If you don’t have Android Auto in your car, all is not lost! It is possible to use your smartphone to compensate for this lack.
Are you envious of the on-board navigation systems in recent vehicles, but your vehicle is not equipped? If you have an Android smartphone, you can enjoy an experience very similar to that offered by Android Auto by activating Car Mode directly from the Google Maps application.
Thanks to it, you can control your smartphone by voice using Google Assistant and enjoy a simplified navigation interface to navigate certain menus, access your latest messages, or explore the content of your music streaming applications or podcasts. Here’s how to activate it.
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1. Open the settings of Google Maps
Start by opening the Google Maps app on your Android smartphone. Then tap on your avatar at the top right and enter the App Settings.
2. Activate the driving mode
Then scroll through the displayed options and then go to the menu dedicated to Navigation settings. Enter the Google Assistant Settings menu and make sure the Car Mode option is turned on.
3. Enter navigation mode
Then return to the main Google Maps page, find a destination and start navigation by pressing Start.
If everything went as planned, you should see the Google Assistant microphone appear at the bottom left, as well as a menu on the right allowing you to view the applications accessible and usable while navigating with Google Maps.
You will be able to use Google Assistant to launch a piece of music in your favorite streaming app (for example, “Play the Foo Fighters” or “Play Nine Inch Nails on Deezer), make or answer a call (the name of the caller will automatically be announced by Google Assistant), or view recent messages.
Google Maps Car Mode also makes it easier to navigate your applications from a simplified interface. For example, you can quickly view playlists from Deezer, Spotify or YouTube Music, or select a podcast to listen to in your dedicated application.