I am enjoy using Android Auto, however it sometimes takes 2 or 3 times plugging and unplugging the cable from the phone (Samsung S8) to get AA to launch on the RDX's display. When it does, it works fine. AA has worked fine for me in other cars with this phone, but unfortunately, I can't be sure what cable I have used there. I may test a few other cables I have, but they are much longer...I'm using and prefer a 1.6 ft cable.

I have tried waiting to plug the phone in until the Infotainment is booted, tried plugging in my phone before starting the car, and various times in between. The success rate is widely inconsistent. Sometimes it launches perfectly, sometimes I get an error message that says to stop the car and check the Android device, and other times I just get a black screen... I have unpaired my phone, and deleted car and phone and deleted car from AA.... I know, I know, the Infotainment system in the RDX is ...ah...not the greatest, but...

Questions for those who use it a lot:
1. Do you experience this? If not, what am I doing wrong? I have tried different cables...What brand and length are you using that works consistently? I have used a few that would disconnect while driving, those are now gone. The current cable will stay connected, as long as it DID connect.

2. What settings are you using on AA itself? Auto launch when Bluetooth is connected? etc?

I am using a 1.6 ft (~20") cable, that works with fast charge, unfortunately I don't have the brand name.

I am looking to try a different cable, but I seem to have difficulty searching on Amazon for a good one that is about this length, and works well with AA. Amazon loves to provide search results that do not always meet my query. I find this length is ideal. Suggestions on successful search terms?

I welcome any constructive help. Thanks!

 

The USB C cable I’ve used is from Monoprice. In this picture it’s connected to my ssd. The C connector also fits in my android phone. I haven’t had any android auto issues so far and have not had to replug in my phone midstream. My suspicion with the RDX is limitations of the lacklustre Infotainment System which is seriously underpowered and easily overwhelmed.

 

I used the cable that came with my phone. It is definitely not short but works great. AA has been mostly stable - I occasionally need to reconnect the phone to establish connection, but 90+% of time the connection it just works. IMHO, AA in D1.2.2 is less stable than the previous release. I do not turn on autolaunch feature in AA on my phone.

Do you happen to park the car outdoor without sunsheild, and encounter the issue more when it is hot?

 

No, heat does not seem to be the issue, as it has been doing this since winter.

I use a vent mounted phone holder, so I really hope to find a 1.6 FT cable, and have been searching Amazon for Anker cables, but the search gives me lots of results that don't fit my query.

Anker usb 3.0 type a to usb type c cable 1.6 ft

 

Update:
After spending way too much time searching Amazon and Monoprice for an appropriate cable, I decided to try another cable I have easily accessible in the house, which came with an external battery pack I bought for a trip we did have planned, (but that is a different story!). Apparently it is "charge only" as the head unit wouldn't recognize it, but my phone would charge.

On a whim, again trying the cable I have been using for months, I rotated the USB C side of the cable and plunged it into my phone the opposite way from how I have been using it. It worked 9 out of 9 times today while I was running errands for my 88 year old mom. So even though I KNEW a cable was usually the issue, I had no idea it mattered how the USB C plug was inserted. Why would this even matter? Isn't the point of USB C to be functional either way? I will still look for a new cable, but for now this seems to have resolved it. I will update if anything changes. This is the most consistent run of AA sessions I think I have had! YAY!

On a side note: You can't believe how many "reviews" say a particular cable works great with AA and how many say it does not work with AA. How does one choose a good cable? Trial and error?

 

Modern USB cables have to meet a speciation. My guess would be your cable is defective when used in one orientation. USB C cables are suppose to plug gable in either orientation. Try Monoprice cables, they work great, have a lifetime warranty, come in many colours and lengths. They are also inexpensive.

 

Oops, I meant to write “specification” .

 

Yes, exactly! It must be defective if it only successfully and consistently works one way.
Would you be willing to link me to a Monoprice cable about 1.5 - 1.6 ft long? (I guess about .5 meter for you in Canada)
I had a very hard time finding one at the length. It is the perfect length for me to plug it into my phone when in the A/C vent phone holder.

Thank you!

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=31201

1.5 feet, available in 6 colours. $5.89 US with free shipping. Should do the trick.

 

Thank you sooo much! Ordered!

 

It’s the same cable in the pictured in the thread, post #2. For some reason they don’t seem to sell the 6 inch version I bought. What’s the advantage having your phone out and visible near the vents?

 

Originally, the 19 RDX did not have Android Auto capability, though it was promised...and subsequently delivered.
A member posted a solution he had, that allowed him to use his Android phone with Android Auto up where it was easily seen by the driver. I bought this holder, and still use it as I find it convenient...doesn't take up any space on my center console, (where face masks now reside). My plan was to stop using the holder once AA was provided by Acura, but I like it. I don't use it for any phone features, just as a holder. It is also a reminder to take the phone with me when I exit the car!

I also take the holder with me when we travel and use rental cars...never know if the rental will have GPS.

 

After using AA successfully for several weeks with the new cable, this past week, I started having trouble connecting to Android Auto again. I had to disconnect and reconnect the cable to get AA to work... yet sometimes, I would just get a black screen on the left side, the AA icon was "illuminated" but no AA features worked. Then, after a few days of this, I could not connect to AA at all. I tried the three button reboot, to no avail. A day or so more, and I did the three button reboot again, and now I have AA again.

How often will I have to do this to keep AA working?

I have to say this is getting old. I really like the RDX but am starting to dislike the infotainment issues.

 

Maybe next time try deleting your phone in the infotainment, and setting up AA from scratch. I had to do that a few weeks ago when changed something in AA, and the phone showed AA was connected but the infotainment disagreed.

 

Quoting myself...

I have now fully resolved this issue!

I bought a new phone, a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
GREAT price this week at Costco and now Best Buy. ($350)

Before actually baying the new phone, I was doing a lot of research, and tried it with my wife's S10.Perfect with no disconnects...so I was thinking it was the OS on the S8 I was using, not being updated anymore. Somewhere I had heard that AA was NOT native to the original OS that came with the phone almost 4 years ago. Perhaps this was an issue? How ghastly! A four year old phone is "old"! Anyway, as soon as I had my new S20 FE up and running I plugged it into the RDX! OH MY...It connects to AA EVERY time I plug it in, doesn't matter if it is before I start the car, or in the middle of the infotainment system booting! I now attribute my connection issue with a worn, or perhaps worn out USB-C port on the "old" phone. It wood charge properly, but apparently the connection wasn't good enough for data.

At long last, I hope this saga is resolved. I no longer grit my teeth, and hold my breath till I almost pass out waiting, wondering if it will connect, and I again LOVE driving the RDX.

 

Now that my AA launches 100% every time I plug it in with my new Samsung S20 FE, I am finding that it does not default to Google maps on the screen...rather it defaults to the Acura Home screen, where I can of course hit the AA Icon and get the map.

Anyone know what setting I need to adjust on AA on the phone to change this? I found with Android 10, the AA app is built into the OS, so the way to access it is through the screen in the car, then settings, and then there is one line that says "see on phone screen", which gives more setting options.

Maybe I am looking too hard, or wishing for too much? It IS working every time now! LOL

Thanks for any advice on how to set this up.

 

Well....MAYBE this is also resolved? This weekend we used my wife's CR-V for running our errands. I plugged my S20 in and ran Android Auto on the CR-V's infotainment screen. Google maps came up.

Today, I was out in the RDX, and NOW Google maps comes up upon plugging in the phone..

I wonder what plugging it in to the CR-V did to set this right?

Any ideas?

 

Not sure how to set it so that AA is shown as soon as the phone is plugged in and AA connected, instead of the Infotainment Home screen. It used to always open AA on my old LG G6 phone. But with my new Samsung S20, it always shows the Infotainment Home screen. Anyway, doesn't bug me. Just a click on the AA icon.

If you want to open AA settings on your phone without having to initiate the settings on the car first, AA on Android 10 has an activity you can launch to open Settings. This can be done on some custom launcher such as Nova. Here's an example screenshot of the Settings activity.