How to remove unwanted applications

Android Auto is a convenient way to make your car’s navigation screen smarter thanks to an intuitive and familiar interface and innovative applications. It works with virtually any phone, including our best budget Android devices, ensuring you don’t have to break the bank to take advantage of Android Auto’s intuitive interface.

Like other operating systems, Android can have apps you don’t necessarily need or use, cluttering your home screen uselessly. However, there are some easy ways to remove them from the Android Auto launcher and customize its appearance. Read on to find out how it’s done.

Remove Android Auto apps from your phone

Although this method sounds counterintuitive, it works without the need for an active connection with the car. When you think about it, it makes sense, as it’s probably more convenient and safer to achieve this from the comfort of your couch than in your car. This method allows you to remove apps from the launcher and customize the order in which they appear. More importantly, you can add a shortcut to call someone from your contact list or trigger an assistant action so you can activate it with the touch of a finger while driving.

1. Use your phone to navigate to yours Android Auto settings. The path may vary depending on the device type and manufacturer.
   • For Samsung devices, navigate here Settings > connected tools > Android Auto.
   • For Pixel devices, visit: Settings > Connected devices > Connection settings > Android Auto.
   • If you’re not sure, open your phone’s settings, tap search iconand look for Android Auto.
2. Tap the Customize your launcher under a general.
3. To remove an app, uncheck the box next to its name or tap the red cross.
4. To change the order in which apps appear, press and hold the button handle to the left of the application icon and drag it to the desired location. This will automatically change the launcher sort setting from AZ to Custom.

   

   

5. Tap to add shortcuts Add a shortcut to the launcher at the top of the screen.
6. To add a shortcut to a contact, tap Call a contact and select the person you want to call from the list. Tap the shortcut in the main launcher to call the person while driving.
7. To add an assistant shortcut, tap An assistant operation. Then type the command to execute in a Auxiliary command area. You usually ask Google Assistant to do this verbally, so write the command as you would normally say it out loud. Tap the Save to add the shortcut.

   

Uninstalling an app from the Android Auto launcher does not remove it from your phone. Instead, it hides the shortcut from the Android Auto launcher. If you want to permanently remove an app that you don’t use on both your phone and your car, uninstall it from your phone as you normally would any other app.

Remove Android Auto apps from your phone

If you prefer to do the operation from your car, the process is similar to the above. However, the Android Auto interface does not fully allow customization of the launcher on the car’s infotainment screen. Nevertheless, it can be easily started directly in your car:

1. In the car, connect your phone to your vehicle’s infotainment system with a USB cable or wirelessly.

   

2. On the Android Auto splash screen, do one of the following:
   • Press and hold any icon to open the launcher customization page on your phone.
   • Touch the Customize icon on the home screen. This will also open the launcher customization page on your phone.
3. Complete the process on your handset as per the above mentioned instructions.

The process makes more sense if you do it on your handset, as Android Auto’s interface is too limited to do it from the car’s screen. But the main difference is that you can immediately see the changes on your car’s display and check if the order meets your needs. Other than that, the steps are the same as both methods are done from your phone.

Customize the launcher the way you want

With these simple steps, you can make your Android Auto launcher look just the way you want it. This is especially important since safety is essential while driving, and customizing the icons on your car screen will help you remember where each app is located for easy access.

If you’re in the market for a new car, you should know the difference between Android Auto and Android Automotive before you buy.