Should an Android Automotive car stereo have a separate Google account for security?

[gatorgrabber]

I'm installing a new car stereo with Android 6.0 pre-installed. Should I create a unique Google account for this unit? I heard somewhere that this would be a good idea for security but there was no elaboration on that statement. Any words of wisdom? The phone I'll be attaching to this unit is a Samsung S5 Active (6.0.1) if that has any bearing on this. Thanks!

 

[bjrosen]

What do you mean by car stereo? Is it just a radio plus streaming audio apps or does it have a screen? If it's just a streaming radio then using a separate account wouldn't impact you much. If it has a screen and runs AA without the aid of an external device then you have a tradeoff to consider. If you use your standard account then you will have access to your contact list and calendar which is incredibly useful however if someone steals your car then they might also have access to your account, but the same would be true for a stolen phone so you would have to take immediate action in either case. If it's just an AA head unit and AA is coming from your phone then using a separate account won't have any tradeoffs because AA on you phone has access to your calandar and contacts.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Thanks for getting back to me! The stereo that's going in is a Pumpkin 7" screen quad-core (27-AQTU73-US-A), so it's essentially a tablet on wheels. You make a great point about treating it like just another cell phone that might get stolen. I can just install an app that lets me erase/lock the data if the vehicle gets 'misplaced'. The chance of me losing my phone is far higher than me losing my Jeep!

I've been searching around for a tutorial on setting up AA and configuring/optimizing it for a permanent vehicle install; do you know of such an article? Most of what I'm finding really only cover the physical installation and simple basics of AA. Thanks again for the help!

 

[bjrosen]

I don't think you have to do anything in particular to set up AA. When AA displays on it's host (i.e. a phone or a tablet) it doesn't do anything different then when it's projecting onto a head unit.

BTW any tablet that runs Marshmallow or better can run AA. As long as your car has bluetooth that can handle phone calls and music you don't need a car specific tablet. I looked at the specs of that Pumpkin and they are awful, bad display, bad processor, 3G not 4G. You be much better off buying a quality tablet and a dash mount. Before I bought my Volt this year I used a AC vent clip to mount my phone on the dash. I think you would be better off just using your S5 with a vent clip then using that Pumpkin tablet.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Another double post???

 

[gatorgrabber]

Thanks for the further input! This head unit is not being used for a passenger vehicle but in a field research truck, so spending $$$ on it is a waste of resources. Tablets don't work for us in these circumstances since we need something that's fixed permanently to the truck. It's only there to help us with a secondary GPS and gives us a backup camera for the trailer. I made the original post because I was concerned about having my personal phone hooked to it on occasion. You clarified that for me earlier.

I would appreciate advice on what a nice Android head unit would be (with built-in GPS) for my daily driver. I'm looking at the latest Pioneers but need to spend some more time in the forums. Thanks and Happy Holidays!