Android Auto is an app developed by Google that can mirror features of an Android device (such as a smartphone) on a car’s infotainment unit. Some Android Auto users have complained that a bug is causing some problems. This new bug is reportedly making the navigation bar to disappear putting users in a difficult spot in certain on-road situations.
How Android Auto bug is affecting users
Over the past few days, some users took to Reddit and Google Forums (spotted by 9to5Google) to report the issues related to Android Auto.The affected users noticed that the navigation bar is missing. However, the issue doesn’t seem to be widespread and is only affecting some users.
The navigation bar appears on the bottom of the screen depending on the car’s screen size and aspect ratio. This bar allows users to switch between apps, access Google Assistant, open the app drawer and even view the app dashboard.

The report also shared an image of an affected user, showing that the bug is not affecting the rest of the Android Auto UI. When in fullscreen, the bug is just leaving the bottom portion of the screen blank.
This means, users can access Android Auto on their cars but they won’t be able to use the navigation bar. Without this bar, users can still access Maps and music controls. However, users face problems while using the full versions of the apps. The preview of the apps are working properly on Android Auto but with limited functionality. The lack of navigation controls will also lock users into that app for the rest of the session.
Google is expected to fix this issue with an update. Some users were also able to get back the navigation bar by uninstalling updates from the Android Auto app. The update version 10.5, which is already being rolled out, might not fix the problem, while clearing the cache may even cause a bigger error, the report notes.