Android Auto-cable or bluetooth

[MELISSAB]

I'm curious as I use my phone for just about everything. Does Android Auto use the bluetooth connection or a cable? My drive to and from work is very short, so fussing with a cable wouldn't be worth it for music but if it is bluetooth I'd just leave that on and use it always.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

I'm curious as I use my phone for just about everything. Does Android Auto use the bluetooth connection or a cable? My drive to and from work is very short, so fussing with a cable wouldn't be worth it for music but if it is bluetooth I'd just leave that on and use it always.

Okay, I'm almost certain that at this point in time, Android Auto needs a cable to connect. Last I heard, they were just getting started with Android Auto using a Bluetooth connection. That was about a year ago. It would really be great if this went wireless by now - but I THINK I would have heard about it... HOWEVER, I do believe all units have built-in capability for Android Auto to use Bluetooth - it's just not turned on - and/or will need a software update to turn bring the feature into the Telluride...

 

[f1xedgear]

Sorry for digging up an old thread, but I was curious about this as well and happen to have an answer.

Android Auto wireless projection does not use bluetooth because bluetooth does not have enough data bandwidth. It uses some kind of adhoc wifi network instead:

Android Auto wireless is only available with select models of JVC, Kenwood, and Pioneer aftermarket stereos, at this time. (See compatible aftermarket stereos in the compatibility section of android.com/auto.) It's not available in any default car head units. Additionally, you must have a compatible phone.

Drive with Android Auto. The best of Android, on your in-car display.

Meet Android Auto, a hands-free, smart driving companion with apps that let you connect your phone to your car to stay focused, connected & entertained.

www.android.com

 

[Lazer]

The Telluride only supports Android Auto via USB Cable

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[BabyRide]

If you're just wanting to play music, why not just use Bluetooth audio. You don't need to use Android auto for this. And it only takes 2 seconds to plug a cable into your phone if your leave it plugged into the Telluride all the time.

 

[f1xedgear]

Android auto starts up faster than it takes for bluetooth to connect (in my experience so far anyways), plus the controls are more responsive and you can use Google assistant to control whats playing. You also get album art over android auto and not bluetooth, it's superficial for sure, but I like it

The more responsive playback controls is a big deal for me because i listen to a lot of podcasts in the car and use the wheel controls to skip forward 30 seconds per click to skip ads. Bluetooth was noticeably laggy and i sometimes overskipped.

 

[Robabco]

If you are having any problems with Android Auto or Apple Car play, make sure the cable is a full bandwidth "data" cable. Not all are - particularly the cheap ones. They will not support proper data flow and will cause problems or not connect. Buy a good cable from a reputable company - the extra couple of $ will solve lots of piddling headaches.

 

[Vietvet]

Or... transfer your music to a USB thumb drive. I did that on mine and can have the play lists I want or shuffle all the music. I bought a 64 gig thumb-drive for much less than $20 so that size should keep my phone free and room for say 10s of thousands of songs... way more than I own at the present time.

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[Stevendes]

Android auto starts up faster than it takes for bluetooth to connect (in my experience so far anyways), plus the controls are more responsive and you can use Google assistant to control whats playing. You also get album art over android auto and not bluetooth, it's superficial for sure, but I like it

The more responsive playback controls is a big deal for me because i listen to a lot of podcasts in the car and use the wheel controls to skip forward 30 seconds per click to skip ads. Bluetooth was noticeably laggy and i sometimes overskipped.

Do you have experience with Pioneer stereos? Would you recommend it?

Sorry for being off topic. Maybe you can help me. I'm on a quest for a new stereo. I've been reading reviews about Pioneer stereos but they are useless hype. It's beyond me why people are doing it.

This head unit landed on my short list AVH-4500NEX. From all the blogs that I've read one stood out. The blogger was hyper critical about Pioneer and put me on the fence. Well this Pioneer nav review was OK until I've reached the shortcomings section.

How hard is to install these units anyways? How long does it take to connect your phone to the HU? Is it that bad?

Ideas?

 

[G-345182]

If you are having any problems with Android Auto or Apple Car play, make sure the cable is a full bandwidth "data" cable. Not all are - particularly the cheap ones. They will not support proper data flow and will cause problems or not connect. Buy a good cable from a reputable company - the extra couple of $ will solve lots of piddling headaches.