Android Auto

Android Auto bug removes the navigation bar which is, you know, pretty important

Ben Schoon | Oct 5 2023 - 11:24 am PT

Some Android Auto users are encountering an issue that causes the navigation bar to disappear, which puts them in a pretty tough spot functionally.

Over the past couple of days, some Android Auto users have started noticing an issue where the navigation bar is simply missing. The issue isn’t particularly widespread, but it’s affecting at least a few unlucky users, as reports on Google’s forums and Reddit show.

The bar, which usually appears on the bottom of the screen, depending on your car’s screen size and aspect ratio, lets users switch between apps as well as access Google Assistant or open the app drawer or dashboard view. That last one especially should make it pretty clear how important the navigation bar is in day-to-day use.

For those affected, as pictured below, the issue doesn’t make the rest of the Android Auto UI go fullscreen but rather just leaves the bottom portion of the screen blank.

In theory, this shouldn’t leave Android Auto completely useless. Even without the navigation bar, users can still access Maps and music controls. The main problem comes in being able to actually use full versions of apps. While the previews appear just fine with their limited functionality, the lack of navigation controls would lock users into that app for the rest of the session.

Obviously, though, this is a problem that Google needs to fix ASAP. Thankfully, in the meantime, some users have reported success in simply uninstalling updates to the Android Auto app. New updates, such as 10.5, which is rolling out now, don’t necessarily fix the problem, and clearing the cache seems to cause a bigger error.