How to disable wireless Android Auto (but keep wired).

[SDR]

My 2024 Corolla is the first car that I've owned that has wireless AA.   So, I've connected it.   Good?   Well, no, actually.   Sure it works, but it connects every time I get in the car whether I want it to or not;   and I frequently don't want to connect to AA at all.   I would prefer to just connect, wired, via the usb port when I choose to use it.

So I have been looking for a neat way of disabling the wireless AA function without disabling the wired connection.   The problem is that there is no switch to toggle in the AA app to turn wireless on/off (apparently there was in earlier versions of the app but Google has removed it in the current version).

First, a health warning!   I'm an OAP, easily bemused by this stuff, and anyone who chooses to do what I've done does so at their own risk!

The simple answer is that there is a switch in the app to toggle to turn wireless on/off, but you have to go into the developer settings to find it.   This is how to get to it:

Open the AA app.   At the bottom of the page, tap on "In-app notification settings" (the Version information at the foot of the page is greyed out).   Scroll to the foot of the new page to get to Version information.   Repeatedly tap on the version information until a box comes up "Allow development settings".   Tap "OK" (if you are happy with the warning).   Tap on the the 3 dots at the top right of the page.   Tap on "Developer settings".   The box to tick/untick for wireless AA is the first in the list.   Use the back button to return to the previous page, 3 dots, "Close developer mode".

The odd thing is that, having done this, there is now a switch to toggle to turn wireless on/off on the page below the Messaging settings (although I suspect that the next time the app is updated it may disappear).

I have tried other ways of doing this, e.g. in my (Samsung) phone's Settings menu, under Modes and Routines, I set up a routine to turn off wi-fi when AA is connected (since wireless AA turns on the phone's wi-fi connection because the car's head unit uses that to communicate with the phone).   There are other possibilities too but IMHO using the actual (now hidden) switch on the AA app is the neatest solution.

 

[Roy124]

Simon, I know what you mean.  I have to use a wired connection but I was using a less than a fully capable  USB lead.

AA would drop out and back in again so I switched to in-car navigation.    As my phone was connected it kept popping up for AA and would not accept no for an answer. 

[flash22]

on the radio change "wifi power" to off in Setup - WiFi

[SDR]

31 minutes ago, Roy124 said:

Simon, I know what you mean.  I have to use a wired connection but I was using a less than a fully capable  USB lead.

AA would drop out and back in again so I switched to in-car navigation.    As my phone was connected it kept popping up for AA and would not accept no for an answer. 

I think that someone else mentioned that the wired connection is lead-dependent.   I mount my phone just to the left of the central screen so I bought a short (30cm) lead to keep things neat when connected to the usb data port.   Just a random buy from fleabay but it works so I must have got lucky. 

If you are wanting to turn off AA altogether there are a number of options, starting with the car's multimedia screen settings (although you might still get messages on the screen and your phone saying that AA is available).   A more permanent option would be to go into the AA app on your phone and disable it!

[SDR]

25 minutes ago, flash22 said:

on the radio change "wifi power" to off in Setup - WiFi

Thanks for the suggestion.   I freely admit that I was looking for a solution in the AA app rather than in the car.

[Roy124]

Simon, I have a short 25cm left angle cable that works well.  Disabling my wired connection was only for when I had problems with the long lead.

My essential  AA use is on long journeys where I need to charge the phone anyway.

[forkingabout]

40 minutes ago, SDR said:

Thanks for the suggestion.   I freely admit that I was looking for a solution in the AA app rather than in the car.

If you go in to the Android Auto app on your phone, should be a setting for " Start Android Auto automatically "

My Pixel 6 has the following three options.

Always

If used on last drive

Default ( set by the car )

 

Depending on what version of Android Auto your phone is currently running - you may find a setting to turn the wireless connection OFF ( Google has removed this in newer versions ) 

[SDR]

16 minutes ago, forkingabout said:

If you go in to the Android Auto app on your phone, should be a setting for " Start Android Auto automatically "

My Pixel 6 has the following three options.

Always

If used on last drive

Default ( set by the car )

 

Depending on what version of Android Auto your phone is currently running - you may find a setting to turn the wireless connection OFF ( Google has  removed this in newer versions ) 

Yes, the AA app on my Samsung phone has the same three options as your Pixel 6;   but no setting to turn the wireless option off.

Or, at least, it didn't.   It does now.   Finding that hidden setting was what my original post was about.