Android Auto Issues 2018 BRZ starlink infotainment system
 

As a very proud owner of a 2018 Limited BRZ, I was excited to use the built in Android Auto functionalities built into the Subaru Starlink system. At first, it worked fantastically and I could use other apps such as Waze and Spotify.

Recently, I've had had connection issues with my Galaxy S8. The application will load, then suddenly crash after plugging in to the USB port. I've used different USB cables, and I've tried both ports to no avail. Has anyone else been experiencing this issue with Android Auto on the BRZ?

I've never had Starlink work on my car with two different android phones.

Initially it didn't work and it was a cable issue. Surprisingly, that cable did work in another car. I went to a high quality cable and all is fine now. I don't know if the problem is the conductivity of the cable or the port connection points. Fortunately, I have a bunch of micro-USB cables to try. By the way, the same thing happened with my USB drive. I had to transfer my music to a much newer USB drive for it to work properly. I do think it is a port issue having to do with newer connection standards.

What version of android is your phone running at? Android 8.0 is known to completely break android auto. Some phones with the 8.1 update have been fixed, but I had to roll my phone back to 7.X to make it work again because that update was not available for me yet.

I'd contact your dealer and see if theres a firmware update available to flash just in case by the way. These android auto powered head units are having alot of firmware updates pushed lately.

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I scheduled an appointment at my local Subaru dealer to see if they can diagnose the issue this Friday.

I am using Android 8.0 so that may be the issue. Unfortunately I cannot update it to 8.1 yet otherwise I would have tried so.

Good luck! I hope for your sake it is not an android software issue, as downgrading a phone can be a real pain.

Quick update: I brought my BRZ into my local dealer and didn't have any luck there. There were no new updates for the infotainment system and I had the latest version of Android auto at the time running on Android 8.0.

I was about to reset my phone after abstaining from Android auto usage for about two weeks, and after the latest Android auto update this week on my phone app the system works seamlessly now. Although I'm happy it works now, I was very dissatisfied with the experience and I don't use the app nearly as often anymore. Android auto was a selling point for me personally with the 2018 model but given it's mediocre screen resolution, terrible Bluetooth voice quality, and Android auto issues, I think I would have been better off with a '17 limited with an aftermarket infotainment system. All is well now, but a brand new car shouldn't have these issues.

I use Android Auto in several cars and aside from a cable issue in my 18 BRZ, most of the problems were in the phone app, not the car system. Phone updates have solved most of the car issues. Evidently, each phone is slightly different so it may work great on my LG, but you may have problems with your Galaxy. Screen resolution is low, but it is low on all systems -- even aftermarket. The built-in nav system is fine for most trips. The only time I use Android Auto is when I'm concerned about traffic or road closures -- it does a better job there. The internal system does have better screen resolution.

That said, the back-up camera is the worst I have experienced both in quality and features. It doesn't have good night resolution, has a fairly narrow view, and doesn't have directional lines that move with your steering wheel.

Looks like I have spoke too soon, and the head unit will charge my phone but will not boot Android Auto at all (again)... Should I contact Subaru customer service directly? The dealership couldn't help me last time either so I'm reluctant to go to them.

I would factory reset the radio/head unit if you have that option.

I don't have the 2018 HU, but I have an aftermarket Pioneer with AA and a Galaxy S7. With the stock radio and two different Pioneer units, the S7 has been problematic. At this point, I attribute the issues to something on Samsung's end. My Motorola and Sony phones haven't had issue with any of these radios.


Regarding the resolution when using Android auto; If you enable the developer options in AA, there are options to allow higher resolution modes. With my Pioneer radio, AA would default to a lower resolution than the radio supported, resulting in a blurry/washed out look. I'd check that option and see if it improves your AA experience visually.

my 2018 tS (which uses the next Gen Starlink) has these issues as well. It's kind of an annoyance.

It's going to be with something with Android / on Samsung's end. I have a S9 for work that I've tested on my 18 HU and it works but have had issues before. Mainly with trying to use OBD2AA (Torque plug-in) for Android Auto. I do have a spare S8 in my desk somewhere that I can try out but it has 7.0 installed. I'll see if I can get around to putting 8.0 on it to test.