Android Auto removes support for phones without at least Android 8.0

Android Auto is increasingly used by owners of Android smartphones: Google’s automotive operating system allows users to manage music playback, answer messages or calls or see all information for navigation without distractions, and important news will come with the next updates. Unfortunately though, there will be some changes regarding the minimum requirements for cable use.

Amazon offers

Since its introduction, Android Auto requires a smartphone running Android 6.0 or higherbut the support page on how to get started with Android Auto has been recently updated: now the minimum Android version to use the car operating system is 8.0 Oreo.

The change is really recent: As of May of this year, the support page was still talking about Android 6.0 as the minimum version to use Android Auto (here you can see the old version of the web page), while the Android Auto official web page has not yet been updated with the new requirements.

We would like to clarify that we are talking about minimum requirements to use Android Auto via USB cable: Regarding the wireless connection mode, the minimum requirements remain unchanged (i.e. any phone with Android 11.0, a Google or Samsung phone with Android 10.0 or a Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 + or Note 8 phone with Android 9.0).

The reason for this change is soon said: Android 6.0 Marshmallow is used on around 4% of Android deviceswhile v8.0 Oreo version still runs on about 12% of smartphones (data as of May 2022). However, it is unclear when these minimum requirements will actually be in effect.

Users of Android Auto will soon be able to try many new features on the operating system: Google has announced that one will soon arrive new interface viewwhich will allow to have three apps at the same time and will allow the system to also adapt to screens of non-canonical shapesas well as support for ai suggestions on actions to be taken through Google Assistant.

We also remind you that Android Auto’s smartphone app has now retired: this means that to use Android Auto it will be necessary to have a compatible car or in any case a third-party infotainment system that supports the operating system.