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To unlock Android Auto’s developer menu, open Android Auto’s settings, tap Version and permission info 10 times, approve Allow development settings?, then open the three-dot menu and choose Developer settings. On Android 10 and later, reach those settings through Settings > Apps (or Apps & notifications) > Android Auto > Advanced > Additional settings in the app. On Android 9 and earlier, open the Android Auto app and its menu. You only need to unlock developer mode once; the same overflow menu includes Quit developer mode.
What Android Auto developer settings are for
Android Auto’s developer settings are a separate diagnostic menu for the projection system that runs on your phone and appears on a compatible car display. They expose controls for wireless projection, video resolution, audio transport, diagnostic logging, screenshots, recordings, GPS data and testing policies. Most are intended for reproducing a fault and collecting information for a developer or support team, not for improving everyday driving.
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The menu is independent of Android’s system-wide Developer options. Phone Developer options are unlocked by tapping the phone’s Build number seven times and include features such as USB debugging, bug-report shortcuts and logger-buffer controls. Android Auto’s menu is unlocked by tapping Version and permission info 10 times inside Android Auto settings. Enabling one does not enable the other.
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Before you change anything
- Park before changing projection, audio or capture settings. Do not operate the phone while driving.
- Reproduce the problem once with the normal configuration and note whether the connection is wired or wireless.
- Keep the phone connected to the head unit while collecting diagnostics. A USB cable or wireless link can carry the information needed for a complete report.
- Capture only the stream relevant to the fault. Video, audio, microphone and GPS files can contain destinations, contacts, conversations, notifications or other sensitive trip data.
- Most controls are version-sensitive. The phone’s Android version, Android Auto release, car head unit, display and connection type can change the labels or hide an option.
How to unlock the Developer settings menu
Android 10 and newer
- Open the phone’s Settings.
- Tap Apps. On some releases this is named Apps & notifications.
- Select Android Auto. If it is not visible, use the Apps search field or show system apps; Android Auto may be integrated rather than displayed as a normal launcher icon.
- Tap Advanced, then Additional settings in the app. This opens Android Auto’s own settings screen.
- Scroll to the About section and tap Version so the full Version and permission info row is shown.
- Tap Version and permission info 10 times in succession.
- When Android Auto asks Allow development settings?, tap OK or the confirmation button shown on your release.
- Open the three-dot overflow menu and select Developer settings.
Android 9 and earlier
- Open the Android Auto app on the phone.
- Open its menu and go to Settings.
- Scroll to About, tap Version to expand Version and permission info, then tap that row 10 times.
- Accept Allow development settings?, open the three-dot menu and choose Developer settings.
If the menu does not appear
- Make sure you tapped the expanded Version and permission info row, not a different About entry. Count all 10 taps without pausing for a long interval.
- Return through the Android Auto settings path rather than the phone’s system Developer options; they are different menus.
- Check that Android Auto is updated and that you are opening the Android Auto settings page associated with the current user profile.
- After the confirmation prompt, close and reopen the overflow menu. Developer settings is listed there, not necessarily on the main settings page.
- If the option was previously enabled, use the overflow menu’s Quit developer mode command, then repeat the 10-tap procedure if you need to re-enable it.
Android Auto developer options explained
The exact list is not identical on every release. A control may be absent, renamed or available only in a diagnostic build. The descriptions below explain the options commonly exposed by Android Auto and the limits that matter when testing.
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| Option | What it does | When to use it | Important limits and risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wireless Android Auto | Enables or disables attempts to project Android Auto wirelessly. | Turn it off to force a wired-only test when wireless pairing is unreliable. Leave it on when both the phone and car support wireless projection. | It cannot add wireless hardware support to an incompatible phone or head unit. |
| Application Mode | Selects release-, developer- or retail-style behavior in implementations that expose a selector. | Keep the default for normal driving. Developer or X-Ray modes are for development and protocol diagnostics. | Names and available modes vary by Android Auto release; changing them can alter behavior without fixing the underlying compatibility issue. |
| Share screenshot now | Captures the Android Auto screen currently being projected. | Use it to document a layout, rendering or missing-control defect for support. | The image can show destinations, contacts, notifications or other private information. Review it before sharing. |
| Save Video | Saves the projected H.264 video stream while enabled. | Enable it only while reproducing a display or rendering problem. | Video can consume substantial storage and reveal routes, messages or other trip information. |
| Dump screenshot | Captures screenshots on a diagnostic schedule or trigger. | Useful for repeatable rendering tests where one manual screenshot is not enough. | Disable it after the test and remove files you no longer need. |
| Save Audio | Saves Android Auto audio streams for analysis. | Use when music, prompts, navigation voice or call audio is distorted, missing or delayed. | Recordings may contain private conversations or media. Capture only the shortest reproduction needed. |
| Save Microphone Input | Saves microphone input received during Android Auto operation. | Use for voice-command, call-quality or microphone-routing troubleshooting. | Obtain consent from people whose speech may be recorded and secure or delete the resulting files. |
| Audio Codec | Chooses the preferred audio transport: standard negotiation, PCM, AAC-LC or AAC-LC with ADTS headers are among the references exposed by some releases. | Leave negotiation at its default. Test a specific codec only when a compatibility investigation calls for it. | The head unit must support the selected codec; forcing one can make audio fail rather than improve it. |
| Force debug logging | Enables verbose Android Auto diagnostic and protocol logging. | Turn it on immediately before reproducing a fault and capturing a bug report. | Logs can grow quickly and may contain device, connection, route or app details. Turn it off after capture. |
| Collect GPS Data | Adds GPS-related information to diagnostic output. | Enable it only for a location, routing, positioning or sensor problem. | Location history is sensitive. Do not enable it for an unrelated audio or display issue. |
| Video Resolution | Sets the maximum video size Android Auto negotiates with the head unit. | Start with negotiated mode. For a visual fault, test a lower mode such as 1280×720 to reduce bandwidth, then investigate higher modes if the equipment supports them. | Common choices include negotiated, up to 800×480, up to 1280×720 and up to 1920×1080. The phone encoder, connection and car display must all support the selected size; forcing a value cannot create capability. |
| Disable ANR Monitoring | Turns off monitoring for application-not-responding events in diagnostic builds or tests. | Leave it enabled for normal use. Disable it only when a developer specifically needs to isolate ANR behavior. | With monitoring disabled, useful evidence about hangs may be lost. |
| Enable audio latency dump | Records timing data used to investigate audio delay. | Use when navigation prompts, calls or media are audibly out of sync. | It is diagnostic-only and can consume storage; disable it after the reproduction. |
| Unknown sources | Allows eligible apps that were not installed from a trusted source to run in Android Auto. | Use for testing an eligible sideloaded media, messaging-notification or parked app. | Google limits this policy to those categories. It does not apply to Android for Cars App Library apps, does not make arbitrary apps compatible and does not make an untrusted app safe. |
| Enable debug overlay / X-Ray | Displays diagnostic information over the projection or switches the application view to a diagnostic mode. | Use during development or when documenting a rendering or protocol problem. | Overlays can obscure normal controls and are unsuitable for everyday driving. |
| Clear all data | Resets Android Auto’s stored application data where the command is exposed. | Reserve it for a last-resort troubleshooting reset after less destructive steps fail. | It can remove pairings, preferences and cached state. Make sure you can reconnect the phone and car before using it. |
How to choose settings for a specific problem
Wireless pairing repeatedly fails
- Reproduce the failure once with Wireless Android Auto enabled and note whether the phone sees the car, completes pairing and then drops the projection.
- Switch Wireless Android Auto off and test a wired connection. This separates wireless negotiation from Android Auto itself.
- If wired projection works, the developer setting has helped isolate the transport; it has not repaired wireless hardware or certification. Continue with the car manufacturer’s pairing and firmware guidance.
- For a support report, enable Force debug logging immediately before reproducing the wireless failure. Do not enable video, audio or GPS capture unless those streams are part of the fault.
Screen is blank, distorted or unstable
- Leave Video Resolution at negotiated mode and reproduce the problem once.
- Try up to 1280×720 as a lower-bandwidth test. A lower mode can reveal whether the connection or encoder is struggling, but it may look softer on a high-resolution display.
- If the head unit, connection and phone are documented as capable of it, test up to 1920×1080. A forced high value can produce a blank or unstable projection when any component cannot sustain it.
- Use Share screenshot now for a single visual defect. Use Save Video or Dump screenshot only when a moving or repeatable rendering failure must be documented.
- Turn off capture controls after the reproduction and inspect files for personal information before sending them.
Music, prompts or calls have no sound or the wrong delay
- Keep Audio Codec on negotiated/default mode and reproduce the issue.
- Enable Force debug logging if the problem needs a software report.
- For measurable delay, enable Enable audio latency dump. For a stream-specific fault, use Save Audio; for microphone or call input, use Save Microphone Input.
- Test an alternate codec only when a support or development procedure identifies one. PCM, AAC-LC and AAC-LC with ADTS headers require matching head-unit support.
- Disable logging, latency dumps and recordings as soon as the test ends.
Navigation position or route is wrong
- Reproduce the location or routing error with normal settings and note whether the issue occurs while moving, stopped, wired or wireless.
- Enable Collect GPS Data immediately before reproducing it again.
- Capture a bug report while the phone remains connected. Treat the report as location-sensitive and share it only with the intended support recipient.
- Disable GPS collection afterward; it is unnecessary for unrelated display, audio or pairing problems.
An app does not appear in Android Auto
First determine whether the app is an eligible media, messaging-notification or parked app. Enabling Unknown sources can permit an eligible app installed outside a trusted source to run, but it does not turn an arbitrary phone app into an Android Auto app. Android for Cars App Library apps are not covered by this switch. Compatibility, category restrictions and the car’s supported features still apply.
Capturing a useful Android Auto bug report
- Reproduce the failure with ordinary settings and write down the time, connection type, symptom and any visible error.
- Open Android Auto’s Developer settings and enable Force debug logging. Add Collect GPS Data, video, audio or microphone capture only if the symptom requires that evidence.
- Repeat the failure once so the logs contain a short, identifiable reproduction rather than hours of unrelated activity.
- Start the phone’s bug-report capture process while Android Auto remains connected. Do not unplug the USB cable or disconnect the wireless link until capture finishes; disconnecting early can leave information out of the report.
- Save the report and any selected media files in a protected location. Review them for destinations, contacts, notifications, speech and other personal information before sharing.
- Return to Developer settings and disable Force debug logging and every capture option you enabled.
- When troubleshooting is complete, choose Quit developer mode from the three-dot menu if you do not need the diagnostic controls available.
Resolution, codec and logging trade-offs
| Decision | Lower-risk starting point | What a forced or captured mode costs |
|---|---|---|
| Wireless versus wired | Use negotiated wireless projection when both devices support it; switch wireless off for a wired isolation test. | Wireless can expose pairing and radio problems; wired testing requires a data-capable cable and does not prove wireless compatibility. |
| Video size | Negotiated resolution, then up to 1280×720 when investigating bandwidth or stability. | Higher resolutions need compatible encoding, transport bandwidth and display support. Forced values can destabilize projection. |
| Audio transport | Standard codec negotiation. | A selected codec can expose interoperability problems and may silence audio if the head unit cannot decode it. |
| Diagnostics | Enable only the logger or capture stream tied to the symptom. | Verbose logs and recordings consume storage and may expose route, contact, notification, voice or media data. |
| App policy | Keep trusted-source restrictions in normal use. | Unknown sources expands testing to eligible sideloaded apps but does not remove category, safety or compatibility requirements. |
Resetting or leaving developer mode
Quit developer mode
Open Android Auto settings, open the three-dot overflow menu and choose Quit developer mode. This is the clean way to stop using the diagnostic menu. You can unlock it again later with the same 10 taps on Version and permission info.
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Clear all data as a last resort
Clear all data is more disruptive than quitting developer mode. Use it only after recording the settings you need and confirming that you can pair the phone with the car again. The reset can remove saved pairings, preferences and cached state, so expect to repeat setup steps afterward.
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Common mistakes to avoid
- Do not confuse Android Auto’s 10-tap unlock with the phone’s seven-tap Build number procedure.
- Do not assume a 1080p selection upgrades a car display that is physically limited to a lower resolution.
- Do not leave Force debug logging, video capture, audio capture or microphone capture enabled during routine driving.
- Do not share screenshots, recordings or bug reports without checking for addresses, destinations, contacts, notifications and speech.
- Do not treat Unknown sources as a general sideloading permission. It covers only eligible Android Auto categories and does not certify an app.
- Do not use Application Mode, X-Ray or ANR-monitoring changes as performance tweaks; they are diagnostic controls and labels vary by release.
- Do not disconnect the phone before a bug report finishes, because the report may lose the event you are trying to document.
What to leave enabled for everyday driving
For normal use, leave Android Auto at its negotiated defaults: wireless projection enabled only when the phone and car support it, negotiated video resolution, standard audio negotiation, trusted-source app restrictions, ANR monitoring enabled and all logging or capture controls off. Developer mode is most valuable as a short, controlled experiment: change one relevant setting, reproduce the symptom, capture the minimum evidence, restore the defaults and quit developer mode when finished.
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