This looks to be Google ending support for the Android Auto framework on older Android versions, that’s all. It’s not about the car, it’s about the phone.
If you don’t update Android Auto, maybe. Apps still rely on the framework that makes it work, so you are likely to have those break if they use features that Android Auto didn’t have at the update freeze.
The version they’re cutting off is really old, relatively speaking. You have to be on Oreo or later (8.0+), which came out in 2017.
Many apps you would use Android Auto will likely bump up to this break point soon. Waze, for example, is 7.0+. You’re bound to run into issues being on Nougat or earlier soon, if not already.
Adding on to a bit from your comment that I missed, it’s not affecting the car itself. The article should have used the word “phone” instead of “device”.
All Android Auto is a screen for your phone that also hooks into car buttons. Your phone does all the hard work with projecting data to the screen. If your phone is too old, Android Auto might not work because apps don’t work properly with the base framework by Google.
You can use a new phone on an older car that officially supports Auto/CarPlay. That’s never been a problem.
I mean, Android Auto runs on your phone and just transmits the video/audio to your car so yeah. It’s just like any other app dropping support for older versions of the OS.
This looks to be Google ending support for the Android Auto framework on older Android versions, that’s all. It’s not about the car, it’s about the phone.
So if you don’t update your phone, it continues to work? But if I buy a new phone, it won’t work with the older car?
If you don’t update Android Auto, maybe. Apps still rely on the framework that makes it work, so you are likely to have those break if they use features that Android Auto didn’t have at the update freeze.
The version they’re cutting off is really old, relatively speaking. You have to be on Oreo or later (8.0+), which came out in 2017.
Many apps you would use Android Auto will likely bump up to this break point soon. Waze, for example, is 7.0+. You’re bound to run into issues being on Nougat or earlier soon, if not already.
Adding on to a bit from your comment that I missed, it’s not affecting the car itself. The article should have used the word “phone” instead of “device”.
All Android Auto is a screen for your phone that also hooks into car buttons. Your phone does all the hard work with projecting data to the screen. If your phone is too old, Android Auto might not work because apps don’t work properly with the base framework by Google.
You can use a new phone on an older car that officially supports Auto/CarPlay. That’s never been a problem.
I mean, Android Auto runs on your phone and just transmits the video/audio to your car so yeah. It’s just like any other app dropping support for older versions of the OS.