I’m on a quest to de-Google my life and that does include Android Auto. At the very least, I want to use more FOSS stuff if possible. I’m wondering if there’s any FOSS alternative to Android Auto.
Feel free to add your favorite de-googled alternative apps as well.
Edit: I’ve also been getting annoyed at the fact that my podcasting app of choice, AntennaPod, doesn’t extern its media controls to AA. Is there a fix for this such that I don’t have to keep reaching for my phone to pause an episode if I’m e.g. grabbing takeout?
Edit 2: a word
Edit 3: It appears that apparently, AntennaPod doesn’t work with Android Auto because I downloaded it with F-Droid and is signed with a different key, so Android Auto doesn’t trust it. There is apparently a setting for Android Auto that enables unknown sources. I might try that out soon.
This would be a great idea but as I understand it, Android Auto and CarPlay are very explicitly tied into the auto manufacturers systems in a way that would likely require a group that builds the open source mobile auto platform to be certified and integrated with auto manufacturers systems.
This would be costly, and without the initial user base, unlikely to take off as manufacturers don’t like giving their data to other systems. Toyota held out a long time on Android auto for exactly that reason: not wanting Google to get access to their systems.
I like the idea, but I think the only for it to happen would be if an aftermarket headunit manufacturer were to build something that integrates with such a system. But that would be a very small user base and also unlikely to happen.
You do make a good point that I hadn’t thought of (and need to think of more often) wrt hardware. I guess the next best thing that I’d look for is something that uses the SDK of Android Auto but isn’t made by Google and doesn’t send its data however anonymized to Google. And also FOSS is the goal if possible.