Android Auto – How to fix a lost GPS signal or Google Assistant not responding

Andrew Romero | Feb 13 2023 - 1:44 pm PT

Android Auto is a great tool for music, navigation, and handling incoming calls or texts. Unfortunately, it tends to have bugs here and there. A couple of major Android Auto problems are a Google Assistant that doesn’t respond or a lost GPS signal. Both of these problems are fixable and the below steps will give you a good chance of mediating them.

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Android Auto operates in a neat way. Rather than running directly off of the head unit in a vehicle itself, the OS gathers its information directly from your Android phone. From there, it can utilize Google Maps, your call, and text log, as well as operate Google Assistant for a hands-free experience.

Of course, there have been some known issues cropping up with Android Auto, both in the new redesign and the previous update. One issue is a Google Assistant that doesn’t respond or has issues when the magic hot words are used. Another one is Google Maps not being able to locate your GPS signal, even though using it on your phone would work completely fine. While absolutely frustrating, both of these have a fix.

Google Assistant not responding to “Hey, Google”

For whatever reason, there exists a bug in Android Auto that causes Google Assistant to have a couple of issues when called upon. Only when saying “Hey, Google” some users have found that their displays or taskbars turn completely black.

Oddly enough, tapping the mic icon will set Google Assistant to listen for any commands. Only the hot word functionality is broken in this issue.

Since that issue has been making the rounds, Google has applied a fix in the newest Google app update (14.6.8.29). After the update, users should be able to access Google Assistant via voice commands. Included in that update is the ability to ask Google Assistant about your trip by saying phrases like, “What’s my ETA?” or, “What’s my next turn?”

Google Maps not able to find GPS location

Something else that’s more than a little frustrating is a sudden loss of GPS signal when using Google Maps with Android Auto. For whatever reason, there are instances where Google Maps will think you’ve suddenly gone underground and have completely lost signal. Operating on the mobile version of Google Maps would say differently, as in most cases there clearly is a GPS signal.

To fix this, Google put out a fix to the Google Maps app on Android. With the newest version (11.66.0602), users are able to navigate using an accurate GPS signal.

If you’re in a situation wherein you’re experiencing either of these issues, ensure all of your apps are updated properly. From there, you should see fixes in Android Auto for those specific issues.