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[syndromeofadown]

Hi all

I would like to use JRiver apps with android auto, but I have to sort out the android auto part first.

I have a new vehicle with android auto. It is quite nice to use with the screen projection. I did a quick test with a friend's phone and it is like having an android device built into the dash. I only want this for music and podcasts, I will not make calls or use maps. Problem is that I do not have google on my phone, I use Graphene OS. I have a few DAPs. Fanciest one being one of the many versions of Hiby R6. It has android 9.0 with play store. I cannot get it to work though.

Has anyone used a non phone device with android auto?

Can android auto work by installing a bunch of google apps, or are there requirements build into the OS?

Any hints or advice is appreciated. I have searched high and low on the internet, but have not found anything useful.

[syndromeofadown]

For reference here is my other vehicle:
https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=90991.0
I run JRiver on a surface Go straight to amp. I have bluetooth volume/track control for the PC on my steering wheel. I use MO 4Media windows app as the touchscreen interface for MC (on the same tablet). It sounds great and is easy to use.

My new vehicle has USB input and bluetooth. Audio over bluetooth is easy and works well. I can select music on my DAP, the control play, pause, skip track, and volume on the cars interface.

Android Auto (AA) is a whole can of worms that can be summed up by saying JRiver did a great job with their app, but Android Auto is garbage from some sort of dystopian nightmare future.

My Hiby Dap with AA:
I managed to get my Hiby R6 DAP to work. Previously I think my cable was no good. It only works wired which means it will be continuously charged with a non pure sine wave current. It should destroy the non replaceable battery on my 1000 dollar DAP in no time. I do not know why it is wired only, it could be the android 9. i had to install Android Auto, Google, Google Map, And Google text to speech through the play store. The DAP does not have GPS, I was told my new car has no GPS when I specifically asked, yet Google maps works. So my car has GPS tracking. I tried a mock GPS position for multiple reasons which I will mention later. Errors followed, this is forbidden and will not work. JRiver on AA works great, first impression was good. Sadly google has some issues.

The Problem:
I have 500 GB give or take of music on my DAP. When browsing this on AA I can only touch the screen 6 or 7 times before the screen turns black for 7 seconds with a message that says "Safety Pause". This is mental, but OK whatever. But the "feature" that is unforgivable is that when this happens a beep comes through the speakers and the music goes quiet for a few seconds. So to pick a song I need to go through this process a couple times. And in exchange for this privilege I must share my location. If google maps is disabled or mock location is used there is no AA.

Note that you can use side loaded apps in AA. To do this Open AA app on phone/device (which has no app shortcut so does not show in app list), in AA app enable developer options (click version number many times I think), the in AA go to developer options and check unknown sources.

I tried connecting a Samsung tablet with Android 13 and this was a no go. Play store would not allow AA app so I side loaded it. There was some error about unofficial install.

My wife's phone with Android 13 which is not privacy oriented does connect wirelessly. Location and wifi turn on automatically. It also has the 7 tap rule which makes it unbearable to use.

it appears any device that is used has to have the capability of AA build into the OS. There is no side loading the google stuff onto a device.

If there was not a safety pause nightmare one could buy a cheap device like the Hiby 300 and just not put any personal info on it. It would be a good way to get AA functionality without too much privacy invasion.

So I will be using bluetooth, no more AA. I would have been happy with a volume knob and an aux input.

More fun discovered when testing:
I went for a drive to test this stuff. My wife drove while I messed around. We also learned that when the car thinks we are not centered in our lane it also turns down music and beeps, and actually turn the steering wheel automatically. Next weekend will be turning this junk off. Note that we do not have road lines so I do not know what it was using to make its decisions. We drove about an hour each way to a lake. On this drive we saw 3 other vehicles. It is quite normal to not stay centered in your lane, partly because there is no one here, partly for safety. While driving this evening I dodged deer, pot holes, elk, wild horses, and piles of buffalo dropping. While dodging obstacles the car thinks you are falling asleep and starts beeping and telling you to take a break. The theme of the car is lots of beeping and punishments by turning down music.

I do not think I have it in me to install another custom stereo, but it is very temping. The car needs punched in the face. I own it, but it does not seem to understand this.

For anyone wondering how I make phone calls when driving. I don't.

[zybex]

GPS positioning with Android Auto comes from your phone/device, not the car. AA is just basically a screen output, most processing is done on the phone side.
Android 9's AA is wired-only. USB provides DC current, so there's no sine wave.

The "safety pause" thing is only shown while you're driving above a certain [low] speed, and it's doing what it's supposed to. Don't click and drive. You can use the steering wheel buttons to change track without any limit, or use voice navigation ("ok google, next track"). It's a silly protection when you're in the passenger seat, but there's currently no safe way to detect that it's not the driver making the inputs. In many countries, that protection needs to be there *by law*.

You want Android Auto but you don't like Google; you're complaining that your heavily modded OS doesn't work as Google intended, and somehow that's their fault

We also learned that when the car thinks we are not centered in our lane it also turns down music and beeps, and actually turn the steering wheel automatically.

I hate this feature and also always turn it off. I find it unsafe at times, when I'm switching lanes to avoid some obstacle and the wheel actively resists the turn. Infuriating.

[DJLegba]

I hate this feature and also always turn it off. I find it unsafe at times, when I'm switching lanes to avoid some obstacle and the wheel actively resists the turn. Infuriating.

In my car the lane assist feature disengages when the turn indicator is on.

[zybex]

Aaaaaaaah, that's the trick  Fancy blinky lights!
But sometimes it's just really to avoid a pothole.

[JimH]

Aaaaaaaah, that's the trick  Fancy blinky lights!
But sometimes it's just really to avoid a pothole.

In a quick swerve, the car should allow it without significant resistance.  Mine does.

I love the lane alert feature.  When I first started using it, I learned how often I'd drifted over without realizing it.  It improved my driving.

[syndromeofadown]

GPS positioning with Android Auto comes from your phone/device, not the car.

i don't think it does. My DAP does not have GPS inside. I also think this is why mock GPS does not work. It conflicts with the car's known position.

Don't click and drive. You can use the steering wheel buttons to change track without any limit

Thanks this is useful. I may give it one more go and try this. One thing I noticed was that you can hold the scroll button on screen instead of tapping it. JRiver was kinda slow to scroll this way, other apps were a bit quicker. I was testing from the passenger seat so I did not have the option of wheel buttons.

You want Android Auto but you don't like Google; you're complaining that your heavily modded OS doesn't work as Google intended, and somehow that's their fault

Yes. This is not a free service that I volunteered to use, it is software built in to a set of devices that I spent my hard earned money on. Tens of thousands of dollars. All I want is to play my music through my stereo in my car. This is how things worked in the good ol' days. The stereo inputs have been neutered and replaced with a personal data vacuum. I am obligated to attempt maximum privacy.

or use voice navigation ("ok google, next track")

This only works with internet. There is no cell service outside of town. Anywhere where I drive fast, I do not have cell service. Also I do not talk to computers, especially ones that harvest my private information.

In my car the lane assist feature disengages when the turn indicator is on.

This is funny. I can start driving like an old person with a never ending blinker just to keep control of my steering wheel. But then there will be more dinging.

I will give one more try because I like the idea of JRiver in my car.

[DJLegba]

This is funny. I can start driving like an old person with a never ending blinker just to keep control of my steering wheel. But then there will be more dinging.

I am an old person, but I was responding to Zybex who specifically mentioned changing lanes.

[newsposter]

You're discovering that Google has AA locked down so that only a limited number of applications, with limited functionality, are approved for use from a phone/tablet to an AA-equipped in-car head unit.  Google doesn't care how much money you feel you paid for your car or personal expectations of privacy.

Google also actively works to keep side-loaded apps like CarScreen and AAAD from working with AA.  CarScreen or AAAD changes something, Google changes something else.  Not possible to keep ahead of that curve without spending a lot of time. CarScreen itself is unofficially dead but there are some third-party ports that purport to be actively developed. AAAD get some attention on the various hardcore android developer forums.

I think you'll be happier with:

a lockpick device that lets you connect your mobile device directly to the car screen.  Some of these allow for steering wheel control, some don't.

-or-

An android-based 100% replacement for the headunit already in your car.  Some of these are remarkable capable and don't carry the baggage of Android Auto.

[syndromeofadown]

I came across this device during my studies
https://www.aawireless.io/article/aawireless-retail-price-substantially-reduced-in-us-uk-and-eu
Apparently it can remove the safety pause. i do not think I will bother with something like this.

I will give the wheel buttons one more go for browsing my library. I can choose a letter for artist on screen then browse that letter with wheel buttons. Apparently. If this is tolerable I will order Hiby m300.
https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-digital-m300

Hiby says it works with AA. I will make new google account and re-buy JRiver for this account. I am hoping this device will work. Ideally wireless to save the battery.

The comments here have been helpful. The only thing the sales person for the car had to say was that he used Apple.

[JimH]

The only thing the sales person for the car had to say was that he used Apple.

Quiche eater.