I fixed my Android Auto lag and the cause was embarrassingly simple

Source Domain: www.makeuseof.com

You might think Android Auto is just an app that runs on your car’s screen. It’s actually an interface projected from your phone onto the dashboard. My app used to lag a lot before I realized that the cause was more on my phone than on the vehicle I was using or just a wireless signal. Once I started focusing on my phone instead of messing with the settings on my car, the interface became so much faster.

Your cables need to do more than charge

Don’t budget on your car cables

Most people think any USB-C cable works for their car, but this is more than connecting your Android to your car’s audio system. I thought the same thing and used a cheap charging cable until I learned how Android Auto handles high-bandwidth data. Instead of sending basic coordinates to your dashboard screen, your phone generates a continuous video stream while running heavy applications like maps and music players at the same time.

This is a heavy workload that needs a lot of continuous data transfer. Standard charging cables usually come with two wires for power and two very thin strands for data. These cheap cables can’t keep a heavy video stream going without losing data packets, which leads to audio skipping and bad map lag. Not all USB-C cables are the same; you’ll need a data-capable cable rated for high speeds. Get a certified USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable that can do 10 gigabits per second.

If you use a slow or damaged cord, the signal gets worse and weaker. Your devices then constantly ask for that lost information again, which makes your speed much slower and causes a lot of latency during your drive. It took over a minute every time I started my car for Android Auto to work with the cheap charging cable I used.

You have to remember that your car is actually a very bad environment for electronic signals. The vehicle engine, the alternator, and the…

Source