Brace yourself, friends – Android Auto is about to put old Android devices in the rearview mirror. Google’s in-car platform is set to drop support for ancient Android versions in an upcoming update.
Digging into the latest Android Auto 11.0 code reveals notifications warning users they’ll soon need to upgrade from Nougat or earlier. Android 8.0 Oreo looks to be the new minimum version required.
This follows similar moves by Chrome and Google Calendar to cease functioning on prehistoric Androids. For context, Nougat first launched in 2016 on old Nexus phones, making it a dinosaur in software years.
Android Auto will apparently alert users both on their phones and in-vehicle infotainment screens once the deprecation deadline hits. However, since the warnings haven’t rolled out yet, it seems Nougat users are in the clear for now.
Oddly, Google’s alerts urge users to “install system updates” or “update your phone” to maintain support. But anyone still clinging to Nougat this late is obviously doing so because updates are unavailable for their aging device.
The takeaway? If you’re still rolling old-school on Android Nougat or earlier, it’s definitely time to upgrade your ride to a newer phone model. Once support ends, Android Auto may refuse to fire up or lose key features on legacy Androids.
Given the rapid pace of software innovation, it makes sense for Google to occasionally leave behind the fossils. But it’s still an inconvenient reality check for anyone saddled with dated phones, especially given new devices’ swelling price tags. Just another reason why future-proofing remains essential when phone shopping!
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