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Another New Android Auto Feature Is Mysteriously Gone
6 photosPhoto: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Features are becoming more like bugs in Android Auto. They come and go in mysterious ways, with users now complaining that the wavy progress bar in music apps is no longer there.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on Android Auto updates in the last few months, you probably know that the boring straight line that appeared in music apps, including Spotify and YouTube Music, was replaced by the wavy design inspired by the Google Pixel.
This feature debuted on the Pixel, and Google decided to bring it to Android Auto for more consistency when transitioning from mobile phones to the car. The feature didn’t bring any real benefit, aside from the visual facelift.
The wavy progress bar started rolling out in January and should now be available to everybody on Android Auto, no matter the smartphone they use to power the in-car experience. However, as many are complaining these days on reddit, the wavy design went away for some for a reason that nobody can decipher so far.
The design is back to the straight line that these users had before the update. It happens mostly in Spotify, and the behavior seems to be the same in every case. When the app runs in full-screen mode, it loses the wavy progress bar. When it runs on the Coolkwalk screen, it’s back to the modern design.
Interestingly, not all users liked the new design, and now that the straight line is back, many believe that Google should let them choose between the two.
“Noticed it in mine. I don’t like it personally and think the wiggly line is unnecessary. All aspects of a car’s UI should be explicitly clear and functional, not making lines squiggly for aesthetics. Although some people like it, I believe it should at least be a setting you can enable/disable,” someone says on reddit.
This isn’t the only feature that has disappeared from Android Auto lately. Earlier this week, users discovered that Google Maps no longer shows a speedometer, no matter if navigation was enabled or not. It all looked like a bug – certainly a disappointing one, considering users have been waiting for this feature for years – but it’s unclear if Google is working on a fix.
Meanwhile, considering no workarounds have been found for these problems, the only options are to keep automatic updates enabled and hope that Google eventually comes up with a fix. The most recent Android Auto build is 17.6, with new releases in the beta and stable channels expected by the end of the month.
Google has so far remained tight-lipped on these problems, so if you somehow come across a workaround, you can share it with the rest of our readers using the comments box right below the article.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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