[Q] How to Interact with Android Auto - Android Auto General

Has anybody found out any information where we could maybe flash existing touchscreen headunits to be able to interact with Android Auto?
I have a Pioneer double din touchscreen headunit that has a USB port for data connections. Rather than spending $1,400 on another headunit with useless applications on it just so that I can never use them because I'll be using Android Auto is complete overkill. I'd much rather stick with what I have and flash a firmware onto it so that I can just plug my phone in and have the same user experience and integration that the new headunits are having.
I wish Android Auto development was open and accessible just like everything else Android.

Related

Wireless Phone Connection?

After Google announced almost a full year ago that Android Auto would support phone connections without needing to rely on a USB cable, I have yet to find any news on this.
Is this still happening in the aftermarket HU's? Hoping this doesn't turn into another Android Wear situation where it lacks the attention it needs to make it a market hit.
Hi,
This is called "WIFI Projection", and it's included (hidden) in the last release. No one knows how to enable AND use it. Still in alpha!
I hope current HU with wired AA support can be upgraded to wireless with a simple USB dongle (not a Wifi dongle, but with an AA wireless adapter).
Just to make sure I understood correctly: the option is there in the OS, but it doesn't work on any device as of yet? As if the software support is there, but the hardware support is not?
I'm a bit disappointed that Android Auto wasn't discussed at the I/O keynote... I think there's lots of usability updates required to improve it...
Relevant:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2017/0...finally-ready-to-talk-about-its-car-os/?amp=1
What gets me: is it really necessary to use a a different name for this? Chromecast comes in audio-only and video forms, Pixel comes in "XL" and "C" forms also, can't they just name it something like "Android Auto Standalone" and call it a day? It serves the same end goal of getting Android into your car's radio/head unit.
Still no news of the phone-based Android Auto and wireless that I can find. That said, if everything will be integrated into the radio to begin with, I'd welcome the lack of tethering. Might even get back to developing Android apps for myself now that I have a use for them, but for my car this time! Hopefully the aftermarket guys will be smart enough to bypass Android for the sound processing though. Would hate for a resource-hogging app to kill my radio!

Hijacking the Android Auto protocol

Has this been done before? I notice there's been attempts at creating emulators for Android Auto, but I'm looking for the reverse - fooling the head unit into thinking Android Auto is being connected while launching my own application, namely something like AutoMate.
I'm aware of casting, but I'd like to utilize the USB cable for charging without being forced into Android Auto.

Standalone Android Auto Setup?

I have a Skoda Citigo, it came with a neat satnav/media device that is mounted to the dash, but isn't in a double-din slot. It's Navigon based, 8 years old and a million miles behind Android Auto. But the install is pretty neat.
I'd like to take a 7" touchscreen, 3D print a case and mount some hardware in place of the Navigon that lets me run Android Auto. Ideally I want it to work independent of my phone, but I also want it to seamlessly access data etc via my phone when I get in the car.
Is this possible? And if so, what should I look at in terms of hardware and a ROM etc to start getting it setup?
paulrockliffe said:
I have a Skoda Citigo, it came with a neat satnav/media device that is mounted to the dash, but isn't in a double-din slot. It's Navigon based, 8 years old and a million miles behind Android Auto. But the install is pretty neat.
I'd like to take a 7" touchscreen, 3D print a case and mount some hardware in place of the Navigon that lets me run Android Auto. Ideally I want it to work independent of my phone, but I also want it to seamlessly access data etc via my phone when I get in the car.
Is this possible? And if so, what should I look at in terms of hardware and a ROM etc to start getting it setup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't you just get any Android tablet (maybe a used Samsung Tab-A series) then run the Android Auto app on it inside of a tablet mount?
I can, that's an option, but I'm trying to get the setup as close to the factory setup as possible and as clean as possible. With a tablet I'd still need to do something to tie the power and audio into the factory pins, which are part of the mount, and dash top so I suspect it's easier to run on standalone hardware.
With a tablet running normal Android I'd need to setup a WiFi Hotspot on my phone that automatically turned on in the car and do something to the tablet so it turns on and loads straight into Android Auto with the ignition on. Might be possible, but not straightforward.
I have one eye on the future - if I want to do something that lets me use Android Auto, Torque, run dashcams or reversing cameras it's going to be a bit easier if the software is running on something like a Raspberrry Pi where I've got easy options for plugging hardware in.

CPC200 A2A - "Android Auto" Dongle? Similar to Motorola MA1?

Hi all!
I looked on the forums here and couldn't find anything about it... have you seen this carlinkit A2A adapter thing? Similar to Motorola MA1?
Seems like similar hardware as the Android headunits but on a dongle and then you connect it through USB and it streams via Android Auto. The usb seems to register that to the Android phones that it is a Android Auto device. the Android Auto UI apparently is stored and sent from the phone its self to the usb dongle and then sent to the android app. the app then sends touch and audio commands back to the usb dongle and then to the phone. I think it's interesting for folks like me with a traditional headunit with Android Auto/CarPlay to have full access to Android.
Does anyone knows about it? I guess we could have the same options as the headunits such as custom firmwares or maybe figuring out what software does that Android Auto integration and use it from an Android phone - getting full Android access...
A link of it from carlinkitofficial store:
CPC200 - A2A Wireless Android Auto Adapter for Car with Factory Wired Android Auto & Android Head Unit
CarlinKit A2A Wireless Android Auto Adapter Dongle, support original car built-in wired Android auto to wireless Android auto, allowing users to connect easily to car's existing Android Auto-capable infotainment system without having to plug any cables into your phone. Just connect via bluetooth...
carlinkitofficial.com
Thanks!

installing android auto on an lte tablet.

Found a lot of info on this for rooted devices. but not to much for non rooted devices
i want to install AA on a LTE tablet that will stay in my car. the tablet will run other car related apps.
but im tired of having my phone tied up playing music draining my battery. specially on long trip.
also i cant record videos or talk on the phone and still have music lol i know things i shouldnt be doing anyway..
is there anyway to make it work. i tried to sideload it. but got an error 22 that android auto needed to be installed on my os.
any help would be appreciated
maybe try AA emulator on this tablet?
Android Auto app is not targeted to tablets, only phones. And since Android 10, Android Auto is a system app, not a user app. So, if your current Android version is 10 or higher and you sideloaded the Android Auto apk, it will not work. To make it work you'll need to root the tablet and install Android Auto as a system app.
[GSI] Fix 'Communication error 22' on Android Auto
If you've installed a custom ROM that doesn't come with Android Auto pre-installed, you'll get the following error when connecting your phone to your car (the Android Auto app opens correctly, the error is only shown when you connect to the car)...
forum.xda-developers.com
The easiest alternative is to use your tablet as an Android Auto receiver using Hedunit Reloaded Emulator. It's available on the Play Store and is very cheap. It has even a free trial app with a 5 minute limit if you want to test it.
When installed, this apps acts as an Android Auto receiver. This way if you connect your phone to your tablet using an OTG cable (or a USB-C to USB-C cable if both devices have this port) your phone will detect the tablet as an Android Auto compatible headunit and show stuff on it.
You can use this app in Android headunits if they don't have Android auto compatibility, as long as they support USB OTG mode.

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