US tech giant Google has confirmed that it will shut down its standalone ”Android Auto for Phone Screens” app from Android 12 onwards.
Instead, according to The Verge, anyone who wants a driving-friendly interface for their Android phone should use the Google Assistant driving mode, which is available in Google Maps, or the native Android Auto interface, which is available in select cars.
In a statement, Google said: “For those using the experience on the phone (Android Auto mobile app), they will be transitioned to the Google Assistant driving mode. Starting with Android 12, the Google Assistant driving mode will be the built-in mobile driving experience. We have no further details to share at this time.”
Google has said the experience won’t change for anyone using Android Auto in compatible cars.
Google’s confirmation came after a news outlet reported that some users saw a message in the “Android Auto for Phone Screens” app stating that the service is “now only available for car screens” and alerting phone users to the Google Assistant driving mode. as a replacement.
Meanwhile, there are also reports that the app ”Android Auto for Phone Screens” now says that it is not compatible with Pixel devices running on Android 12.
Android Auto’s app history is a bit messy, but this is a step that’s been underway for a long time. The saga started in 2019, when Google decided to build most of Android Auto’s features into Android 10 as a system-level feature and discontinue the previously downloadable app.
That’s fine for anyone with an Android Auto-compatible car, but anyone with an older vehicle would lose access to the driver-friendly interface available directly on their phone.
According to The Verge, Google’s plan for these users was a new driving mode of the Google Assistant, but this software was delayed and despite its announcement in 2019, it didn’t start rolling out until late last year.
That meant Google effectively needed an emergency measure, and the awkwardly named “Android Auto for Phone Screens app” was born.
