Using Android Auto wirelessly is very convenient and cuts down on cable clutter, but it isn’t perfect. The biggest issue is how heavy it can be on the battery. Obviously, it will never be able to match a wired connection that charges your phone as you go, but by tweaking a few settings, you can really reduce the battery drain.
Use offline maps
Download before you go
The way to make your battery last longer on Android Auto is to disable some of the features that you don’t use or have good alternatives for. A simple starting point is to use offline maps. Instead of having your phone use its data connection to download maps in real time as you drive, simply download an entire region to your device before you set out.
You can do this with Google Maps by tapping your account avatar in the top corner and selecting Offline Maps. You can grab a region of up to 120,000 square kilometers or 2GB in size, although there’s no limit to how many regions you can get. Or, you could switch to one of the best Google Maps alternatives, many of which are designed for offline use.
You’ll still need your data connection for things like live traffic information, but far more of your journey will happen in offline mode. And if you’d rather not go totally offline, disabling things like 3D mapping in favor of basic maps will help.
- Type
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Android Auto & Apple Carplay adapter
- What’s Included
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Adapter, USB-C to USB-A cable
Easily add wireless Android Auto or CarPlay to your vehicle with this capable dongle that works with both platforms.
Get your music and books in advance, too
The offline principle applies to your media apps as well. You don’t want to be streaming hours of music from Spotify while you drive. It’s far better to download a few select playlists, as well as audiobooks and podcasts, before you leave home.
Not only will it save battery power directly from less downloading, but you also won’t generate the extra heat that comes from maintaining a constant data connection.
Disable 5G
Android uses more power trying to stay connected
While offline maps will reduce the amount of data you use while driving, your phone will still use power to maintain a connection to the mobile networks. And this is where 5G can become a problem.
5G uses more power than 4G. As long as you live in an area with good 5G coverage, that isn’t something to worry about. But when you drive, you’ll pass through areas with good coverage, weak coverage, and no coverage at all.
When you’re somewhere with weak coverage, your phone will use more power to try to maintain its connection. Enter a no-5G area, and it will fall back to 4G. Then it will reconnect to 5G once that’s available again. All this constant switching can really hit your battery. And I’m not even talking about driving through rural areas. The patchy nature of 5G coverage means that you can take a right turn in a city and find yourself in a 5G dead spot.
In the Network and Internet settings, set your preferred network type to 4G while driving.
Turn on Battery Saver mode
Cut out all those background activities
There’s a good argument for using your phone in Battery Saver mode all the time. It prioritizes the battery over almost everything else on the phone, cuts out most background tasks, and brings the added benefit of reducing distractions as well. You can see how this is also a good idea when using wireless Android Auto.
Battery Saver mode is better than Airplane mode, which leaves you totally cut off. It keeps the essentials running, so you can still get messages and calls, and navigation and media playback will still work. But it shuts off most of the other things that happen in the background that you don’t actually need while you’re driving.
Go to Settings > Battery to find the toggle.
Disable Location when you aren’t navigating
Sometimes you know where you’re going
Android Auto is predominantly a driving aid, but not exclusively. You might not need the navigation tools running on your daily commute, other than to check the traffic, maybe, or for general driving around town. But you’ll still use Android Auto for its media features.
When this happens, you can disable the Location setting so that your phone isn’t constantly tracking where you are. In general, the location option doesn’t use all that much power, but an active GPS connection certainly does. For easy access, add a Location button to your Quick Settings panel so you can turn it on and off as and when you need it.
Keep the phone cool
Heat is one of the biggest battery drainers
Finally, this isn’t something to disable, but it is something to keep an eye on. Heat is a major cause of battery drain.
In the case of Android Auto, heat can come from two sources. There are the internal components like the various radios and sensors, which is why cutting your mobile data use while driving can be so beneficial. And there’s the ambient temperature. It can get very hot in a car, and if your phone is sitting in an unventilated spot in the sunlight, it will get very hot, very quickly.
Try to keep the phone in the shade, and maybe near an air conditioning vent if possible.
The last resort
Plug it in
In truth, there’s only so much you can do to limit the battery use with wireless Android Auto. All of these tips will help you get through a long journey, but you’re still likely to get to your destination with a depleted battery.
If you want to arrive with a fully charged battery, you’re just going to have to put up with those wires and plug in your phone.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
