Android Auto doesn't work on Nissan: How to fix

Android Auto is a useful application that greatly extends the built-in navigation capabilities of your Nissan vehicle. In addition to map display and geolocation search functions, through the AA shell you can control navigation, listen to music, add mobile apps and manage them in the car.

At the same time, this navigation system does not work stably for all drivers. Often there are errors when connecting the AA to the Nissan head unit. In this article, we will review the most common errors and suggest ways to quickly fix them with your own hands.

This instruction will be useful to drivers of Nissan cars of the following models (made after 2018):

1. Nissan Kicks

2. Nissan Altima

3. Nissan Leaf

4. Nissan Rogue

5. Nissan Qashqai

6. Nissan Murano

7. Nissan Versa

8. Nissan Maxima

9. Nissan Sentra

10. Nissan Pathfinder

These cars have an entertainment multimedia system with Android Auto connectivity. If your Nissan brand isn't on the list, or if you drive a car later than the 2018 model year, our guide may still be helpful.

Lack of Internet Connection

The car may not have a reliable internet connection to make an Android Auto connection.

Check the NissanConnect settings carefully: is Wi-Fi available on the Nissan head unit? This is necessary to connect Android Auto wirelessly to your Nissan.

To do this:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Is Wi-Fi hotspot available for other devices?

Wi-Fi Hotspot allows you to connect apps, navigation, listen to music and get information from the Internet to your car and display it all on the head unit.

If you are unable to connect the navigation wirelessly, use a wired connection to your Android phone using a USB cable. Make sure you use a solid USB cable up to 1 meter long.

Limited Integration

Android Auto does not have an integrated interface for Nissan cars.

To find out if your vehicle is supported by this Android app, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the webpage.
2. Click on the Vehicles icon.
3. Select the specific make of your current Nissan vehicle from the list.

The screen will display available vehicles where Android Auto is fully functional (as you may note, these are Nissan makes made after 2018).

• Altima 2018
• Kicks 2018
• LEAF 2018
• Maxima 2018
• Murano 2018
• NV200 2020
• Rogue 2018
• Rogue Sport 2019
• Sentra 2019
• TITAN 2019
• TITAN XD 2019
• Versa Note 2019
• Versa Sedan 2019

Another way to check the compatibility of a Nissan vehicle with AA:

1. Go to https://www.nissanusa.com/connect.html.
2. Select the model and year of the vehicle.
3. Click the Search button.
4. Download the pdf brochure and research it.
5. (Or) on the System availability and compare page, check if Android Auto connectivity is available.

Check subscription requirements

Certain navigation features of Android Auto may require a subscription. Although Android Auto is free and does not require a subscription, there is a possibility that some Nissan Connect or Wi-Fi hotspot features are blocked in your NIssan vehicle. This may be a bug in the current head unit firmware version, so it also makes sense to do the following in parallel:

1. Update the head unit software,
2. Check the stability of other applications in the car,
3. Reboot Android Auto on the phone.

Use Wireless Android Auto

If you don't have a USB cable or are having trouble connecting your AA wired to your Nissan, use NissanConnect's built-in capabilities.

Wireless works just like a wired connection, so you can listen to music, use navigation, and make phone calls through Android Auto with no need for a USB cable.

1. Go to https://www.nissanusa.com/connect/features-apps/wireless-android-auto.html.
2. Click on System availability & compare.
3. Follow the instructions below.

Unsupported Hardware

Hardware components, such as the infotainment system, may not be compatible with Android Auto.

If your Nissan model was released before or in 2016, it is possible that Android Auto navigation is simply not supported at the software level. This means that there is no technical capability to run AA on the Head unit. At the same time, you should check the information specifically about your Nissan car make: it is possible that with the advent of more modern firmware, the incompatibility problem has been eliminated.

How to check:

1. Go to the Head Unit settings.
2. Check for the current firmware version.
3. Go to the vehicle supplier's website.
4. Enter your serial number and see if there are any software updates for this Nissan model.
5. If there is an update available, install it on the head unit yourself or contact your dealer.

Country or region not supported in Android Auto

Despite its popularity, Android Auto is not supported in all countries. You can check if your country is on the list at

https://www.android.com/auto/

What should you do if you are in a region without support for Android Auto? You can try the following method: change your IP address and make AA think that you are virtually in another country. You can do this with the help of VPN applications. One of them is ExpressVPN. By installing the application on your Android and changing the country, you can use Android Auto fully.

For example, ExpressVPN is reliable, very fast VPN service with flexible rates and many available IP addresses.

ExpressVPN changes your Internet address to an arbitrary IP address of the selected country, depending on the user's preferences. The free version of the VPN client contains ads and a limited number of servers.

Instructions on how to change your IP address to a location in another country:

1. Go to ExpressVPN website.
2. Click on the Get ExpressVPN button.

3. Choose a plan (you do not need to pay - the payment is not charged immediately, but after the free trial period)

4. After you register your account and subscribe, you will receive an email with your account login information.
5. Click the Set Up ExpressVPN button.

6. Select the platform to use ExpressVPN.
7. Download the ExpressVPN app (for example, ExpressVPN for Android).
8. After installing ExpressVPN, launch the app.

9. Enter the authorization key that came to your email.

10. Select a location: e.g. Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Germany, etc.

11. Click on the large switch that will be centered on the main application screen.
12. The Not connected status will change to Connected.

13. As a result, your IP address on Android Auto will change.

By the way, the author of this guide uses ExpressVPN to change the IP address. No failures or problems have occurred during the use of the service and app.

GPS module on the phone is not calibrated

A common problem with incorrect or unstable Android Auto in your Nissan vehicle is an incorrectly calibrated GPS module. Due to this error navigation displays incorrect driver's location on the map. We recommend using the GPSTest utility to fix this error on Android Auto.

GPSTest app provides real-time information for satellites on devices running under the Android platform. It allows you to figure out what causes problems with GPS / GNSS on Android Auto.

Its distinctive features:

• The app shows a detailed description of satellites, their country of affiliation and geolocation.
• A comprehensive list of coordinate grids is supported: OSGB, UTM, MGRS, USNG, CH1903, Maidenhead, WGS84, NAD83, NAD27, ED50, AGD66, AGD84, SAD69.

To fix the bug you need to use the above-mentioned application and calibrate your Android phone. You can download the GPSTest app on Google Play.