Android auto and amazon

CliffyG

CliffyG

CliffyG

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
17,933
Location
Cambridge
I'm struggling a bit with this, I can't get it to work how I'd like.

I can start android auto by voice activation by saying "hello bmw" but once its running I can't get it to do google voice activation without pressing the microphone button.

Once I get it to start the Amazon music app the Google voice search nearly always plays the wrong song even after repeating what I said correctly. Additionally saying "alexa" doesn't start voice activation within Amazon music either.

Please help.
 
These systems can be a little cumbersome because there's so many variables and settings involved. I'm not sure how well adapted Android Auto is with BMW as I've only ever used AA with Audi, but here's where I would check.

  1. Are you sure you can use hands free activation without using the microphone button? I'm not sure how the phone can tell the car microphone to be always listening and to 'hijack' the system listening out for the BMW command
  2. Usually there's settings in the phone itself that allow you to specify if the phone can always listen for the OK Google command even with the screen off. Have you checked this option out?
  3. I believe there's also a setting for the Google Assistant to use Bluetooth headsets as input - could try this as usually most car MMI interfaces come up as hands free devices.
  4. I'm not sure if the Assistant and Amazon music are very compatible? In Assistant settings AM doesn't come up as an option for me as a choice for the default music service. It does have an option to use an app on the device, try ensuring AM is set as the default service via that? Nothing comes up when I click on that but could be because I don't have any other media players on my phone other than Spotify which is already set.
Look in Google App > Voice > Hands Free to see two options about Bluetooth

Then Google App > Assistant > Music for options around music services
 
Oh there's also settings in Android Auto under "Hey Google" detection.

You can also enable developer options within Android Auto by tapping on the version number at the bottom of the menu 10 times, then go to developer options in the 3 dot overflow menu and in here you can do a couple of things.

  1. Force request video status on start, this should fire up Android Auto on connection rather than launching it via the iDrive (only useful if you want to always use AA when you get in the car)
  2. Force higher resolutions - I had to do this to use the higher resolution available on the Audi screen that came with the technology pack
 
Strangely, i was in the car yesterday with the missus saying how annoying it is that it doesn't work, i said it should just listen when i say OK google and it heard that and activated. Must be something about the tone used when in conversation, can get it working every time now.

Still can't get Amazon Music to listen though, have the following settings ticked in the app:

Hands Free with Alexa
Start Car Mode Automatically
Keep Screen Active

Everything reads like it should work it just won't activate with me saying Alexa.
 
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