Android Auto on phone screens will not be available on Android 12

• Google has confirmed that the Android Auto on phone screens experience will not be available on Android 12.
• It will be replaced by the Google Assistant driving mode.
• Android users on older versions will still be able to access Android Auto on phone screens.

Google is replacing Android Auto with Assistant Driving Mode on Android 12. The Android Auto app will continue working on car screens but its phone interface will no longer be available on Android 12 devices. Google will instead transition Android Auto users to Assistant driving mode, its dedicated space for hands-free driving.

This was first spotted by XDA Developers who launched the Android Auto app on Pixel devices running Android 12 beta. The app showed pop-up alerts saying, “Android Auto is now only available for car screens. On your phone, try Google Assistant driving mode instead.” Google later confirmed to 9to5Google that the Android Auto experience on phone screens will no longer work with Android 12. It will still be available to devices running older versions of Android.

Android Auto app

The Android Auto app launched back in 2014, offered a way for smartphones to connect with car stereos. Later in 2016, Google introduced the Android Auto interface on phone screens. This interface made it easier to use phones while driving with big app icons, quick access to the dialer, media apps and more. In 2019, Google launched a dedicated app “Android Auto for Phone Screens” for the same experience. It is now going through another change as the Android Auto experience will be available only on car screens, and on the phone, it will be replaced by Google Assistant driving mode.

Google Assistant driving mode

This driving mode is more of an experience than an app. You will need to start navigation on Google Maps to launch this driving mode, something you don’t need to do with the Android Auto for phone screens app. It allows users to read and send messages, make calls, and control media hands-free while driving. On Android 12 this will be the “built-in mobile driving experience.” The Google Assistant driving mode is also not available widely but it’s expected to launch in more countries.

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