No car mode in Nexus - tell Android developer team if you want it....

**MikaelPe** · 11-22-2012, 12:32 PM

All, unfortunately it looks like the Nexus Jellybean 4.2 update does NOT include the excellent feature "car-mode". This means that users can not take advantage of the features associated with having a "car-dock" app (type CarHome Ultra) that launches automatically when handset is inserted in a car-dock with a mount. Even though the app could be set via an NFC tag to launch automatically key features like turning on Bluetooth automatically (o pair with your car-stereo) and having the ability to toggle between apps like Spotify, Pandora, GPS Navigation, quick dial etc., without the phone going back to the Nexus home screen is remove. We at iBOLT (and other manufacturers) would love to invest in making sleek car-docks for Android phones with the car-mode triggering and aux-out built-it but if this feature is not built-in to the Android operating system there's not much we can do.

If you want the car-dock feature in Nexus phones, please tell the Android development Team by making a comment on this official Google owned thread, By having 100's or more of comments we should be able to tell Android that Nexus users want the car-dock feature!

**Fleury14** · 11-23-2012, 09:37 PM

Maybe you can start an online petition

**pedxing** · 11-29-2012, 10:55 PM

It's not that it isn't supported. It's clearly still there in the SDK docs. It's just partially broken in 4.2. Car mode works to launch a car home app of your choice... Easily tied to an NFC or tasker event. However pressing the home button returns you to the default launcher instead of the car home.

I've worked around this by using a launcher like nova and adding home action to start up the car home app again. Sort of a double tap action but it works OK.

The original car home from Google isn't included any more, but that sucked any way. There are a number of better apps in the play store.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

**amdinside** · 11-30-2012, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by MikaelPe

If you want the car-dock feature in Nexus phones, please tell the Android development Team by making a comment on this official Google owned thread, By having 100's or more of comments we should be able to tell Android that Nexus users want the car-dock feature!

looks like that link is broken.

**HAAS599** · 11-30-2012, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by pedxing

It's not that it isn't supported. It's clearly still there in the SDK docs. It's just partially broken in 4.2. Car mode works to launch a car home app of your choice... Easily tied to an NFC or tasker event. However pressing the home button returns you to the default launcher instead of the car home.

I've worked around this by using a launcher like nova and adding home action to start up the car home app again. Sort of a double tap action but it works OK.

The original car home from Google isn't included any more, but that sucked any way. There are a number of better apps in the play store.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I have an NFC tag set to enable Car Mode.

It brings up the steering wheel icon and automatically launches my car app but when I press home it goes to the normal homescreen and not the car app.

I'm already using Nova. What do you mean by "home action"? Do you have a gesture set up?

Also, I have daydream set up to start if the phone is docked but it doesn't work when the car dock is enabled. Any tricks to get this to work? I need daydream because when my phone locks and I unlock it, it triggers the NFC tag again taking me back to car home.

**pedxing** · 11-30-2012, 10:46 PM

Yes, in nova settings you set the home button to launch an app if the default home screen is already displayed.

Another way to fix the relaunching of an nfc tag is with nfc tag launcher which allows you to set a timer... if the trash has been launched within a certain time, don't do it again.

Car dock 3 has a setting to disable the screen timeout. That's what I use.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

**thirdworld1** · 02-06-2013, 04:16 PM

Actually I really hate the way car-mode is implemented and really wish it was not forced on me as it is not easy to disable, is highly intrusive, triggers repeatedly no matter how often you disable it, and mostly I only see it when I'm in the passenger seat or when I hook up my phone to a portable charger. In other words it forces itself on me when I don't need it and the settings on my phone have no way I can find to disable it, despite finding many suggestions online for how to change settings... only I don't have them. I never asked for this software, the intrusive behavior snuck in on an update and it has become an inappropriately overbearing annoyance that is so awfully inept in how it handles user experience that it makes me consider swapping to a rival's phone. This pretty much makes Car Home the most irritating piece of software I've come across in the last 30 years.

**thawkth** · 02-07-2013, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by thirdworld1

Actually I really hate the way car-mode is implemented and really wish it was not forced on me as it is not easy to disable, is highly intrusive, triggers repeatedly no matter how often you disable it, and mostly I only see it when I'm in the passenger seat or when I hook up my phone to a portable charger. In other words it forces itself on me when I don't need it and the settings on my phone have no way I can find to disable it, despite finding many suggestions online for how to change settings... only I don't have them. I never asked for this software, the intrusive behavior snuck in on an update and it has become an inappropriately overbearing annoyance that is so awfully inept in how it handles user experience that it makes me consider swapping to a rival's phone. This pretty much makes Car Home the most irritating piece of software I've come across in the last 30 years.

Well that escalated quickly...

What triggers car home for you? Normally, being put into a dock triggers it. Are you using a Nexus 4?

**ninjustin** · 02-25-2013, 08:45 AM

In what phone is car mode forced upon you? If you are using a hardware car dock it can be disabled in the settings and if not you are doing something to trigger it that you had to set up. Most phones don't even come with a car mode installed anymore. What phone are you using?

**ChromeJob** · 05-15-2013, 02:28 PM

Car mode works fine for me. Now ... I'm using Llama, have a profile that detects connection (or disconnection) from the vehicle's built-in handsfree system. Starts Car Mode. It's in 4.2.2.

At present I don't use it beyond playing a sound to confirm connection. I might install the old Google Car app just for giggles.