apps crashing mid-use, delayed audio prompts, and so forth. At this level, everyone knows the truth of engineered obsolescence, however no person ought to need to commerce in a comparatively new telephone simply because it could possibly’t deal with Android Auto.

Options change seemingly by the day

It is good that devs are at all times tooling away, however it could possibly damage the tip product

I, for one, love that the devs behind Android Auto are so apt about shaking up the platform, bringing new options, and making it extra user-friendly. That stated, they typically miss the mark with the UI, and sweeping adjustments are made that both disguise or remove options many drivers discover helpful.

Customers appear to continually complain about adjustments to button placement, completely different navigation layouts, and options quietly being deprecated. This leads the tip consumer to really feel unstable when utilizing Android Auto. They do not know what’s subsequent, when it is going to arrive, or how you can navigate these adjustments once they do. Some options want altering on a routine foundation. Nonetheless, no person is aware of what does and would not have endurance except it…nicely…stays.

Android Auto is each extremely highly effective and versatile, however it comes with a worth for that openness. When the whole lot is synced up and dealing nicely, it is a flawless infotainment possibility. Nonetheless, when it isn’t, it turns into a nightmarish expertise that simply drives customers to CarPlay or different choices fully.