MG5 Android Auto not working

[greentangerine]

So after the abject failure to update my sat nav and with a broken radio, I thought I'd try and test Android Auto too.

Connected the phone to the correct port and AA started on the phone.

Pressing the AA bit on the head unit states I need to connect the phone!

But it is connected and started up AA!

Connecting to the other port just charges it and AA stops on the phone.

Help!

 

[RossN]

Give it a kick ?

 

[Petriix]

You need to switch your phone to 'file transfer' rather than 'usb accessory'. You can set this as default by switching on usb debugging on your phone.

 

[EWD]

So after the abject failure to update my sat nav and with a broken radio, I thought I'd try and test Android Auto too.

Connected the phone to the correct port and AA started on the phone.

Pressing the AA bit on the head unit states I need to connect the phone!

But it is connected and started up AA!

Connecting to the other port just charges it and AA stops on the phone.

Help!

My phone runs Android version 10.

I just plugged it in and the Android Auto configuration wizard popped up on my phone. I went through it and everything just worked.

If I now plug the phone in, I don't even need to press the Android Auto button on the infotainment screen for it to start playing music from my Amazon Music app. It just carries on from where it was last playing.

I would double check the Android Auto setting in your phone. (Goto to settings and search "auto")

I would also try using a different cable. Maybe the cable the phone came with, if you haven't used that cable already.

I've also seen a recommendation to connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth first (I can't remember whether I did this).

 

[kmanpilkers]

I have an issue where Android Auto worked perfectly fine for 6 months in my MG5 EV, and has now stopped working. The car does not recognise that I've plugged a phone in, and does not launch android auto. It must be the car that's the issue, because I've tried multiple cables and multiple phones and android auto no longer launches and it worked perfectly fine previously on the exact same cable. I've got an appointment to take the car into a main dealer to fix the AA issue, but the lead time is kind of long (nearly a month) so I was wondering if there is anything I can do in the mean time that any one has found? I'm looking for some kind of way to reset android auto from the car end or forget existing devices, or clearing the settings in some way but I can't find anything at all in the infotainment menus.

Stuff I've tried so far that didn't work:

• telling my phone to forget the car and clearing the android auto app cache and data on Android on my Google Pixel 7a
• different USB C cables
• a different phone (my wife's, also a Google Pixel 7a)
• forcing a reboot of the Infotainment system by holding the "Home" key in for 10secs
• plugging an AA wireless device that I have also previously used successfully

None of these have changed the result: the car behaves as though there is no Android Auto compatible device even plugged in.

Before I reset android auto's settings on my phone though, the phone was showing that it was connected to the car, so the phone seemed to show everything was fine.

The USB port does still charge my phone ok.
It's kind of baffling!

 

[Coulomb]

the car behaves as though there is no Android Auto compatible device even plugged in.

If it's like the ZS, you have to use the USB-A port for Android Auto or Carplay. So try a good quality USB-A to USB-C (or whatever your phone needs) cable.

Weirdly, this ZS user found a way of using the USB-C port with two cables:

USB-C - Anyone know what is a compatible cable?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S22. I have 8 USBC-USBC cables. No combination of any of these work in either the front or rear USBC sockets of my MG ZS EV Trophy Connect. All cables and both phones work in any combination with a power adaptor and also with a computer for data transfer...

www.mgevs.com

 

[5teep]

I have an issue where Android Auto worked perfectly fine for 6 months in my MG5 EV, and has now stopped working. The car does not recognise that I've plugged a phone in, and does not launch android auto. It must be the car that's the issue, because I've tried multiple cables and multiple phones and android auto no longer launches and it worked perfectly fine previously on the exact same cable. I've got an appointment to take the car into a main dealer to fix the AA issue, but the lead time is kind of long (nearly a month) so I was wondering if there is anything I can do in the mean time that any one has found? I'm looking for some kind of way to reset android auto from the car end or forget existing devices, or clearing the settings in some way but I can't find anything at all in the infotainment menus.

Stuff I've tried so far that didn't work:

• telling my phone to forget the car and clearing the android auto app cache and data on Android on my Google Pixel 7a
• different USB C cables
• a different phone (my wife's, also a Google Pixel 7a)
• forcing a reboot of the Infotainment system by holding the "Home" key in for 10secs
• plugging an AA wireless device that I have also previously used successfully

None of these have changed the result: the car behaves as though there is no Android Auto compatible device even plugged in.

Before I reset android auto's settings on my phone though, the phone was showing that it was connected to the car, so the phone seemed to show everything was fine.

The USB port does still charge my phone ok.
It's kind of baffling!

Some including myself found a wireless dongle to work better than a cable because you can plug it in and leave it alone, usb ports are not strong and the contacts in them can move or break causing connection issues. When you say yours still charges ok those are different pins to the data pins so it's very possible.

In the end I gave up on Android Auto altogether because it's a clunky, poorly designed, limited system that constantly wants to take over and anything it does you can do better in other ways.

 

[leomindel]

When plugged in does the phone charge ?

Check nothing has got in the port and stopping the cable fully seating

 

[jackois]

I've found that using your phone via usb is vvery cable sensitive.... I had the same problem on a previous car (Polo)... I went through all of the cables in the house and keep the 2 that work best in the car, I plugged in and the other in the glove box...

The main problem I've found is that you cant close the cover because of the usb cable

 

[SUPERAL]

I have an issue where Android Auto worked perfectly fine for 6 months in my MG5 EV, and has now stopped working. The car does not recognise that I've plugged a phone in, and does not launch android auto. It must be the car that's the issue, because I've tried multiple cables and multiple phones and android auto no longer launches and it worked perfectly fine previously on the exact same cable. I've got an appointment to take the car into a main dealer to fix the AA issue, but the lead time is kind of long (nearly a month) so I was wondering if there is anything I can do in the mean time that any one has found? I'm looking for some kind of way to reset android auto from the car end or forget existing devices, or clearing the settings in some way but I can't find anything at all in the infotainment menus.

Stuff I've tried so far that didn't work:

• telling my phone to forget the car and clearing the android auto app cache and data on Android on my Google Pixel 7a
• different USB C cables
• a different phone (my wife's, also a Google Pixel 7a)
• forcing a reboot of the Infotainment system by holding the "Home" key in for 10secs
• plugging an AA wireless device that I have also previously used successfully

None of these have changed the result: the car behaves as though there is no Android Auto compatible device even plugged in.

Before I reset android auto's settings on my phone though, the phone was showing that it was connected to the car, so the phone seemed to show everything was fine.

The USB port does still charge my phone ok.
It's kind of baffling!

In my experience, I struggled for 3 years with intermittent connection. I converted to a wireless connection with my new MG5 and it worked perfectly until - it didn't. After head scratching I found the culprit to be google pay, which interfered with the bluetooth connection after use. Just opening the app wasn't a problem but making a payment did cause a subsequent loss of connection. I believe the car is fine and the culprit is most likely the phone. Try restarting the phone and then connect. If fine then try and hunt down the app which causes a loss of connection.

 

[PeterHR2]

Just thought I'd chime in on this old thread. I've had the MG5 FL for just short of a year. I tried to get Android Auto (AA) working as soon as I had the car, using various (data transfer) leads over months, but got no joy, going round, and round, …, in circles. I was on the point of going the BT gizmo route, but then about 10 days ago I was getting into the car and a notification popped up on my phone (Pixel 7 Pro) that AA was available! I connected the phone to the car with one of two leads I always keep in the car and had used unsuccessfully previously and, hey presto!, AA was available and functioned, and has continued to function (even when losing 4G connection in my very rural locale). Since nothing has changed on the car, I'm guessing that the latest AA version (13.2) and/or Android version (15) itself has sorted out the car/phone comms issue.

 

[Alibro]

I struggled to get either wired or wireless dongle to work with AA and have given up on it. The few times it did work I didn't like the functionality in that the satnav looked terrible with poor resolution and the choice of second app seemed to be Spotify or Spotify.
Now I use a magnetic phone holder in middle airvent (on my side) with a cable going to a high speed charger plugged into the 12V socket. This gives me full Satnav on the phone, plus the infotainment system is visible and easy to navigate both at the same time. As a bonus the phone gets a decent charge every time I drive the car.

 

[PeterHR2]

@Alibro Each to their own, especially if you can't get AA to work for you.

But I have no problem with the Google Maps resolution on the MG's screen. It's as good as on my mobile screen to my eyes. As to the apps shown and their order, these can be customised within AA on your phone/in car (e.g., see Your Complete Guide to Customizing Android Auto). And with AA connected/used via USB the phone is on charge too.

 

[Alibro]

@Alibro Each to their own, especially if you can't get AA to work for you.

But I have no problem with the Google Maps resolution on the MG's screen. It's as good as on my mobile screen to my eyes. As to the apps shown and their order, these can be customised within AA on your phone/in car (e.g., see Your Complete Guide to Customizing Android Auto). And with AA connected/used via USB the phone is on charge too.

Thanks for the useful link, maybe mine wasn't working right or I wasn't doing it right but it never worked long enough for me to play with it much.
I'm not blaming the MG either because I suspect the issue might be my crappy old phone.
I would probably have the phone mounted where it is anyway so I'm happy to use it as the Satnav and keep the radio on the MG screen.

 

[Aupa]

Tip: don't Initially start up Android Auto while reversing.

 

[smokie]

If you have a VPN on your phone you probably need to allow Android Auto to bypass it. Easy to test if you do have one - just stop if for a bit and see if it then works.

Some of the free VPNs may not have the capability to bypass so you'd have to stop the VPN completely I suppose.