Google shuts down Android Auto for phones – Times of India

Last year, Android Auto for phones was replaced by a new Google Assitant Driving Mode for Android 12 and newer versions of Android. However, it was available for older versions of Android. That’s not the case anymore, as Google has finally pulled the plug on Android Auto for phones, according to a report by 9to5Google.
Android Auto is now available only for car infotainment systems, and you can’t use it on your phones anymore. If you try running the Android Auto app on your phone, then the app will show you a message reading, “now only available for car screens.”
This was a long time coming. Back in 2019, Google announced that it would not be updating the Android Auto app for phones. Then last year, it introduced Google Assitant Driving Mode and made the Android Auto app incompatible with Android 12 and later versions of Android. Now, the app has stopped working for smartphones even running Android 11 and older.
Google Assitant Driving Mode replaces the Android Auto for phones
With the introduction of Android 12, Google also announced a new update to Google Assistant, bringing the Driving Mode. Well, the Driving Mode always ought to replace the Android Auto app for phones, and now it has finally.
To activate Assitant’s Driving Mode, you have to say, “Hey Google, launch driving mode,” or it can also be activated automatically the moment your phone detects that you are driving. Android Auto is still available for car displays’ so you can still use it on your car. However, it is not as intuitive as Android Auto for phones as it misses out on a landscape mode and does not even support many music apps.