How To Entry Android Auto’s Secret Menu (And Why You Ought to)

In relation to in-car infotainment methods, Android Auto is a strong contender for the most effective. It is constructed into loads of automobiles — although extra cars are getting rid of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — and all you must do to make use of it’s join your telephone both wirelessly or with a USB cable. Doing so hyperlinks a few of your apps between your telephone and infotainment system, and you may simply go in and alter a few of the most important Android Auto settings, too. However what if we informed you there’s a secret menu in Android Auto that can provide you entry to much more settings that may make utilizing the system higher in the long term?

That is proper. Identical to Android has a hidden developer menu, so does Android Auto. In fact, accessing the menu is a bit trickier with Android Auto, as you do not want to enter your telephone’s common settings. As a substitute, you must navigate into the precise settings for Android Auto inside your telephone. Relying on what sort of system you’ve gotten, the precise settings is perhaps named in a different way. Nevertheless, should you’re utilizing a more moderen telephone just like the Google Pixel 10 or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely, you then’ll wish to observe the steps beneath to entry Android Auto’s hidden menu.

The simplest strategy to discover the settings is to open your telephone’s settings menu after which seek for “Android Auto.” In the event you favor looking out manually, then you’ll find it beneath “Related Units” on many telephones. As soon as you’ve got positioned the Android Auto settings, scroll down till you see the “Model and permission information” part. Faucet on this to develop it, then faucet on it roughly 10 occasions. You will know you’ve got been profitable when an acknowledgement window pops up asking whether or not you wish to enable improvement settings. With the settings enabled, scroll as much as the highest of the Android Auto web page and faucet the three-dot menu and choose “Developer settings.” Now it is time to see what you are able to do.

Whereas Android’s built-in developer settings supply a slew of helpful options, Android Auto’s are a bit extra barebones. Nevertheless, there are two settings it’s best to pay shut consideration to. The primary is “Wi-fi Android Auto.” When toggled on, this permits your system to wirelessly hook up with Android Auto methods and third-party adapters. It must be on by default, but when it is not, be sure to toggle it on should you plan to make use of the service wirelessly.

The opposite setting to remember is “Unknown Sources.” Very similar to Android’s normal “Unknown Sources” setting — which lets you sideload apps to your Android phone — this setting lets non-Google Play apps seem on the Android Auto interface. It is nice should you favor to make use of a deGoogled telephone, as in any other case these apps will not be accessible in your Android Auto show. You may all the time toy round with the opposite settings right here, too, although they largely revolve round developer-heavy options that on a regular basis customers will not want.