webby87

Hi

Is anybody else having trouble connecting Pixel 3 phone via Android Auto?

My Samsung S8 worked perfectly. Im not sure if this is Google side or Mercedes.

Thank you
​​​

nycebo

My Samsung Galaxy S9+ also connects well.

Here are some ideas:

• long press the android auto icon and click app info. Make sure that all of the permissions are enabled.
• park your car for the first connection and make sure you have good signal. make sure that the screen is on and unlocked before connecting the cable from the car
• this from memory: go into the 'home' menu and click the mercedes connect icon. you should then be able to click left with the comand wheel and see menu options. from there, select android auto.

Sorry it's not more detailed but I'm not in front of my car.

Let us know how it goes...and if it works.

ua549

My Samsung Galaxy S9 connects as nycebo described. That said, AA only uses half the MB display which is a big disappointment. I uninstalled Android Auto from my phone.

nycebo

I can see why you did that. It is not just that it only uses approx 2/3 of the screen (to be precise), it's also that the resolution looks worse. Go figure. I keep hoping that Android Auto will get updated and resolve it one day. And for the record, as good as MB has gotten with navigation and traffic, Google Maps still blows it out of the water (at least in NYC).

nycebo

Just did a search online to see if other automakers have this issue with the side bars. Turns out, they do. And someone on the Audi forum found a solution:

One needs to enable developer mode:

• open Android Auto on the device (it need not be connected to the car)
• open the menu with the 3 lines at the left
• open the About tab
• tap at the top where it reads "About Android Auto" 7 times in a row until a message box pops up asking if you want to enable Developer mode
• click ok/yes
• On the About tab, click the 3 dots at the top right
• click Developer settings
• check the box for 1080p video output

I'll see how this works. If not, I'll dump down to 720p video output.

I don't know if this will improve the black bars, but hopefully it improves the quality of the video

nycebo

Confirming that the resolution improved wonderfully but that the screen stillstill only occupies 2/3 of the monitor.

Back to the drawing board.

stephos

Still a good tip - thanks. I'll be giving this a go when I get mine.

nycebo

Coming back with an update. Waze works well with Android Auto in the Mercedes. And after the resolution improvement found in the above mentioned developer settings, the graphics are pleasing. However, confirmed that the whole display is not used, just the right 2/3 of it.

Good news for Android owners: Waze and Google Maps turn by turn navigation shows up in the Heads Up Display. Awesome!

ua549

Can you use the other portion of the display with another function? I currently split my display with navigation and sat radio.

West_Coaster

Cool, I have to try this, I love Waze. Wish there was a way to use spotify w/o android auto, it's be nice to control it via command.

nycebo

Alas, not that I have found. It would be great to stick one of the COMAND screens in that leftmost 1/3 portion instead of only seeing the giant Android logo.

Very simple. Just remember to download Android Auto from Google Play Store first. Then keep your phone unlocked when you first connect it.

As for the Spotify without Android Auto, I have a mini workaround. Connect via Bluetooth. Enable your phone as a media device (you can even save it as a favorite off of Comand's home screen for easier access). Start playing Spotify. Once you are playing a station, you can pause, skip track, prior track etc. At a minimum, you won't have to look at the screen to control it. And, I think that it works with Google Assistant and Bixby so that you can voice command the phone to switch channels. Let me know how it goes.

nycebo

Well, it's like the old saying, if something can go wrong, it will. Turn by turn on the HUD stopped working the past couple days. I think it's probably because I'm using the new beta version of the OS on my Galaxy S9+, so I'm willing to give it a pass for a while. But man, I definitely prefer seeing the directions in the HUD. Shame iPhone users don't have it. Hope I get it back soon.

ua549

You can always go back to the COMAND navigation. Turn-by-turn navigation in the HUD is one feature I love. It even shows which lane to be in.

nycebo

Agreed but comand NAV is not as good as Google maps in the tri state area