You may already know that Android Auto lives on your phone, but it’s not officially possible to literally use Android Auto on your phone’s screen. I’ve always thought that was a shame since so many people drive around with their phone in a mount and Google Maps open. Why shouldn’t the phone interface adapt to the car? Turns out it can.

It’s a common misconception that Android Auto is widely used by Android phone owners. In reality, the majority of Americans don’t have it (or Apple CarPlay) in their vehicles—nearly two-thirds. If you happen to be one of those people, like I am, you don’t actually need a built-in display or aftermarket head unit in your car to use the official Android Auto.

Google’s history with “driving mode” on your phone

Several half-hearted attempts

Credit: Google

As I said, it’s not officially possible to run the Android Auto interface on a phone, but Google has toyed with the idea in the past. Back in 2019, Google launched “Android Auto for Phone Screens.” It was a clumsy implementation of exactly what the name described, and the company killed it in 2022.

However, Android Auto for Phone Screens was never intended to be a final solution. When it was released, Google said it would be replaced by something called “Assistant Driving Mode.” That product finally arrived in 2021 as a simplified interface with an emphasis on voice commands and media apps.

Over time, Assistant Driving Mode was stripped of features until it became relegated to a bar at the bottom of Google Maps. So it was no surprise when Google finally put it to rest for good in 2024, leaving us without an official driving-friendly interface on Android phones.

How to use your phone as an Android Auto head unit

Android developers to the rescue

Credit: Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek

Enough preamble, I’ll get to the point. There’s a very cool app in the Play Store called “Headunit Reloaded” that emulates an Android Auto receiver. This allows for two possibilities. The phone it’s installed on can run Android Auto right there, or you can use a secondary device as a faux “head unit”—as I did for my bike.

Before I go any further, I want to be clear that this app displays the official Android Auto interface. It’s not some hacky impersonation. Android Auto lives on your phone, and Headunit Reloaded simply gives it a screen to be displayed on.

Now, turning any Android device into a head unit is pretty neat, but the ability to run Android Auto on your primary phone is arguably even better. Imagine getting into your car, plopping your phone into a mount, and instantly having Android Auto at the ready. That includes playing audio through your vehicle’s speakers.

Setting it up is surprisingly easy. First, you’ll need to buy Headunit Reloaded for $4.99. You’ll notice the Play Store reviews aren’t great, and I’m not sure why. I have personally used this app for several years. At the time of writing, I’m a few days removed from using it during a 2.5-hour road trip. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Grant all the required permissions and tap “Phone Mode.” This will launch the Android Auto interface (you may need to open it from the notification shade). Yes, it’s that easy—though you may want to do some configuring. It’s common for the interface to look too big, but that can be fixed.

Use Android’s back gesture or tap the back button, then tap “End” from the menu. Reopen the app after it closes and go to Settings > Graphics. Play around with the “Pixel Density (DPI)” setting until the scaling looks right. Margins can also be added from this screen if you need to further tweak things.

The next thing you can do to improve the experience is go to Settings > Other and toggle on “Auto Start Self-Mode.” Now, the Android Auto interface will automatically launch when you open the app. This is handy for automation—I used MacroDroid to launch Headunit Reloaded when my phone connects to the Bluetooth adapter in my truck.

An easy way to make your car “smart”

While Google may want to restrict Android Auto to built-in displays from auto company partners, you have options to get it much more easily. If using an app and your phone as a head unit sounds convoluted, there are plenty of cheap “portable” head units online. It’s important to have a safe way to access your phone while driving, because you will want to.