UK 2016 VW Composition Media with HTC One M8 Android Auto - success

[Matobo]

In case this is useful to anyone:

I bought my VW T6 with Composition Media and App Connect in December 2015. When I first connected the HTC One M8, I rushed through the initial setup.

For the past month, the experience with AA has been awful - the headunit kept handshaking into MirrorLink, despite the preference being set to connect to Android Auto. It would then drop the bluetooth link. Totally unpredictable - no pattern I could discern. Tried USB debugging, tried sacrificing a lamb at the altar of Android. No joy.

I went back and forth with VW - absolutely useless, but they have refunded the cost of my App Connect.

However, I think I've finally cracked it. I did a factory reset on my M8 - complete clean out - and installed AA again.

This time, when I first connected it to the headunit, I noticed a couple of options I hadn't seen before - maybe because I rushed originally, maybe because I deviated from the prescribed order of setup. Dunno.

Anyway, I noticed the nag prompt on the HTC that asks if you want to connect to a particular app "once" or always" - this time it was asking if I wanted to connect to MirrorLink or AA. I selected AA - always.

It now connects all the time. The only caveat is that you have to wake the phone before connecting - it can get it's knickers in a twist otherwise.

So, I now start the engine, wake the phone and then connect the USB - I don't even need to select the phone in the headunit UI anymore, the headunit just sees the M8 and connects automatically.

 

[STARGATE]

It's great that you finally got it. Enjoy and have fun.

 

[OliverK]

You may be onto something here.

On my Nexus 6P; it can be a bit unpredictable connecting to AA on my Pioneer head unit. It does work but sometimes it requires some messing about.

I installed the Pioneer Nav companion software on my Nexus and even though I uninstalled it I occasionally get an error message which is related to that app I removed. Something in the settings is causing wierdness. So it may be worth doing what you suggested if anyone has problems just in case it is something on the phone we forgot about.

 

[Jake Kohl]

I've got an aftermarket Kenwood unit and a Samsung S5 and getting AA to start is a very random experience (and frustrating). Waking the phone up sounds like a great thing to try and I'll start trying that! Thanks for sharing your solution.