It seems that Android Auto has hit a speed bump. According to 9to5 Google (opens in new tab), the latest update of Android Auto is causing major problems. A trending Google support forum (opens in new tab) thread says that Android Auto 7.8.6 is preventing users of various Android phones from connecting to their car via USB. The issues were still being reported in the forum thread as of this writing There does not seem to be a common factor as to what causes this issue, other than what triggers the error. The error occurs when users plug in their phone and are prompted to update the Android Auto app. After the update, they are asked to reconnect their phone, at which point they get a “phone not compatible” error message. As of this writing, Google is aware of the problem but does not have a solution.
Android Auto bug: Phones affected
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a commonality among what phones are affected. Users from multiple regions, driving various cars and using various Android phones have been impacted. At least one user with an Android phone and an iPhone even commented that Apple CarPlay was working on their car suffering from this Android Auto bug — much to their frustration. However, it certainly seems some popular phones are being affected. The brand new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra are among the various Samsung phones affected. So was the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G and various OnePlus phones, though none were the new OnePlus 10 Pro. Even a couple of Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users have reported issues. Personally, I have an S22 Ultra and have not experienced any issues, but if I do I will be sure to provide an update.
Is there any solution to this Android Auto bug?
While Google does not have an official solution at this time, there was a workaround recently proposed by a user in the support forum (opens in new tab). They suggest removing the app, cleaning out the data, and reinstalling a clean version of the app. This will also require you to reconnect and re-pair your device with the car. We cannot verify that this solution works, so please proceed with caution if you decide to try it. However, it is currently the best solution available until Google provides something concrete. For now, the best advice is to not update to Android Auto 7.8.6 when you connect your phone to your car.
