Some Pixel owners are struggling with Android Auto after March update

https://www.androidpolice.com/pixel-android-auto-users-struggle-after-march-update/

Publish Date: 2026-03-20 16:42:00

While the stock head unit experience for newer in-vehicle systems are pretty good, we’ll take Android Auto over that any day. It’s really a game-changer, providing a seamless experience that brings the best of your phone to your in-car screen. And what makes it even better is that Google consistently delivers updates to improve the experience.

Now, if you’re someone that’s been in the Android ecosystem for a while, you’ll know that not all updates are equal, with some even breaking features that have been working perfectly fine for years. Well, that seems to be the case for some Pixel users after downloading the latest March update.

Hopefully a fix is coming soon

While it’s unclear just how widespread this issue is, there are reports on the Android Auto support page of Pixel users not being able to connect seamlessly to their head units to use Android Auto with a USB cable (via autoevolution)

Previously, users could just get into their vehicle, plug in the phone into the USB, and Android Auto would start working without any additional actions needed. However, now, after the March update, users are required to unlock their phones in order to get things working.

While it’s only a small sample, the Pixel 9a and Pixel 8 Pro were mentioned in the post. Again, it’s unclear what the cause is at this point, but some users on the support page are sharing their guess that Android’s Advanced Protection…

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