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I recently had a similarly unfriendly experience in my inlaws' new Lexus, which has an accompanying mobile app for vehicle management and some advanced setup fe

I recently had a similarly unfriendly experience in my inlaws' new Lexus, which has an accompanying mobile app for vehicle management and some advanced setup features. How did we learn about this almost completely required app & mobile setup process? If you start driving with Google Maps via Android Auto it will terminate the AA interface after a few minute and replace it with a nag screen about setting up the Lexus mobile software. There is no alternative but to comply.

MichaelZuo 1y ago
Is there truly no way to disable the nag screen for those that don’t care about the advanced features?
ethagnawl 1y ago
> There is no alternative but to comply. Maybe not within the confines of the head unit but you can still stick your phone onto the dash like I do in my (dumb) cars.
- netsharc 1y ago
  I bought a 2020 car recently. It comes with Android Auto, whereas previously I'd just mount my phone to the dashboard. But with Android Auto, every time the voice gives out a navigation instruction, music playing from the infotainment is paused; in my previous car the voice would play from my phone, on top of the music coming out of the car's sound system. So I've ordered a mount so I can mount my phone to the car again...
  - account42 1y ago
    Android auto also prevents you from typing in a new destination while driving. Because no one ever has a passenger that can do that for you, right?
- integralid 1y ago
  The story is still infuriating. You can't use what you paid for, unless you comply with what the manufacturer wants.
  - ethagnawl 1y ago
    Oh, I agree that it's infuriating, frustrating and disappointing. My US-based stance is that, while there have been some encouraging developments on the right-to-repair front, more generally the rollback/demonization of regulations, de-fanging of CFPB et al all project a future where this sort of behavior is the norm for an ever increasing number of "critical" devices and we have no recourse. So, I think we have to be ready to vote with our dollars and reject these options, bend these devices to our will when it's possible and work around them when it's not.

MichaelZuo 1y ago

Is there truly no way to disable the nag screen for those that don’t care about the advanced features?

ethagnawl 1y ago

> There is no alternative but to comply. Maybe not within the confines of the head unit but you can still stick your phone onto the dash like I do in my (dumb) cars.

netsharc 1y ago
I bought a 2020 car recently. It comes with Android Auto, whereas previously I'd just mount my phone to the dashboard. But with Android Auto, every time the voice gives out a navigation instruction, music playing from the infotainment is paused; in my previous car the voice would play from my phone, on top of the music coming out of the car's sound system. So I've ordered a mount so I can mount my phone to the car again...
- account42 1y ago
  Android auto also prevents you from typing in a new destination while driving. Because no one ever has a passenger that can do that for you, right?
integralid 1y ago
The story is still infuriating. You can't use what you paid for, unless you comply with what the manufacturer wants.
- ethagnawl 1y ago
  Oh, I agree that it's infuriating, frustrating and disappointing. My US-based stance is that, while there have been some encouraging developments on the right-to-repair front, more generally the rollback/demonization of regulations, de-fanging of CFPB et al all project a future where this sort of behavior is the norm for an ever increasing number of "critical" devices and we have no recourse. So, I think we have to be ready to vote with our dollars and reject these options, bend these devices to our will when it's possible and work around them when it's not.