Google has killed Android Auto for phone screens

One of the cool features of Android Auto compared to other platforms like CarPlay is that even if you didn’t have a head unit in your car that supports Android Auto, you could always use it to some extent on your Android’s phone screen, allowing it to sort of mimic a head unit.

Unfortunately, it looks like that will no longer be possible. This is according to various user reports in which users are claiming that when they try to launch Android Auto on their phones, they are greeted by a message saying, “Android Auto is now only available for car screens”.

Now, to be fair, Google had previously announced way back in 2019 that they would be killing off this feature. In 2021, it stopped working for devices running Android 12 and up, but those using Android 11 and older could still access it. These recent reports now suggest that the feature has now been killed off for pretty much all Android devices.

It is quite a shame because it was a good alternative compared to spending money on buying a new head unit for your car just for the feature. Users who do miss Android Auto on their phone screen can always turn to Google Assistant Driving as an alternative, even though it’s not quite the same.

Source: Android Central