The Case of Android Auto

Cars have computers now.

Not mine, mine is about 20 years old. I put a key into the ignition, the CD player keeps eating my alt-pop-rock CDs, it gets me from here to there, and I like it. My next car will be the same, sans CD-eating.

But! Other people's cars have computers, and sometimes I have to work on the computer parts.

This began happening suddenly. The car was operating Android Auto as normal.

- The setting to allow Android Auto through USB does not stick - I can select it but it will not stay.

- When Android Auto was finally registered on both the car and phone via USB somehow, there was a notice that the car's operating system did not pass 'security checks'.

Being a fancy pants smart car with inter connectivity up the tail pipe, I wondered if somehow, we would have to update the software on the car. Somehow, as there is not an option for it in the settings. Do we have to go to a dealership to update a car's operating system? Can we jailbreak* the car? Will that brick* it?

For tech people, calling tech support will be interesting. They will tell you to do the basics, and anything that requires troubleshooting a 40,000$ car's computer is something they will not touch -- Very understandable.

The person we talked to was lovely and very knowledgeable in other areas, and they solved different problems than the one presented to them. They did reaffirm one suspicion I had -- That the USB cable we had -- The only USB 3 one we had -- may be damaged, as may be the USB port in the car.

I will find another cable to use, as well as update the phone; My bet is the phone's outdated OS may not be new enough to deal with Android Auto's in-car update -- Assuming the car has been updated.

*Jailbreak: Go beyond the set terms and conditions to alter usability of a piece of software on a consumer device to actually be useful.

*Brick: If you do it, you might make your phone/car inoperable.

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