Some drivers using older Android phones are seeing a new warning when they connect to their car. Android Auto says the phone will no longer be supported and that the service will soon stop working on it. The affected phones appear to have one thing in common: they are stuck on Android 10 and will not receive newer system updates. If your phone runs Android 11 or later, this warning should not apply to you. If it runs Android 10, check for a pending update. If no update is available, expect Android Auto to stop working on that phone eventually.
What you need to know
- Reddit users report seeing this message in Android Auto: “Phone will no longer be supported. Android Auto will soon stop working on this phone.”
- Android Auto currently requires Android 9 or later for wired connections and Android 11 or later for wireless connections.
- Owners of the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ and Galaxy Note 9, as well as the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact, have reportedly received the warning.
- Google previously ended support for Android 8 and earlier in 2022, then made Android 9 the minimum version in 2024.
A warning that Android Auto support is ending
The warning drivers are seeing
Owners of older smartphones have started reporting the problem on Reddit. When they connect their phone to a car, Android Auto shows this message: “Phone will no longer be supported. Android Auto will soon stop working on this phone.”
All the affected users reportedly have one thing in common. Their phones are on Android 10 and will not be updated to a newer version.
Android Auto’s current requirements
Android Auto currently has these minimum requirements:
- Wired connection: Android 9 or later
- Wireless connection: Android 11 or later
This means phones running Android 10 can only use Android Auto with a cable. If Google raises the minimum requirement to Android 11, those phones would lose Android Auto entirely. The original report treats this as the likely outcome based on the warning. It does not cite an official Google announcement or a specific cutoff date.
This would not be the first time Google has raised the bar. The company dropped support for Android 8 and earlier versions in 2022. In 2024, it made Android 9 the minimum supported version.
How to check your Android version
You can check your system version in a few seconds:
- Open Settings.
- Go to About phone. On Samsung phones, then open Software information.
- Look for the Android version entry.
Checking the Android version on a phone
If it says Android 11 or later, you have nothing to worry about. If it says Android 10, check the Software update or System update section. A newer version may be available for your phone that you have not installed yet.
Which phones are affected
Owners of these phones have reportedly already received the warning:
- Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9
- Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
Any phone that remains on Android 10 without further updates is likely to be affected, so this list is not necessarily complete. Some sites have also listed the Galaxy A50. However, that phone received Android 11 back in 2021, so it should not be affected as long as that update has been installed.
What to do if your phone is stuck on Android 10
If your phone runs Android 10 and no further updates are available, your options are limited:
- Keep using Android Auto for now. It continues to work until support is actually cut off.
- After it stops working, you will need to run navigation and music directly on the phone, mounted in a holder.
- To get Android Auto back, you will need to switch to a phone running Android 11 or later.
