Android 14 Update Might Break Music Playback in Your Car

How-To Geek

By Andrew Heinzman

Published Nov 14, 2023

If you use Android Auto, wait a little bit before installing Android 14.

Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek

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The Android 14 update is slowly making its way to Samsung Galaxy devices and other non-Pixel phones. But some users have encountered a glaring problem with Android 14—it can break Android Auto music playback. If you use Android Auto, you may want to wait before installing the Android 14 update.

This problem has been reported by several users on Google's support forum. An app like Spotify will say that it's playing music, but Android Auto won't play any audio through the car's speakers.

For some people, this is an intermittent problem that can be solved by restarting a song. Other people can't get Android Auto music playback to work at all. The bug appears to affect all music apps and all smartphones running Android 14 (though most reports come from Pixel owners, as they're first in line for the Android 14 update).

Thankfully, this bug doesn't appear to be too widespread. It may be limited to specific infotainment systems or certain versions of Android Auto. It could even be the result of a poor connection method (USB or wireless). Unfortunately, some people may not even know that they're affected by this bug, as they may blame playback problems on their streaming app or cell signal.

In any case, Android 14 seems to be the only common variable. Before Google rolls out a fix, it needs to narrow down the problem, so it's asking affected users to fill out a bug report. If you've already installed Android 14 and use Android Auto, you may want to check if things are working properly. Those who haven't installed the Android 14 update should wait for the bug to be patched. Thankfully, the Android 14 rollout is pretty slow, so this bug should be resolved before Android 14 is available on a majority of smartphones.

Note that you may be able to circumvent this problem with a Bluetooth connection. Instead of using Android Auto, just connect your phone to your car's infotainment system over Bluetooth. A wired AUX connection should also work, assuming that your infotainment system has an AUX input.

Source: Google Support Forum & Reddit via 9to5Google