Android Auto abandons smartphones for good

Android Auto takes its leave of smartphone screens for good: Google had already reported it earlier this month, but several reports from overseas indicate that it has finally gone into action and has begun to deactivate the app. Within a few days, therefore, the service will be accessible only and only via the infotainment unit screen of your compatible car. It is worth mentioning that it has not already been available since last year for all smartphones with Android 12 and newer.

Once Google “pulls the plug” on the server side, so to speak, if you try to start the Android Auto app from your smartphone you are automatically redirected to the settings page where you can configure the pairing of a new vehicle. The page explains once again that the software is now only available for car screens.

And who doesn’t have a compatible car? Do not worry, he is not forced to change it: he can use the Help Mode of Google Assistant, whose announcement dates back to 2019 and which was distributed for the first time around January 2021. About exactly one year later, a rather substantial refresh of the ‘graphic interface. If Android Auto for smartphones was a dedicated app, Assistant’s driving mode is directly linked to Maps and the Google app, which contains the virtual assistant itself.

The easiest way to start it is to start real-time navigation from Maps and press the button at the bottom right of the dark bar that appears. You can also ask the Assistant with a voice command; finally, once started, it is possible generate a link to be inserted in the Home. From here you can access your multimedia content, calls and messages, navigation and other relevant software features through an interface with very large buttons, specifically designed to be easy to reach even while driving.

Driving Mode has its advantages and disadvantages over the old Android Auto – one of the main “cons” is that support for landscape mode has not yet been implemented, but as a feature it is already quite complete. In short, you don’t feel like taking a step back – as happened for example with the transition between Play Music and YouTube Music.