Summary
If you’re still using an older Android phone, one of its most useful features might be on borrowed time. Google is reportedly preparing to drop Android Auto support for phones running Android 10, which means you could soon lose access to navigation, music, and hands-free calls on your car’s display — even if Android Auto has been working perfectly until now. Users still using Android 10 are reportedly starting to receive notifications that Android Auto will soon stop working on their phones. Google has not yet made the announcement publicly, but users on social media like Reddit have posted that they received a notification from Google. The screenshots posted by users, first spotted by Android Authority, didn’t give a firm timeline for when Android Auto will stop working with their devices, saying only “soon.” The news comes as Google has been gradually cranking up the requirements for using the app in recent years. Back in 2024, it bumped up the minimum to Android 9 Pie, after raising it to Android 8 Oreo in 2022. How can I keep access? You’ll need to update or buy a post-2020 smartphone If your phone supports it, you can update to Android 11 by heading to Settings > System > Software update on a Pixel, or Settings > Software update > Download and install on a Samsung. Unfortunately, if you are still clinging to your pre-2020 smartphone, it may not be that simple, and you may be forced to upgrade. However, even if your phone’s manufacturer doesn’t provide a newer Android version, you might have luck finding community Android upgrades with LineageOS. You should be able to run Android 11 or newer on most mid to high-end phones launched from late 2020 onward. The Pixel 5 and 4a 5G and Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series all shipped with Android 11 pre-installed, while newer models shipped with later versions. You can also buy a used model and upgrade. The 2017 Pixel 2 and anything newer can be upgraded to at least Android 11, though anyone still using 2016’s Pixel 1 will be out of luck. Anyone using a Samsung flagship released after 2018’s Galaxy S9 should also be able to make the jump to Android 11 or newer to get Android Auto running. Google isn’t the only big company rolling back support for people still using Android 10. Microsoft Defender for Android ended support for Android 10 devices on March 31, 2026. Meanwhile, Microsoft stopped certifying new Teams devices running Android 10 in September 2026, and full support for those devices is set to end on September 3, 2027.