By default, Android Auto does not allow users to read news on the car screen. The application tackles distractions behind the wheel by making the Google Assistant responsible for handling the content that typically requires users’ attention.
So if you ask the Google Assistant to read the news, the assistant can look up your favorite sources and then tell you the latest stories.
As of November, this feature is malfunctioning in the worst possible way.
First of all, some users claim that Android Auto automatically starts playing Reuters TV every time they start the engine. This happens because Android Auto loads when they turn on the engine and detects the connection between the head unit and the phone.
Users claim they only needed Google Assistant once to read the news, and since then they’ve been getting the same experience every time Android Auto launches.
Some Android Auto users claim they get news from sources they haven’t even marked as favorites. Others explain that they hear content from Reuters TV even without the Reuters app installed on their mobile devices.
The search for a workaround continues and some users reveal that disabling the news component in Google Assistant is the only solution. This is not the most convenient solution, especially if users want to listen to news on demand.
To do this on Android Auto, go to Settings and look for the Customize Launcher section. Make sure the News option is unchecked so that Android Auto should no longer play the news.
Others reveal that clearing the cache and data for Android Auto and the Google app brings things back to normal. The Google app is responsible for powering Google Assistant, which in turn reads the news on Android Auto. Updating to the most recent version of Android Auto does not provide any improvement and Google has yet to acknowledge the outage.
Meanwhile, Google seems to be fully focused on polishing the experience with Coolwalk. The major redesign rolled out to users in January, and the most recent updates brought subtle improvements. Android Auto 9.0 includes a new option that allows users to change the layout and decide whether they want the media or navigation map closer to the driver.
Coolwalk allows users to run multiple apps side-by-side on maps, regardless of screen size. Google is using a phased rollout for this update, because the company wants to ensure complete reliability for all configurations. This approach makes sense, especially since Coolwalk is aimed at devices of all screen sizes and orientations, regardless of which phone is running Android Auto.