Make the Most of Android Auto

Posted on Aug 27 2016 - 2:45pm by Editor

Android Auto is ready to roll, but will it improve your driving experience? This software tethers your phone to your dash screen, letting you access your most useful apps directly through your dash to give you convenience and safety at the same time. Read on to find out if this software is a good match for the way you use your apps  and you can use Whatsapp without number, and whether it’s available for your car and compatible with your phone.

 

Android AutoBuilt for Safety

If you’ve struggled to break bad phone habits while driving, this system could prove beneficial for you.  First and foremost, Android Auto intends to help you get the services you need without distraction. When you plug your phone into the system, it locks down, displaying nothing but a splash screen. The functions you can access from your dashboard are minimal; Google has been very strict in determining what you might need while in the car. The system depends heavily on voice commands to help you keep your eyes on the road.

Anticipates Your Needs

Google Now, the driving force behind Google Auto, is a smart little piece of software. When you get in the car, a predictive screen will try to guess where you’re going. If it’s wrong, you can still open up Google Maps and find your destination using voice or touch commands. Google Now pops up cards that try to anticipate your needs — but only a few at a time, to keep distractions minimal. Your screen might offer you weather for a town you’re heading toward, for instance, or directions to the airport if it knows you have plane tickets.

Designed For Safe Phone Calls

With your phone plugged into Android Auto, all your calls will pass through the system, which adapts them for safety while driving. Your redial list and contacts are easily accessible, and a large dial pad makes it easier to place calls to people who aren’t in your contact list. During the call, end and mute buttons are available, and a hidden dial pad is available if you need to enter data. Status bar notifications alert you to incoming calls.

Text Messaging and Streaming Music

Text and messages from apps like WhatsApp and Skype also come in as status bar notifications, and you can have the message read aloud and reply by dictation, which is an obvious improvement over the way many people are currently handling text messages while they drive.

In between calls and texts, Android Auto manages your music. The software can’t control your car radio, but it can use Google Play, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other streaming services through your phone so you don’t have to drive in silence.

Compatible Cars

New cars are gearing up to ship Android-ready, but you don’t need to buy a new car to use the software. Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, and JVC/Kenwood are all on board to offer system upgrades. Pioneer already offers a line of Android Auto-compatible receivers. Use Pioneer’s website to see if your vehicle is compatible with the upgrade. Some automakers that are deeply invested in their own software systems, like Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, are lagging behind in offering Android Auto, but that may change in the future.

About Your Phone

All your data stays on your phone, and the system depends heavily on your phone. You need a phone that’s running Android 5.0 or better, but not all phones are compatible. Even a few popular phones, like the LG G3 and the Galaxy S5, are struggling to keep up with this new demand. Your best bet is to run Android Auto on T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge or another late-model phone on a reliable network. The S7 Edge would be a great companion due to its large screen and T-Mobile’s reliable 4G LTE network. With the pairing of these two, you know Android Auto is working at full capacity.

The Android Auto system will offer easy access to the features you need on the road through familiar apps while keeping the distractions of driving with a phone to a minimum. You may find it restrictive at first if you’re used to glancing at your phone at every red light, but over time you’re likely to appreciate the peace of distraction-free driving.