Hey guys,

following scenario:

start car > connect to android auto > press play (spotify) > drive off > spotify pauses (within first minute or so of driving)

This happens just a single time after starting the car but it happens every time.

(autoplay music is off in android auto settings on my phone)

Does anyone have the same issue and/or has a fix for that?

Hi r/AndroidAutomotive, we are Magic Lane, the team behind Magic Earth. After a lot of head-unit testing we've shipped a beta of Magic Earth AUTO and we'd love feedback from people who actually drive these cars every day.

 

Why we built this for AAOS

AAOS owners have been waiting for a solid navigation alternative. Most options still lean on phone projection or rely entirely on connectivity. We built Magic Earth AUTO specifically for your infotainment system, running natively on the hardware. Not retrofitted from a phone.

Here's what that means in practice:

• Works fully offline. Download maps for 200+ countries and navigate anywhere: tunnels, mountain passes, remote regions, underground car parks. No connectivity? No problem. Turn-by-turn works the same. When you're connected, live traffic and speed camera alerts layer on top automatically.
• Hands-free voice control. "Navigate to Paris." "Avoid toll roads." "Add a stop." "Report a hazard ahead." Your car's voice assistant talks directly to Magic Earth AUTO through the standard AAOS intent framework. Hands stay on the wheel, eyes on the road.
• Purpose-built for your car's display. Full-screen, automotive-optimised map rendering. Smooth 3D perspective, lane-level guidance, junction view for complex intersections, automatic day/night switching. This is designed for driving, not projected from your phone.
• Privacy by default. No tracking. No location data transmitted to anyone. Core navigation runs locally on your car. GDPR-compliant from the ground up, because how you drive is nobody else's business.

Magic Earth AUTO - driving on a route with satellite and elevation

Magic Earth AUTO - route overview

Magic Earth AUTO - following current position

What early access members get

• A free Magic Earth AUTO license for as long as you're part of the beta community
• Direct line to the team building the product. Your feedback shapes the roadmap
• First access to new features before wider release
• A say in how privacy-first navigation evolves

 

Supported cars (AAOS / Google built-in)

Polestar 2, 3, 4 · Volvo EX30, EX40, EX90, XC40 BEV · Renault Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech, Rafale, R5 · GM EVs (Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Hummer EV, Lyriq, Optiq) · Honda Prologue · Acura ZDX · Lucid Gravity · Lincoln Nautilus · select Ford Mach-E and F-150 Lightning trims

Not sure if your car qualifies? If you can already install apps directly from the Play Store on your head unit, you're in.

What we're testing

We want feedback on:

• Real-world routing accuracy on your daily commute
• Head-unit UX (touch targets, glance-ability, how it feels while driving)
• Bugs, crashes, weird edge cases, screenshots and videos welcome
• Offline performance, map quality, whether you hit any dead zones

 

How to join

Send us a mail at betatesting@magiclane.com. Include your car model and AAOS version if you can find it. We'll get back to you with access details.

Spaces in the first wave are limited, so don't wait too long!

Happy to answer anything in the comments. We'll be here all week.

Is it possible to edit which audio apps appear directly on the home screen of Android Automotive?

My GMC Acadia automatically added to the home screen the audio apps I installed from the Play Store (Audible, Pocket Casts, Spotify, NPR, YouTube Music), but the included system audio apps (AM, FM, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, USB) do not show there directly. The only way I've found to switch to the system based apps is to launch them from the full "Audio" interface accessible using the "music note" icon. I would like to choose which apps are on the main Home Screen and which are in the Audio submenu.