If you plug your phone into your car and see a warning that it will soon stop being supported by Android Auto, you’re not imagining it. Users on Android 9 and Android 10 have reported the alert, and the likeliest reading is that Google is about to raise the minimum Android version the app requires.
Google hasn’t confirmed when that happens.
What the alert says
According to Android Police, the warning has been showing up on car dashboards, and the reports come from Reddit users. The message says the phone will no longer be supported. Pocket-lint describes the wording similarly: the phone will “soon” no longer support Android Auto and it will eventually stop working.
Neither article includes a statement from Google or a date for the change.
Where the cutoff lands
Pocket-lint says Google appears ready to raise the minimum for wired Android Auto from Android 9 to Android 11. Wireless Android Auto already requires Android 11 or newer, so the change would hit people who still use a cable.
Phones named as affected include the Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 9 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact.
When it happens
Nobody knows. Pocket-lint points out that the last time Google changed the requirements, it announced the move in July 2024 and it only reached phones in fall 2025, with app version 15.5. Android Police says Android 8 was cut about two years ago.
So the dashboard alert could come many months before the actual cutoff. There’s no guarantee it will play out that way this time.
What to do now
- Check your Android version under Settings, in the About phone section.
- See whether your phone’s maker offers an update to Android 11 or newer. If so, install it.
- If the phone no longer gets updates, consider replacing it. Pocket-lint suggests newer models such as the Galaxy S23 or Pixel 8, which also keep getting security updates.
- Until Google flips the switch, you don’t need to change anything: the app keeps working.
Android Police also mentions people using old phones as dedicated Android Auto screens, but that’s a workaround, not an official fix.
Why it matters
Android 9 and 10 phones are several years old, but both articles say plenty of people still rely on them, and many use Android Auto daily for maps and music.
Another Android story to watch is on laptops: Google admitted some apps run poorly on Intel Googlebooks. The Android Auto change echoes what WhatsApp did recently when it blocked logins on phones with outdated software. The message for anyone on an older phone is the same in both cases: compatibility with everyday apps has an expiration date.
