Google To Shut Down Android Auto Mobile App To Replace With Google Assistant

Google has confirmed on Friday that it is shutting down the standalone “Android Auto for Phone Screens” app and replacing it with Google Assistant driving mode available within the Google Maps or the native Android Auto interface available in select cars.

Google said in a statement that “For those who use them on-phone experience (Android Auto mobile app), they will be transitioned to Google Assistant driving mode,”

“Starting with Android 12, Google Assistant driving mode will be the built-in mobile driving experience. We have no further details to share at this time.” Google says that the experience isn’t changing for anyone using Android Auto in compatible cars.

XDA Developers reported that some users were seeing a message in the Android Auto for Phone Screens app that said the service is “now only available for car screens” and pointed phone users towards Google Assistant driving mode as a replacement. Meanwhile, 9to5Google reports that the Android Auto for Phone Screens app now says it’s incompatible with Pixel devices running Android 12.

Google has announced that it will introduce Google Assistant driving mode in 2019 but the software was delayed but later started rolling out later this year. It all began in 2019  when Google decided to build most of Android Auto’s features into Android 10 as a system-level feature, and discontinue the previously downloadable app.