Some Samsung Galaxy S24 owners are having major issues with Android Auto

Android Auto
Android Auto running inside a car (Image credit: Google)

Having just established that a Samsung Galaxy S24 display bug isn't actually a bug after all, we've got another S24 problem to report: some users are having trouble connecting their new phones to their cars via Android Auto.

This comes via SamMobile, and while we can't find too many complaints on the web, a page on the official Samsung UK website acknowledges that "some users" are experiencing difficulties getting their Galaxy S24 phones to work through Android Auto.

According to Samsung, cars manufactured by Seat, Skoda, and Volkswagen are the ones involved. It seems that the problem lies mainly with the software in these vehicles, so affected users will have to wait for an update from the relevant car maker.

The support page does say that these manufacturers "have confirmed that they are working on software updates" to fix the connection problem – so if this is something you're dealing with, it might be worth contacting Seat, Skoda, or Volkswagen yourself to see what's happening.

Potential fixes

an image of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future / Roland Moore-Colyer)

We don't get too much information on what's behind these issues, but IP addresses and hotspots are mentioned in regards to Volkswagen vehicles. That's essentially to do with the protocols that phone and car are using to communicate with each other, as devices might communicate over a local Wi-Fi network.

Samsung also has some suggestions for fixes you can try while you're waiting for a software update to roll out: updating the software on your phone on your car might work, and you do of course need to have Android Auto enabled.

If you're using a wired connection, switching to a different USB cable might help, Samsung says – specifically a "high-quality cable that can support data transfers". You also need to make sure you're using the latest version of Android Auto on your phone.

Android Auto is a pretty essential part of the Android experience for drivers, as it opens up access to everything from step-by-step navigation to music playback, so let's hope this particular issue gets resolved as quickly as possible.

You might also like

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

TOPICS