Android Auto - and USB connectivity, can't connect - what's up with that?

[deilenberger]

Very shortly after we purchased our GV70 - I tried out Android Auto, plugging my Moto-G-Power phone into the data USB port in the cubby on the console. Android Auto worked great. That was the very last time I was able to use Android Auto.

When I connect that phone, or the new Moto-G-Power G5 that I just purchased - the USB port cannot be opened. The same cable and phone connected to my home computers work perfectly. My wife's iPhone connects just fine - and CarPlay works fine, so the USB port isn't dead, but I cannot connect to it with an Android phone. I can setup a Bluetooth connection with the Motorola phones for use with the phone functions on the car - that works great.

On the phone there is a screen for "USB Preferences" - the top selections are:

USB CONTROLLED BY
[ ] Connected device
[ ] This device

then:
USE USB FOR
[ ] File Transfer
[ ] USB tethering
[ ] MIDI
[ ] PTP
[ ] No data transfer

When it's plugged into the car - "This device" is selected under "USB CONTROLLED BY" - and nothing is selected in the second menu, and nothing can be selected (it's dimmed out.)

Does anyone have any ideas? Something is going on with that connection to the infotainment system that's preventing the phone from connecting and letting the infotainment system take over control of the phone. What could it be?

Help!

BTW - I posted this in the general discussion forum since I wanted it to have wider exposure than just the GV70 owners. It's entirely possible an owner of a different model Genesis has experienced the same issue and has an answer for it.. Personally - I find this forum not laid out for maximum utility by the members. I run several other vehicle forums on the ZenFora platform under VerticalScope - and having some general forums, not model-specific, for issues such as this makes the forum much more useful. There are enough members here (over 60,000) - but it seems like very little activity.

 

[srobak]

Android auto app on the phone gets updated frequently - and immediately stops working with cars when it does. Make sure your AA app is up to date and see if that helps.

 

[deilenberger]

With Android 11 and newer AA is part of the operating system, no separate app to download or update. It gets updated via OS updates I think, The new phone is running the newest Android (13)..

Thanks! I'm still trying to figure out why it locks out the USB connection.

 

[srobak]

With Android 11 and newer AA is part of the operating system, no separate app to download or update. It gets updated via OS updates I think, The new phone is running the newest Android (13).

I'm on 14 and have been having to update the app repeatedly since it came new on the phone with 12. In fact - I am seeing that there is an update available for it now in the play store - released Feb 23.

 

[Alfer]

Just buy this wireless AA dongle and your troubles will disappear.

moto-accessory-template | motorola

The power of your phone on your car screen. Android Auto™ is a simpler, safer way to use your phone in the car. The MA1 provides a wireless connection to your car's existing Android Auto-capable infotainment system, making it even easier to get all your favorite maps, media and messaging apps on...

www.motorola.com

 

[deilenberger]

Just buy this wireless AA dongle and your troubles will disappear.

moto-accessory-template | motorola

The power of your phone on your car screen. Android Auto™ is a simpler, safer way to use your phone in the car. The MA1 provides a wireless connection to your car's existing Android Auto-capable infotainment system, making it even easier to get all your favorite maps, media and messaging apps on...

www.motorola.com

It's a rather sad story - but I DID buy that and the car ate it. I had it in the car, raining heavily so rather dampish in the car. Got out, went in the house for something and when I came back it was gone. We (wife and I) have searched the car - under the seats, alongside the console, everywhere we could think of - and can't find it. I think the car ate it. Somewhere. I'm reluctant to purchase a new one since the car might well try eating it too.

A question - using that dongle - can you still also connect the native Genesis phone interface and streaming audio (off the phone) interface? It would then require 2 Bluetooth connections at the same time. Does that work - or does using the interface with AA simply drop the other Bluetooth connection?

 

[Alfer]

All phone/music/maps/texting etc is done 100% via Google Android Auto interface when dongle is plugged in and active.

 

[deilenberger]

All phone/music/maps/texting etc is done 100% via Google Android Auto interface when dongle is plugged in and active.

Thanks, I have another one arriving today - that's switchable between Android Auto and CarPlay.. will have to see how it works.

 

[deilenberger]

I'm heading out to the car with: https://a.co/d/9EI6tdy (Amazon link)..



Wish me luck... I'll update this if I return. I fully expect the car to reguritate the Motorola one it ate when it sees this one arrive.

 

[deilenberger]

I'm back. I survived. It works. It connected AndroidAuto and CarPlay - wirelessly.

As @Alfer suggested above - to use it - you've got to turn off the Bluetooth connection that you already have made to the Gensesis telematics system.. then you make a new Bluetooth connection to the black box. The box lights up red until you make a connection. Once connected it turns blue.

To avoid fighting between the original Bluetooth connection from the phone to the Genesis system and your new AA or CP connection, you have to destroy the original connection. If you leave it in place it will continually try to reopen it, and possibly will override the AA or CP connection strategy.

To switch from CarPlay to AA (or vice versa) the easiest way would be to get the unwanted phone out of the range for Bluetooth, but the alternative is to destroy the Bluetooth connection on the unwanted phone. That works fine. There is a button on the lump that I recall seeing reference to it being for switching between phone types, but I don't think that happened when I pressed it.

All in all - it's a pretty simple solution, although it would certainly be nicer if Genesis allowed the AA or CP interfaces to share the original BT connection made with each phone by the Genesis software. And be able to switch into one using the controls on the factory Genesis menu. That would be the best of all worlds.

How do they work? I think fairly well, although there are some bugs (not attributable to the interface..):

• iPhone/CarPlay Bugs: For some reason, my son's address is stored away on my wife's phone as our Home address.. That's a bit of an issue if I tell the car to take me home since he's on the left coast and we're on the right coast. I found no way in the iPhone maps program to change this setting. While the maps program happily plotted a nice route to "Home" - it was over 3,000 miles long and about 41 hours away. I'd like to delete or change the home setting in iPhone maps - Does anyone know how?
  
  The music player had nothing to play and no idea how to get anything (no online capabilities?). That's the only music interface on my wife's phone, so not a surprise. I may try adding Sirius or Spotify.
  
  
• Android/AndroidAuto Bugs: Several apps wanted the user to make settings and confirm things on the user's phone when connected via AA to the user's receiver. I couldn't get Spotify to work even after logging in on my phone and leaving it running (as was asked for by the Spotify interface on the AA system. I would hope that AA would save those settings, but no guarantees, haven't tested it that far.

Now - a question for you: Does the data-USB interface finally shut down after the power is off and the door is locked? Mine was still going after I locked the car up - a blue glow was coming out of the phone cubby.

​

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[Jhon]

I'm back. I survived. It works. It connected AndroidAuto and CarPlay - wirelessly.

As @Alfer suggested above - to use it - you've got to turn off the Bluetooth connection that you already have made to the Gensesis telematics system.. then you make a new Bluetooth connection to the black box. The box lights up red until you make a connection. Once connected it turns blue.

To avoid fighting between the original Bluetooth connection from the phone to the Genesis system and your new AA or CP connection, you have to destroy the original connection. If you leave it in place it will continually try to reopen it, and possibly will override the AA or CP connection strategy.

To switch from CarPlay to AA (or vice versa) the easiest way would be to get the unwanted phone out of the range for Bluetooth, but the alternative is to destroy the Bluetooth connection on the unwanted phone. That works fine. There is a button on the lump that I recall seeing reference to it being for switching between phone types, but I don't think that happened when I pressed it.

All in all - it's a pretty simple solution, although it would certainly be nicer if Genesis allowed the AA or CP interfaces to share the original BT connection made with each phone by the Genesis software. And be able to switch into one using the controls on the factory Genesis menu. That would be the best of all worlds.

How do they work? I think fairly well, although there are some bugs (not attributable to the interface..):

• iPhone/CarPlay Bugs: For some reason, my son's address is stored away on my wife's phone as our Home address.. That's a bit of an issue if I tell the car to take me home since he's on the left coast and we're on the right coast. I found no way in the iPhone maps program to change this setting. While the maps program happily plotted a nice route to "Home" - it was over 3,000 miles long and about 41 hours away. I'd like to delete or change the home setting in iPhone maps - Does anyone know how?
  
  The music player had nothing to play and no idea how to get anything (no online capabilities?). That's the only music interface on my wife's phone, so not a surprise. I may try adding Sirius or Spotify.
  
  
• Android/AndroidAuto Bugs: Several apps wanted the user to make settings and confirm things on the user's phone when connected via AA to the user's receiver. I couldn't get Spotify to work even after logging in on my phone and leaving it running (as was asked for by the Spotify interface on the AA system. I would hope that AA would save those settings, but no guarantees, haven't tested it that far.

Now - a question for you: Does the data-USB interface finally shut down after the power is off and the door is locked? Mine was still going after I locked the car up - a blue glow was coming out of the phone cubby.

​

Let us know how this works down the road. I have a AAWireless device I that worked great in my Audi. I thought it worked when I hooked it up the the Genesis, but then started disconnect and connecting after about 5 minutes on the road.

 

[deilenberger]

Let us know how this works down the road. I have a AAWireless device I that worked great in my Audi. I thought it worked when I hooked it up the the Genesis, but then started disconnect and connecting after about 5 minutes on the road.

Will do. Haven't taken it out of the driveway yet, it did stay connected for at least 30 minutes in the driveway..