Old Android Auto Bug Returns to Haunt Coolwalk Users

What’s worse is that some of the old glitches that Google presumably fixed occasionally come back out of the blue, making the whole thing even more confusing for everyone (probably for the search giant too).

Living proof is an issue that was first reported long ago and caused Android Auto to disconnect when the phone reaches a full charge. The glitch had been around for quite some time before Google eventually shipped a fix, but now it looks like it’s back, impacting Coolwalk users and making it impossible to use the phone when its battery is full.

The bug seemingly made a comeback last month when one of our readers reported the problem without being aware it was an issue that Google previously resolved with an Android Auto update. I’ve been seeing isolated reports signaling the same error since then, though the issue doesn’t seem to be too widespread just yet – or at least, not as widespread as one year ago when Google’s forums were filled with users complaining of the unusual disconnecting.

A new thread on Google’s discussion threads has eight upvotes, and surprisingly, one of the company’s community specialists rapidly chimed in to ask for phone logs. The prompt response could be a sign that Google is aware of more users hitting the glitch, so time will tell if a patch lands faster this time.

The bug causes Android Auto to shut down when the phone reaches a 100 percent charge, which obviously happens sooner or later, given a wired connection also provides extra battery juice. The glitch doesn’t happen for Android Auto wireless users.

A workaround doesn’t exist at this point, though the easiest way to prevent the disconnecting from happening is to avoid getting your phone to 100 percent battery. You can do this in several ways, but neither is very convenient – for example, you can keep the phone’s screen turned on all the time; this way, the display eats up the battery, slowing down the charge.

The bug obviously occurs for Coolwalk users but has nothing to do with the new interface. Most likely, it’s caused by the same problem as before, though Google has never shared any information on this front.

The Coolwalk rollout is almost complete, as the majority of users have already received the new multi-app view screen. The release started in January, with Google planning to reach the broad availability stage by the end of the summer. As a result, most users should already see the new dashboard, being able to run multiple apps side by side on the same screen regardless of the display size, orientation, or resolution.