Google killed Android Auto for phones, but you can bring it back with an app
Google killed Android Auto for phones, but you can bring it back with an app
Publish Date: 2026-06-27 15:30:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
You may already know that Android Auto lives on your phone, but it’s not officially possible to literally use Android Auto on your phone’s screen. I’ve always thought that was a shame since so many people drive around with their phone in a mount and Google Maps open. Why shouldn’t the phone interface adapt to the car? Turns out it can.
It’s a common misconception that Android Auto is widely used by Android phone owners. In reality, the majority of Americans don’t have it (or Apple CarPlay) in their vehicles—nearly two-thirds. If you happen to be one of those people, like I am, you don’t actually need a built-in display or aftermarket head unit in your car to use the official Android Auto.
Google’s history with “driving mode” on your phone
Several half-hearted attempts
Credit: Google
As I said, it’s not officially possible to run the Android Auto interface on a phone, but Google has toyed with the idea in the past. Back in 2019, Google launched “Android Auto for Phone Screens.” It was a clumsy implementation of exactly what the name described, and the company killed it in 2022.
However, Android Auto for Phone Screens was never intended to be a final solution. When it was released, Google said it would be replaced by something called “Assistant Driving Mode.” That product finally arrived in 2021 as a simplified interface…
