Phone calling is an essential feature of Android Auto. It lets drivers stay in touch with their contacts without necessarily using their phones. Google Assistant handles voice commands, so users can make calls and respond to texts without looking at the screen.
But, if you use Android Auto, you may know that making phone calls often stops working. This issue happened after updating the Google app, which handles voice commands on Android Auto.
Android Auto needs an emergency update. Users can’t make phone calls with voice commands after a recent change about a week ago. It’s an undisputable fact that voice command is a very important safety feature as long as driving is concerned. Users may be tempted to use their phones while driving due to this issue, hence, the urgency for Google to fix this issue as soon as possible.
Users Reports on Android Auto Voice Command Calling Issue
Users on Google’s forums say Google Assistant keeps asking, “Who do you want to call?” even when they give the contact’s full name. It seems like Google Assistant no longer understands names. Sending messages still works fine, so the issue only affects phone calls with voice commands.
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This problem isn’t tied to a specific Android Auto version, car model, or phone brand. It seems the Google app is the problem. Users have tried common fixes like changing cables, clearing cache and data, and force-updating the app with the latest APK. None of these fixes worked, and the feature is still broken.
How Android Auto Users Can Manually Fix this Issue
Google may be probably working on a fix for this issue. However, as important as this feature may be, we will share a workaround that should help rectify the issue while we wait for Google to release an official fix.
Since the issue affects Google Assistant, the glitch is likely in the Google app. To fix it, try downgrading the Google app to an earlier version, older than last week’s release.
Google is aware of the bug and has asked for more information. But don’t expect a quick fix. Google often takes weeks or months to fix Android Auto problems. This issue may not be an exception.
The good news is that the Google app gets frequent updates. If Google knows about the reports, it could release a temporary fix in a few days. There is no official statement from Google yet. If you find a workaround, please share it in the comments below.
If you want to update Android Auto to the latest version, the newest stable build is 12.5, and it’s available on the Google Play Store.