- The latest Android Auto update has broken the quick controls feature
- This allows you to view directions or control media when you are using other applications.
- But in Android Auto 15.2 it no longer seems to work in portrait orientation
Android Auto has just been updated to version 15.2, and while that would normally mean getting some shiny new features for the car’s system, this update has sparked a very different reaction from many users. In fact, the new edition has broken a popular feature of Android Auto, causing exasperation and frustration among consumers.
Specifically, there have been complaints that Android Auto 15.2 has broken the operating system’s quick controls feature. This is a widget that allows you to control media and view directions even when you are using another app. However, with Android Auto 15.2, the quick controls widget no longer appears to work when used in portrait orientation.
Before the latest update, enabling quick controls on Android Auto dashboards set up this way would place the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. But according to Reddit users and the official Google forums, turning this option on in the Android Auto 15.2 update simply does nothing. This means that the taskbar is stuck on the vertical edge of the screen, no matter what you do.
This is causing some consternation among users. John Fed on the Google forums reported that the issue was “driving me crazy,” while Reddit user lorenmatt93 described it as “annoying” and “a bug that’s been around for the past few months.”
Bug or feature?
Interestingly, it’s unclear whether this apparent bug is actually a deliberate change. Quick controls used to be much more prominent in Android Auto, but since Google switched to a dashboard layout, the widget has been replaced by an app shortcut bar.
Now, you have to manually enable Quick Controls in settings before it appears, suggesting Google wants to put less emphasis on the feature. That could suggest that Google is simply phasing out quick checks, with this latest ‘bug’ being a manifestation of this policy.
However, there are signs that that’s not the case, such as the fact that the Quick Controls widget only doesn’t work on specific layouts. With that in mind, the bug could simply be an oversight, with the developers simply not fully testing a feature that has fallen down the Android Auto pecking order.
Either way, the issue has generated a fair amount of annoyance among Quick Controls users. Hopefully, it’s just one of those quirks that can affect software updates and nothing more. With any luck, Google will release a patch before long.
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