No matter what kind of Android phone I’m using, there’s always one feature I rely on more than anything else every day: Android Auto. I live in a more rural area, so I spend a lot of time behind the wheel, and Android Auto makes all those hours every week so much easier. Whether it’s having navigation through apps like Waze and Google Maps just a tap away or sending messages and making calls hands-free, it makes getting from Point A to Point B a lot easier while helping me stay safely connected on the road.
Compared to my experience using Apple CarPlay, I do prefer Android Auto, mainly thanks to its greater customizability, namely better widgets and multi-view support, and broader app selection. You can download apps from the Play Store, and you can also use sideloaded apps with Android Auto. I also find Gemini to be much more responsive to commands and more useful than Siri AI in its current state.
However, while Apple CarPlay still has a lot of catching up to do, there is one key area where it has an advantage: longevity.
While Apple eventually stops updating older iPhones with newer iOS versions, it has never pulled CarPlay support from them. The same can’t be said for Google. For many Android phones, Android Auto support has an expiration date, meaning it won’t work forever if you plan to keep your phone for a long time. And Google just recently proved that once again.
Android Auto support has its limits
Google frequently raises the minimum requirements for Android Auto
Unfortunately, Google has made a habit of quietly announcing that it’s ending Android Auto support for older Android phones every couple of years. For example, back in 2022, Google ended Android Auto support for Android 6 and Android 7. Then, in 2024, it announced that Android Auto would no longer support Android 8, raising the minimum requirement to Android 9. That meant anyone still using a phone running Android 8 could no longer use Android Auto in their car.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the same thing is now happening again. Google recently announced that it’s raising the minimum Android Auto requirement to Android 11, as confirmed on the official Android Auto support page.
Google actually began notifying Android Auto users with phones running Android 9 and 10, including devices like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Note 9, back in early October that support would be ending soon. An alert would pop up on the screen when using Android Auto, although Google didn’t specify exactly when support would end, other than saying it would happen “soon.” Well, that time has now come, and if you have an Android phone running Android 9 or 10, Android Auto will no longer work in your car.
All this just goes to show that if you have an Android phone and plan on keeping it for a very long time, Android Auto support, much like support for newer Android updates, does have an expiry date. And you may have to deal with it soon if you haven’t already. That said, if you typically upgrade your phone every few years, you’ll likely never run into this issue, since support takes a long time to wane. For reference, Android 9 was released in 2018, and Android 10 in 2019.
Quiz
Android Auto trivia
challenge
How well do you know Google’s car platform?
From launch year to voice commands — put your Android Auto knowledge to the
ultimate test.
HistoryFeaturesConnectivityAppsNavigation
In which year did Google officially launch Android Auto?
Correct! Android Auto was officially launched in 2015, first announced
at Google I/O 2014 and made available to the public in March 2015. It debuted alongside the Open
Automotive Alliance, a group of manufacturers committed to bringing Android to cars.
Not quite. Android Auto launched in 2015, even though it was announced
at Google I/O the year before. Google partnered with a wide range of car manufacturers through the Open
Automotive Alliance to bring it to market.
Which connection method was required to use Android Auto when it first launched?
Correct! When Android Auto first launched, a physical USB cable
connection between your Android phone and the car’s head unit was mandatory. Wireless Android Auto came
much later and required specific hardware support from both the phone and the car.
Not quite. Android Auto originally required a USB cable to connect your
phone to the car’s infotainment system. Wireless connectivity was introduced later and is still not
universally supported across all vehicles and head units.
What is the name of the Google assistant voice command trigger phrase used in
Android Auto?
Correct! Android Auto accepts both “Hey Google” and “OK Google” as voice
trigger phrases to activate Google Assistant. This gives drivers flexibility and makes it easier to keep
hands on the wheel while interacting with the system.
Not quite. Android Auto actually accepts both “Hey Google” and “OK
Google” as valid voice triggers for Google Assistant. Google transitioned its branding toward “Hey
Google” but kept backward compatibility with the older phrase.
Which of the following messaging apps was among the first supported on Android Auto
at launch?
Correct! Google Hangouts was one of the messaging apps supported on
Android Auto at its initial launch in 2015. Since then, support has expanded dramatically to include
WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and many other popular apps.
Not quite. At launch, Android Auto supported Google’s own Hangouts for
messaging. Apps like WhatsApp and Telegram were added later as the platform matured and third-party
developers adopted the Android Auto SDK.
Which mapping app is built natively into Android Auto and serves as its default
navigation tool?
Correct! Google Maps is the default navigation app built natively into
Android Auto. However, other apps like Waze — also owned by Google — and third-party options like Sygic
are also supported on the platform.
Not quite. Google Maps is the default built-in navigation app for
Android Auto. Interestingly, Waze is also available on Android Auto even though it’s owned by Google,
giving drivers a crowd-sourced traffic alternative.
What major change did Google make to Android Auto in 2019 that affected how it works
on your phone’s screen?
Correct! In 2019, Google removed the Android Auto phone screen
interface, meaning it could no longer be used directly on your phone’s display without a compatible head
unit. Google introduced the Assistant Driving Mode as a replacement for phone-based use cases.
Not quite. In 2019, Google pulled Android Auto’s phone screen mode,
making it exclusively a car head unit experience. To fill that gap, Google developed Assistant Driving
Mode, which users could access through Google Maps on their phone.
Wireless Android Auto requires a phone running at least which version of Android?
Correct! Wireless Android Auto requires Android 11 or higher, along with
a compatible Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipset. Not all Android 11 devices support it either — Google Pixel
phones and certain Samsung Galaxy models were among the first to gain full wireless support.
Not quite. Wireless Android Auto needs Android 11 as a minimum, and even
then hardware compatibility matters. Google’s own Pixel phones were among the earliest to fully support
the wireless connection, with Samsung Galaxy devices following shortly after.
Which of the following entertainment app categories was NOT supported on Android
Auto when it first launched in 2015?
Correct! Video streaming apps have never been supported in Android
Auto’s standard driving mode, and for good reason — watching video while driving is extremely dangerous.
Android Auto restricts content to audio-based apps and navigation to keep drivers focused on the road.
Not quite. Android Auto intentionally blocks video streaming apps in
driving mode as a safety measure. The platform focuses on audio content like music, podcasts, and
audiobooks, along with navigation and messaging, to minimise distraction behind the wheel.
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Plenty of people are still using older Android phones
Android 9 and Android 10 together account for nearly 9 percent of Android users
While Google ending Android Auto support for Android 9 and Android 10 might not seem seismic, it does affect a lot of users.
According to the latest Android distribution figures, 3.1 percent of Android users are still using Android 9, and 5.7 percent are still using Android 10 (combined, almost 9 percent of Android users), likely because either was the final Android update their phone supported.
This is the case for many Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus users. Although the Galaxy S9 series launched in 2018, it received only two major Android updates, and its last update, Android 10 (One UI 2.5), came just two years later, in early 2020.
Given that Google raised the minimum Android requirement for Android Auto support in 2022, 2024, and 2026, it could do so again in 2028, potentially raising the bar to Android 12 or Android 13. But that’s just speculation on my part, given the history here.
If Google’s latest changes to Android Auto support affect you, the easiest solution is to upgrade your device. But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on a brand-new phone. There are plenty of affordable Android phones from the past few years that still run newer versions of Android and support Android Auto. Some great options include a used Pixel 9 or Galaxy S24, or, if you’d prefer something newer, the Pixel 10a. Black Friday is around the corner too, so all the sales this month make it as good a time as any to consider an upgrade if you need it.
