Android Auto brings convenience to your car’s navigation screen thanks to its familiar interface and innovative apps. It works with virtually any phone, including our selection of thebest budget Android handsets. Like other operating systems, Android has apps you do not necessarily need or use, cluttering your infotainment system unnecessarily. However, cleaning up Android Auto isn’t difficult, as there are a few easy ways to remove these from the Android Auto launcher and customize how it looks. We go over all the best methods so you can begin replacing unwanted apps withessential ones.
What is Android Auto?
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Removing Android Auto apps from your phone
Although this method may sound counterintuitive, it works without requiring an active connection with a car. That’s more helpful when you’re away from your vehicle and want to clean up the apps beforehand. Using this method, you can remove apps from your launcher and customize the order in which they appear. More importantly, you canadd a shortcutto call someone from your contact list or trigger an assistant action, allowing you to activate it with the touch of a finger while driving.
Samsung puts unused apps to sleep by temporarily disabling them. These apps can appear on your phone butnot in your Android Auto launcher; they will re-appear on the launcher once you’ve re-enabled them.
Android Auto has many Google apps, such as Calendar, Messages, Phone, News, and Maps. Most mobile apps that work on Android Auto can also appear on the launcher, like Gamesnacks, Discord, YouTube Music, and Samsung apps. But not all of these apps prove useful. For example, you may prefer less text on your car’s display, and having Messages, Discord, WhatsApp, and News enabled wouldn’t do you any favors. you may uninstall most apps, but the ones considered necessary, referred to as system apps, will require disabling them from your app settings.
Another note is that removing an app from the Android Auto launcher doesn’t uninstall it from your phone. Instead, it hides the shortcut from the Android Auto launcher. If you want to permanently remove an app you don’t use on both your phone and in your car,uninstall it from your phone, like you usually would with other apps.
Removing Android Auto apps from your car’s navigation screen
If you prefer to perform the operation from your car, the process is similar to the one above. However, the Android Auto interface doesn’t fully let you customize the launcher from your car’s infotainment screen. Still, it’s easy to initiate it directly in your car:
The Android Auto interface is too limited to allow you to complete it from your car’s screen, making it much easier to use your phone to manage it. However, removing apps directly from the launcher means you can immediately see the changes on your car’s display while checking the order.
Customize your launcher the way you want
After cleaning up your unused apps, you may add more apps and customize the Android Auto launcher. When driving, you will want to create shortcuts and avoid searching for apps. So, consider occasionally spring cleaning your launcher via your phone or infotainment system. Lastly, if you’re in the market for a new car, you’ll want to know thedifference between Android Auto and Android Automotivebefore purchasing.
