What is this area on my screen...

[smartcooky]

... and can it be disabled or removed.


I have a Kenwood DMX6523S connecting with a Samung A54.
What is the grey area on the left (two pages). Is it possible to not have this showing up?
I also have another problem but I'd like to deal with this one first as it may resolve the other problem.

 

[VidJunky]

Welcome to Android Central forums. Just a few questions to be sure we are on the same page.

What would want in this spot if not one of these pages?

If we're unable to remove that page, have you tried expanding maps or whatever you run on that side to full screen?

Do you have the "For You" page enabled on your Samsung? I turned mine off so long ago I don't really remember what it looks like but it is displayed on your quick switch/multitasking page that shows all of your apps running in the background. On your Samsung to enable or disable this feature follow these steps.

To disable the "For You" recommended apps section in the Samsung multitasking/recents screen, open your Recents view (swipe up and hold, or tap the three-line icon), tap the three dots in the top right corner, select Settings, and toggle off Show recommended apps.

As much as I hate to send people to other sites for help, you are asking a very specific thing about a radio in a forum for phones, I imagine you will be hard pressed to find someone with this head unit, and who has also been unhappy with the screen layout and tried to change it in a pond as small as ours. I would suggest finding a Kenwood forum and ask there. When I searched for an official Kenwood forum Google recommended these.

Top of the list and cited as the top forum for Kenwood. Yes, I know what it says but Google says it's right.

RadioReference | Home

The world's largest radio communications data management and media provider.

www.radioreference.com

At least this one has Kenwood as soon as you open the page.

https://www.avforums.com/tags/kenwood/

Not sure there's any other advice I can offer. Try disabling For You on your phone and see if it affects it being displayed on your head unit. I don't see it taking away the second page but it may shift what is displayed there. You could also try making whatever you display on the other side full screen, so that it doesn't display the second screen. I only see a setting in the head unit affecting the display and I imagine you've already looked through them all for any such setting? Yes/No? Anyway, check out those forums and see if you're able to find other users that might have advice for you. If you want more or other forums, my search was just "Kenwood forums"

I really wish I could help you more. I just believe your question is too specific and our pond too small. Good luck and best wishes. Let us know what you find and answer the questions and you never know, we might have more advice.

 

[spARTacus]

What shows off to the left for the OP shows on the right for me, when maps aren't full screen (presumably because of a difference in left or right selected setting for driver position). For me, the area provides the ability to quickly reply to recent messages and to also select to play (or pick back up from where recently left off) recent music. Maybe there aren't any Android Auto compatible apps (for music and messaging) on the paired phone for use of that area for the OP scenario? For me, the area isn't critically useful but stuff does show up there, whenever not in full screen mode for some/any app. I do often find myself defaulting to full screen maps view.

 

[spARTacus]

...Do you have the "For You" page enabled on your Samsung? I turned mine off so long ago I don't really remember what it looks like ...Try disabling For You on your phone and see if it affects it being displayed on your head unit...

I'm pretty sure (although not 100% certain) the "for you" on the head unit screen for Android Auto is not related to any sort of "Samsung For You" from the phone. I also don't remember what the Samsung For You looks like on the phone because I similarly have it always off or never on.

 

[smartcooky]

Welcome to Android Central forums. Just a few questions to be sure we are on the same page.

What would want in this spot if not one of these pages?

If we're unable to remove that page, have you tried expanding maps or whatever you run on that side to full screen?

Do you have the "For You" page enabled on your Samsung? I turned mine off so long ago I don't really remember what it looks like but it is displayed on your quick switch/multitasking page that shows all of your apps running in the background. On your Samsung to enable or disable this feature follow these steps.

To disable the "For You" recommended apps section in the Samsung multitasking/recents screen, open your Recents view (swipe up and hold, or tap the three-line icon), tap the three dots in the top right corner, select Settings, and toggle off Show recommended apps.

As much as I hate to send people to other sites for help, you are asking a very specific thing about a radio in a forum for phones, I imagine you will be hard pressed to find someone with this head unit, and who has also been unhappy with the screen layout and tried to change it in a pond as small as ours. I would suggest finding a Kenwood forum and ask there. When I searched for an official Kenwood forum Google recommended these.

Top of the list and cited as the top forum for Kenwood. Yes, I know what it says but Google says it's right.
(URLs snipped)
Not sure there's any other advice I can offer. Try disabling For You on your phone and see if it affects it being displayed on your head unit. I don't see it taking away the second page but it may shift what is displayed there. You could also try making whatever you display on the other side full screen, so that it doesn't display the second screen. I only see a setting in the head unit affecting the display and I imagine you've already looked through them all for any such setting? Yes/No? Anyway, check out those forums and see if you're able to find other users that might have advice for you. If you want more or other forums, my search was just "Kenwood forums"

I really wish I could help you more. I just believe your question is too specific and our pond too small. Good luck and best wishes. Let us know what you find and answer the questions and you never know, we might have more advice.

Thank you for the reply
It only comes up when the Android Auto icon is tapped on the home screen and Tom Tom is tapped on the launcher. It doesnt come up when Google Maps is tapped. This is why I thought it might be related to my phone.
In the first page, it says "Media Unavailable" but I don't understand what media that could be referring to, since all my in-car music comes from a USB stick plugged into the dashboard and plays fine from the Home screen.

 

[smartcooky]

Update:
I did some expermenting this morning.
On the phone I went into Settings>Connected Devices>Android Auto>CustomizeLauncher. I added VLC media player to the taskbar and restarted the phone. Now the screen looks like this...

... so its clear that this media page looks for stuff on the phone. I can live with that. I will consider loading the music on my USB stick onto the phone and playing it from there.
That brings me to the second part of my problem for which I will start another thread. Thank you for the assist.

Note to those wondering... @spARTacus - I am in New Zealand, we drive on the left and the car is right-hand drive so the major part of the split screen is on the right.

 

[spARTacus]

... so its clear that this media page looks for stuff on the phone.

Yup. For me, that area is about shortcuting into media or messaging from on the connected phone.

 

[spARTacus]

...Note to those wondering... @spARTacus - I am in New Zealand, we drive on the left and the car is right-hand drive so the major part of the split screen is on the right.

That makes sense to me, for why ours are reversed.