If your car shows your phone’s maps and music on its dashboard screen, check your phone’s Android version today. Google has updated the Android Auto requirements: its help page now says Android Auto requires Android 11 or newer, whether you plug in with a cable or connect wirelessly. Phones still on Android 9 or 10 are no longer on the supported list.
The short version
Google now lists Android 11 as the minimum for Android Auto. It takes about 30 seconds to check your phone, and older phones have a few options.
- Google’s help page says Android Auto needs a phone on Android 11.0 or higher with an active data plan.
- Wireless Android Auto also needs a phone with 5 GHz Wi-Fi support and a car or stereo that supports wireless.
- Check your version in Settings, then About phone, then Android version.
- If no update to Android 11 is offered, your phone maker has stopped updating it, and the phone will not run supported Android Auto.
- Phones running Android (Go edition) cannot use Android Auto at all.
What changed in the Android Auto requirements
Google’s Get started with Android Auto page lists what you need. For a cable connection, it now reads: “An Android phone with Android 11.0 (Red Velvet Cake) or higher and an active data plan.” For wireless, it says wireless projection works with any phone on Android 11.0 that has 5 GHz Wi-Fi support.
Android Auto is built into Android phones, so there is nothing to download. That also means you can’t fix this by reinstalling an app. What matters is the version of Android your phone runs.
In plain terms: Android 11 came out in 2020. If your phone is around five years old or older and never got that update, it is now on the wrong side of Google’s line, even if it still makes calls and plays music just fine.
How to check if your phone can run Android Auto on Android 11
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap About phone.
- Look for Android version. On some phones it sits under Software information.
- If the number is 11 or higher, you are fine. If it is 10 or lower, keep reading.
To look for an update, go to Settings, then System, then Software updates. Google’s own advice is to charge the phone to at least 75% before you update, because updates can be large.
Your phone is on Android 10 or older. Now what?
1. Look for an update first
Some phones that shipped with Android 10 did get Android 11 later. If an update shows up in Settings, install it on Wi-Fi with the phone charging.
2. Use the car’s own screen for the basics
Many cars with Android Auto also have Bluetooth for calls and music, and some have built-in maps. You lose the phone apps on the dashboard, but hands-free calls usually keep working over Bluetooth.
3. Plan for a newer phone
If the phone can’t be updated, it has likely stopped getting security updates too, which matters more than the car screen. Our guides to the best phones under $300 and the best phones under $500 cover models with years of updates ahead. Before you buy, check how long the maker promises updates. Samsung publishes its list, which we explain in which Samsung phones still get security updates.
Avoid mounting an old phone on the dashboard and tapping through apps while you drive. It is the thing Android Auto was built to replace.
Where Android Auto works
Google lists 46 countries and territories where Android Auto works, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Brazil and South Africa. Google says most features won’t work if you use it outside those places, so the update question only matters if you live in one of them.
