Bid Goodbye to Android Auto If You Haven’t Upgraded Your Phone In Years

Android Auto is cutting off support for some older Android phones. Most people won’t notice the change unless you’ve been hanging on to an old device for way too long. With the rollout of Android Auto v15.5, Google is finally following through on a change it first announced over a year ago.

Android Auto drops support for phones running Android 8

Android Auto now requires Android 9 (Pie) or newer to install and get updates. So if your phone is still running Android 8.0 or 8.1, version 15.4 will be the last one you can download (via 9to5Google).

The updated system requirements are already showing up for beta testers on the Play Store and should roll out to everyone else in the next few weeks. Android Auto will still work on Android 8 devices for now, but it won’t get any more bug fixes, new features, or security updates. And judging by how Google has handled older versions before, full support could disappear pretty soon.

Honestly, this change was just a matter of time. Android 8 came out way back in 2017. So most major apps have already dropped support for Oreo, and keeping compatibility for such a small group of users makes it harder for developers.

If you’re still on Android 8, your options are pretty limited. First, check if your phone can be updated to Android 9. If there’s an update waiting, you’re in luck. If not, it might be time to upgrade to a newer device. Even budget phones from the past few years will keep you compatible with future Android Auto updates.