How do I enable developer mode in Android Auto?

What is Android Auto Developer Mode?

Android Auto Developer Mode provides access to debugging and testing features in the Android Auto mobile app that are not normally available to regular users. Enabling Developer Mode unlocks certain tools and settings that allow developers to build and test Android Auto apps more easily.

Specifically, Developer Mode allows you to access special testing abilities and debug Android Auto sessions directly from a connected phone. This gives developers visibility into what is happening during an Android Auto session and the ability to diagnose problems and issues.

Some of the key things enabled in Android Auto Developer Mode include:

• Viewing logs and debugging information
• Testing apps without publishing them publicly
• Customizing the Android Auto interface
• Simulating different driving conditions
• Accessing demo and sample apps

Overall, Android Auto Developer Mode provides a valuable set of tools for developers looking to build high quality Android Auto apps. It allows them to test and refine their apps to ensure a seamless experience for users.

Why Enable Developer Mode in Android Auto?

There are a few key reasons why you may want to enable developer mode in Android Auto:

Test Android Auto apps under development – Developer mode allows you to test apps you are developing for Android Auto more easily. You can install and debug your in-development apps without having to go through the full publishing process on the Play Store. This streamlines testing and development.

Debug Android Auto issues – Developer mode unlocks access to debug tools and advanced settings that can help you troubleshoot issues with Android Auto. You can examine logs and use debugging capabilities to resolve problems.

Access advanced settings and tools – Developer mode gives you access to settings and tools not available in the standard Android Auto interface. This includes changing animation scales, toggling USB debugging, altering screen resolution, and more. With developer mode enabled, you can customize Android Auto to suit your needs.

Overall, developer mode gives you extra options and capabilities for testing, debugging, and customizing your Android Auto experience. It’s especially useful for developers working on Android Auto apps, but power users may also benefit from the advanced settings.[1]

Requirements for Android Auto Developer Mode

To enable developer mode in Android Auto, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• Android phone running Android 6.0 or higher. According to Android for Cars overview, Android Auto requires Android 6.0 or newer.
• USB cable to connect your phone to your car. You’ll connect your phone to your car via USB in order to access Android Auto and its developer settings.
• Car with Android Auto support. Your car’s infotainment system needs to be compatible with Android Auto in order to use it.

As long as your Android phone, USB cable, and car are compatible with Android Auto, you should be able to enable developer mode without any issues.

Enabling Developer Options on Android Phone

To enable developer options on your Android phone, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your device. This is typically accessed by tapping the gear icon on your home screen or app drawer.

Next, select the “About phone” or “About tablet” menu. On Samsung devices this may be listed as “About device” under the “Software information” menu.

Once in the About menu, locate and tap the Build Number option 7 times. This may require entering your lock screen PIN or pattern if prompted.

After tapping Build Number 7 times, you will see a confirmation that developer options have been enabled.

Finally, return to the main Settings menu. You should now see a new “Developer options” menu available, allowing you to access and configure the various developer tools and settings.

Enabling developer options is required before you can activate Android Auto’s developer mode. It provides access to debugging features not available in standard Android settings.

Connecting Phone to Car’s Android Auto

To connect your Android phone to your car’s Android Auto system, first locate the USB port in your vehicle’s center console or dashboard. This is usually labeled with the Android Auto logo. You’ll need a USB cable to connect your phone to this port.

Plug one end of the USB cable into your phone, and plug the other end into the car’s USB port. Android Auto should automatically launch on your phone once connected. If it does not, you may need to manually launch the Android Auto app.

Follow the on-screen setup prompts to allow Android Auto to access your phone’s data and features. You’ll be asked to grant various permissions and enable certain settings like location access and Bluetooth pairing. Complete all the steps to fully connect your device.

Once setup is complete, your phone’s apps and features will be mirrored on your car’s display screen. You can now use Android Auto’s interface to access navigation, music, calls, messages and more through your car’s infotainment system.

Turning on Android Auto Developer Mode

To enable developer mode in Android Auto, you first need to open the Android Auto app on your Android phone. This is the app that connects your phone to your car’s infotainment system.

Once you have the app open, tap on the profile icon in the top right corner to access the settings menu. Then scroll down and tap on “Developer settings”.

On the Developer settings screen, toggle the switch next to “Developer mode” to turn it on. You may see a popup asking you to confirm enabling developer mode.

That’s it! Android Auto developer mode is now activated. You will see a new “Developer tools” option appear in the settings menu where you can access debugging features when connected to your car.

According to the Android for Cars documentation, developer mode gives you access to tools like logging and screenshot capture while using Android Auto.

Using Developer Tools in Android Auto

Once developer mode is enabled in Android Auto, you gain access to several useful developer tools for testing and debugging apps. The key tools include:

Logcat – This provides debugging information and logs from your Android Auto session. You can filter log messages by priority level or application tag to isolate issues. Logcat is essential for seeing crash reports and tracking down bugs in your app [1].

Layout Inspector – The layout inspector allows you to view the UI attributes and hierarchy for the current Android Auto screen. You can inspect alignment, margins, padding, and other layout details. This helps debug layout issues for different screen sizes and orientations [2].

Car Data Access – With developer mode, you can access various vehicle data like speed, RPM, fuel level, and more. This allows you to test app behavior under simulated driving conditions without needing to actually drive [3].

Simulate Driving – Developer settings has options to simulate driving at different speeds and locations. This is useful for testing location-based features and driving-dependent app behavior [1].

Developer Mode Limitations

Android Auto’s developer mode comes with some important limitations to be aware of before enabling it:

It will only work when your phone is physically connected to your vehicle’s infotainment system running Android Auto – developer mode does not function over wireless Android Auto connections (source).

Developer mode can drain your phone’s battery faster than normal since your phone’s resources are being used to power the extra debugging and testing functionality (source).

At times, running apps in developer mode can cause instability or crashes in Android Auto. It’s important to thoroughly test your apps and restart Android Auto if you encounter issues (source).

Testing Apps in Developer Mode

One of the main benefits of enabling developer mode in Android Auto is the ability to test unsigned Android Auto apps. Android Auto usually only allows installed apps that have been signed and distributed through Google Play. However, with developer mode enabled, you can install unsigned .apk app files directly on your Android phone and have them show up in Android Auto.

This is useful if you are an app developer working on an Android Auto app. You can iterate and test your in-development Android Auto app without needing to go through the full signing and distribution process. Just install your unsigned app builds on your phone, connect to Android Auto, and you’ll be able to try them out.

Developer mode also allows you to simulate various driving conditions like driving speed, GPS location, and network connectivity. This helps ensure your Android Auto apps work well under different real-world conditions. You can test how your app performs with a fast moving vehicle, in an area with spotty network connectivity, etc.

Finally, developer mode provides access to detailed logs and metrics for debugging and performance analysis. You can view CPU usage, memory consumption, app crashes, and other key data points during your testing. This helps you identify and fix any issues with smoothness, responsiveness, or stability.

Overall, the testing opportunities unlocked with Android Auto developer mode provide significant benefits for anyone working on Android Auto apps. It enables much faster iteration and debugging without the need to go through the full release process. Just be sure to disable developer mode when doing any real driving for safety.

Turning Off Developer Mode

Once you are done testing apps and using developer tools in Android Auto, it’s a good idea to turn off developer mode.

To turn off developer mode:

1. Open the Android Auto app on your phone.
2. Tap the menu button in the top right corner.
3. Tap “Quit developer mode”.

Turning off developer mode provides a few benefits:

• Improves stability of Android Auto, since it no longer needs to run debugging processes in the background.
• Extends battery life of your phone, since developer tools can drain battery faster.
• Returns Android Auto to normal behavior and performance.

In most cases, you’ll want to turn off developer mode when you are done actively testing an app or debugging an issue. Leaving it on all the time is not necessary for most users.