Google continues to push forward with ending the reign of Android Auto

The EOL (end of life) of Google’s Android Auto app on mobile devices is getting close as the company continues to push away from using it and toward the new Assistant Driving Mode it has been working on. Despite little interest for Driving Mode by users.

At first, it was discontinued with the release of Android 12, disallowing users of the OS from downloading Android Auto altogether. Users were still able to make use of it if they had an earlier version of the OS. However, now they have been getting a notification within the app stating that “Android Auto for phone screens will stop working soon”. This means that it will soon be removed for everyone, despite what version of the Android OS you have.

So you will be stuck looking for an option to replace Android Auto if you haven’t already. If Assistant Driving Mode isn’t your thing, there are third-party options you could go with instead. Options like AutoZen, Drivemode, and AutoMate. The latter of which doesn’t seem to be supported by its author anymore, so you’re likely better off with one of the first two.

I noticed AutoZen has been a popular option as of late with some of our colleagues that use Android devices. The others, making use of Google Maps instead and trying their best to have patience with Driving Mode since it is free (the others always require some kind of purchase to make full use of them).

Those that have Android Auto built into their vehicle’s infotainment screen (radio) don’t have to worry as it is only the mobile app that is facing this demise.

It really is unfortunate to see Android Auto on mobile devices go away though. It has been a useful option to have and it does better with integrations and battery life than some of these third-party options (and it looks and feels better than Driving Mode). But like anything else, everything comes to an end eventually.