The period-no for Android Auto continues. After the confusion created by the elimination and reintegration in the Play Store, come the problems with the voice recognition
These are pretty eventful weeks, these last ones, for Android Auto. The platform that allows you to connect and synchronize your smartphone with the infotainment systems of many car manufacturers was first deleted from Android 10 (but integrated into the code of the operating system itself) and then reinstated a few days later.
This has generated - and continues to generate - a lot of confusion among users, who are still uncertain whether or not the app is installed on their devices and what to do to get it back. As if that wasn't enough, there's a piece of news that certainly won't make Mountain View's developers happy. For a few days now, in fact, the platform seems to have some "hearing problems", so much so that it can no longer understand and interpret the commands that users send it manually. This problem has been known in Big G circles since September, but in recent weeks the number of reports has grown exponentially.
Android Auto doesn't understand what I'm saying: what's going on?
It seems that Google Assistant doesn't interact properly with Android Auto, ignoring commands or questions asked by drivers or other occupants of the vehicle. Google's product support pages are flooded with dozens and dozens of messages pointing out Google Assistant's strange behaviors, each time completely new and different.
Some claim to hear a double beep after saying the now famous phrase "Ok Google" or when pressing the microphone button, which suggests a wrong and silent response from Google Assistant. Others report not receiving any audio feedback or, even, receiving useless and "disturbing" responses such as "I can't do it", "Fine", "I can hear you". It almost feels like we're in the presence of the first digital assistant with digital nervous breakdown.
What about Google?
It's been since the beginning of September that Google has been aware of this particular Android Auto bug, but as of now, the California giant has yet to do anything to fix it. And, even more worryingly, users can do very little to try and get around the problem. It is, in fact, an error in the app's source code, which can only be corrected "at the source". It is therefore necessary to wait for Google to find a solution and release the app update.