Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Car both seem pretty useful to drivers – just plug your phone in to charge, and it will link to your car’s larger touchscreen to give you directions to your doctor’s appointment, play music from you Spotify playlist, or send a text. Google also has an easier version that allows you to connect wirelessly to your stereo stereo without even taking your phone out of your pocket – but it was limited to Google and Samsung phones. Now Google has quietly announced that elk phone running Android 11 will be able to connect to Android Auto, wirelessly.
Google’s updated Android Auto support page now notes that “any smartphone running Android 11.0” can connect wirelessly to Android Auto. It is likely, in addition to Google and Samsung, phones from manufacturers such as LG, Motorola, and OnePlus may also get support if Android 11 goes out of public beta later this year.
But Android 11 support for Android Auto wireless comes with a few requirements: you need to have both a phone and Android Auto head unit that supports 5GHz Wi-Fi. If you live in Japan or Russia, you do not have access, because Google says that these areas do not support the wireless feature of Android Auto. Even in the EU there are additional requirements; Google says that Android phones in the EU that use 5GHz Wi-Fi in the car “must meet additional regulatory requirements”, but we are not quite sure what this means for you.
If the idea of going cable-free sounds appealing, you might also want to consider buying a wireless charger – in fact, your phone will not charge when Android Auto is streaming out of your pocket.
