Car manufacturers are ditching Android Auto in 2026: Here's why

In exchange for the extra convenience, Google helps itself to a lot of the data you generate while driving. On top of the usual info collected, it also grabs GPS and mapping data it can use to help advertisers target you. Since we use our cars to go places and buy stuff, this info is obviously valuable. 

None of this data goes to car manufacturers, though. Most aren't looking to sell that data to advertisers — in fact, GM is actually forbidden for doing so after breaking California's privacy laws and paying a $12.75 million fine. Rather, some like Rivian and GM say it deprives them of valuable data they could use to improve their vehicles and retain customers. 

For instance, GM has claimed that it needs sat nav data to improve the EV charging experience. "With Android Auto or Apple CarPlay environments, the vehicle energy model or road segment data is sending energy usage and everything else associated with it to the phone, and it's pretty difficult to off-board it from the phone," GM's infotainment manager told GM Authority in 2023. The company said its own system will allow for intelligent EV routing that takes into account charge state, range and charging station availability, plus integration with its Super Cruise driver assistant.

Since it will still use Google's AAOS, GM claims that it will work like your phone for things like calls and streaming from contacts and apps. You'll also be able to use built-in assistants like Siri and Google assistant using Bluetooth pass-through. All that will happen more smoothly as well, the company says, thanks to the responsive built-in hardware. 

GM adds that its own infotainment system will deliver features "that go beyond what's possible with just phone projection," it told MotorTrend. It cited Dolby Atmos on Amazon Music as an example of that, calling that experience "impossible" with simple phone projection. 

Rivian and Tesla are two companies that never adopted Android Auto in the first place, with both saying they want more control over the driver experience. Rivian, whose operating system is built on top of AAOS, also believes that phone mirroring systems aren't necessary, given what's possible with AI these days. "The possibilities now for such deep AI integration in the car make the entire CarPlay debate completely obsolete," the company told The Verge last month.