How to Fix Android Auto Wireless Connection Issues
Wireless Android Auto depends on two links at once, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so a drop can come from the phone, the car or the pairing between them. Google’s help pages cover the basics. Other fixes, such as battery settings and clearing the cache, come from troubleshooting guides and owner reports rather than from Google, and this guide keeps the two apart.
Checked October 16, 2026. Nothing here was tested on a phone or in a car, and menu names vary by phone.
What wireless Android Auto needs
Google’s get started page says wireless projection needs a compatible phone with an active data plan and 5 GHz Wi-Fi support, and that it works with any phone running Android 11. The car or stereo must also support wireless Android Auto. In the EU, Google says the phone must meet additional regulatory requirements to use 5 GHz Wi-Fi in a car, and that Pixel 3 and newer models comply.
Google also says Android Auto is integrated into phones, so you do not download it separately. Its setup page says the first wireless connection requires pairing the phone and car over Bluetooth. For best results, keep the phone’s Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Location Services on during setup.
What Google’s troubleshooting page says
Google’s troubleshooting page is written mostly around wired connections. Its steps that apply to wireless setups are:
- Check that Android Auto is turned on in the car’s infotainment system.
- Restart the car’s infotainment system.
- For an aftermarket receiver such as a Pioneer or Kenwood unit, check the manufacturer’s website for a firmware update.
- If you have trouble connecting to a second car, unplug the phone, then open Settings, Connected devices, Connection preferences, Android Auto, Previously connected cars. Tap the top right menu and choose Forget all cars. Then connect again.
Google’s page does not mention clearing the cache, permissions or battery settings.
Steps that guides recommend
These are not on Google’s help pages. They appear in troubleshooting guides, and how often each one works was not checked here.
Set Android Auto’s battery use to Unrestricted. XDA Developers describes the path as Settings, Apps, Android Auto, App battery usage, then Unrestricted. It notes that wireless Android Auto depends on Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth, so an interruption in either is more noticeable.
Clear the Android Auto cache. The Droid Guy lists clearing an app’s cache under Settings, Apps, then the app’s storage settings, and says to try Clear cache before Clear storage. Clear storage erases the app’s data, so use it last.
Reset network settings. The same guide lists Settings, System, Reset options, Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth. This clears every saved Wi-Fi network and Bluetooth pairing on the phone, so it is a late step.
Re-pair from scratch. Remove the car from the phone’s Bluetooth or connected devices list, delete the phone from the car’s Bluetooth list, then pair again. This is the same idea as Google’s Forget all cars step.
If you use a wireless adapter, follow the adapter maker’s instructions for restarting or resetting it. The sources checked do not give a general procedure.
The order to try
- Restart the car’s infotainment system, then the phone.
- Check that your phone, car and stereo meet the wireless requirements above, and update Android Auto if the phone asks.
- Use Forget all cars, then connect again.
- Set Android Auto’s battery use to Unrestricted.
- Clear the Android Auto cache.
- Remove old pairings on both the phone and the car, then re-pair.
- Reset network settings on the phone, or reset the head unit, only if nothing else worked. A head unit reset can erase saved devices and settings, so check the car manufacturer’s instructions first.
If you are still choosing an adapter, see our wireless Android Auto adapter comparison.
If everything above fails, Google says to contact your vehicle manufacturer, and its help page also points to the Android Auto community.
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