Android Auto / Apple Carplay tips and tricks

Colorado_2018

Member
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2018 CX5
Ok, so now that I've had it installed for a few days I thought it would be a good idea for us all to post tips as we muddle through it. Yes there are quick start guides and the 2019 owners manual has very brief instructions but let's go further as we figure things out.

If you're just starting out and you know nothing about AA/ACP here are Mazdas quick start guides (also, the next post down Studum has a lot of great info for beginners:

Quick Start Guides

Android Auto Quick Start Guide

https://mazda.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/89/0/filename/Android+Auto+Quick+Start+Guide.pdf

Android Auto Full User Guide

https://mazda.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/92/0/filename/Android+Auto+Full+User+Guide.pdf

Apple CarPlay Quick Start Guide

https://mazda.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/90/0/filename/Apple+CarPlay+Quick+Start+Guide.pdf

Apple CarPlay Full User Guide

https://mazda.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/91/0/filename/Apple+CarPlay+Full+User+Guide.pdf


TIP - How to listen to car radio and use AA navigation:

- Bring up AA maps (e.g., Waze)
- Long press the Home button to return to Mazda
- Bring up Radio
- Now simply long press Home button to switch between AA maps and car radio.

Note - this is especially helpful to adjust sound levels if you're listening to a music app in AA. While on your music app, long press Home button, go to settings, sound in the Mazda system. Adjust bass, etc... Long press Home again and your back to your music app. Now you can simply long press Home to switch between your music app and Sound settings.
(Just noticed Studum posted something similar to this description below so I'll make this a duel reference)

TIP - If an app is not working or functioning properly:

You may need to open the app first on your phone and getting to the right screen, then starting the car and connecting to AA. Example is Slacker Radio. If I connect to AA alone it doesn't work right. But, if I open the app on my phone first, go to a music station and hit play, then turn on the car and connect AA it works perfectly. Most apps do not require this but if your favorite app is acting strange in AA do this. Also I've heard this is the case for Waze with Apple Car Play.

TIP - I have yet to figure it out, in AA google map, how does one select the alternative route?!!:

1. When you select your destination but before you begin the route scroll to the two upward arrows next to the time duration that look like a fork in the road, then choose which alternate route you'd like.

2. If already navigating, click the single upward arrow next to the time/miles, then click the show routes (same two upward arrows from above).

3. "You can also pick alternate or dynamic routes while navigating by zooming out in the map, centering the target circle over the alternate route (or the "6 minutes faster" tag), and pressing down on the knob to select.

This is a function where I would be faster if using my phone with its multitouch screen but it's only a few more seconds extra with the current AA method." - dc16

PROBLEM - Phone won't connect or won't connect any longer when it did previously to the car.

Fixes:

1. "I then read a reddit post that recommended a restart of the Mazda system (back button, nav, volume pressed simultaneously) might help." - maxpower0

2. Go into the AA app on your phone (when not connected to your car) and go into settings (three bar menu button from the home screen, settings) and make sure your Mazda is on the connected car list - I also have auto launch set to the Mazda as well. You could also uninstall the AA app and reinstall, then connect to the car.

PROBLEM - Is there a way to adjust the brightness of Maps in Android Auto aside from just adjusting the screen brightness in Mazda Connect for all apps?

Is there a way to get Maps into night mode like you can do on the phone, so the background is dark?

Fixes:

1. Not that I know of in Google maps. If you use Waze (I do), you can set it up in the settings of Waze on your phone. Open Waze on your phone only through the app (do not connect to your car), click on settings, navigation, select Night Night (instead of Auto).

If this is a big deal to have night mode and you do not use Waze, I would suggest switching. Waze is far superior in my opinion for many reasons (being more customizable for one).

2. "I believe the dark mode in Maps when AA is connected is tied to car headlights. It goes dark when the lights turn on, on the dashboard. This is my experience, or at least the timing is very close. You can try turning headlights or parking lights on manually if you prefer as a workaround." - Studum

3. "You can change the display brightness in Android Auto Developer Mode Settings. Explained here...https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-auto-tweaks/. The options are to have it controlled by your car, your phone (which goes off of sunrise/sunset times), always day, or always night." - MountainCruzin
 
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I posted this in another thread, but good to keep in 1 spot.

What I've gathered from the HMI / AA interface as a seasoned Android auto user. And what I think Mazda did very well.
---the HMI shortcuts revert to Android Auto functions when they're in use.
---Using google maps for Nav? Hit the Nav button, you'll go to Maps and not the OEM Nav.
---Using Mazda radio while Maps for Nav with Maps displayed? Need to see the radio? Hit the audio shortcut and you go to the radio. Nav shortcut returns you to google maps.
---Using an android auto app for audio? The audio shortcut key takes you there from any other menu.
---Pushing the home key returns you to the home menu for the system you're in (either car or android auto, depending where you are when you push it). Holding the home key switches between Mazda infotainment and android auto. This is the next-best thing to having a dedicated android auto button on the console.
---When in an android auto app screen, the right direction on the knob is a shortcut to the google assistant. The left direction on the knob opens that apps menu (this took me a while to find). The down direction takes the selector to the android auto menu bar.
---When in an app its a simple turn and click of the knob to highlight the "button" you want and select it. Super simple once you learn how your apps work with the knob.
---Google assistant works quite well for me as voice input for android auto systems: "navigate to (say address)", "call (say person's name, home / mobile etc", "Play this podcast", "What's the weather tomorrow", "What was the score in the (insert favorite team's name here" game, etc, etc

I had previously read another user say, as well as myself, that you can't adjust audio settings while using an android auto audio source. YOU CAN. You just can't access the audio settings from the Mazda audio screen because you're using the AA interface. When in the android auto audio screen:
- hold home to get to the car's menu
- select settings and enter
- tab over to audio
- adjust as necessary while using AA as the source

I found the above workaround when I realized the audio settings are not build into Mazda's audio screen. The audio settings button in the Mazda audio screen is simply a shortcut to the tab in the settings app.

Hope this helps someone
 
Is there a way to adjust the brightness of Maps in Android Auto aside from just adjusting the screen brightness in Mazda Connect for all apps?

Is there a way to get Maps into night mode like you can do on the phone, so the background is dark?
 
Not that I know of in Google maps. If you use Waze (I do), you can set it up in the settings of Waze on your phone. Open Waze on your phone only through the app (do not connect to your car), click on settings, navigation, select Night Night (instead of Auto).

If this is a big deal to have night mode and you do not use Waze, I would suggest switching. Waze is far superior in my opinion for many reasons (being more customizable for one).
 
I believe the dark mode in Maps when AA is connected is tied to car headlights. It goes dark when the lights turn on, on the dashboard. This is my experience, or at least the timing is very close. You can try turning headlights or parking lights on manually if you prefer as a workaround.
 
I've consolidated quite a bit of info from knowledge I've gained and from others' posts into the original post of this thread. I'll continue to do so and let me know anything else you want to add by posting in this thread.
 
Might be a stupid question but I have yet to figure it out, in AA google map, how does one select the alternative route?!! Ive tried all buttons and no avail, please help!
 
Is there a way to adjust the brightness of Maps in Android Auto aside from just adjusting the screen brightness in Mazda Connect for all apps?

Is there a way to get Maps into night mode like you can do on the phone, so the background is dark?

You know that button you use to reset the trip in your car? Twist it like a dial, it will adjust the screen brightness.
 
You know that button you use to reset the trip in your car? Twist it like a dial, it will adjust the screen brightness.

There are two ways:

1. When you select your destination but before you begin the route scroll to the two upward arrows next to the time duration that look like a fork in the road, then choose which alternate route you'd like.

2. If already navigating, click the single upward arrow next to the time/miles, then click the show routes (same two upward arrows from above).
 
There are two ways:

1. When you select your destination but before you begin the route scroll to the two upward arrows next to the time duration that look like a fork in the road, then choose which alternate route you'd like.

2. If already navigating, click the single upward arrow next to the time/miles, then click the show routes (same two upward arrows from above).

I assume this is to check alternate routes and not adjust brightness as quoted? This is great and I will check it out, thanks!
 
Ha - yeah that's right. Looks like I quoted the wrong quote. Who knows what I was doing. But yes, in reference to the alternate routes in Google Maps.
 
Might be a stupid question but I have yet to figure it out, in AA google map, how does one select the alternative route?!! Ive tried all buttons and no avail, please help!

You can also pick alternate or dynamic routes while navigating by zooming out in the map, centering the target circle over the alternate route (or the "6 minutes faster" tag), and pressing down on the knob to select.

This is a function where I would be faster if using my phone with its multitouch screen but it's only a few more seconds extra with the current AA method.
 
On Apple Carplay, if you have trouble with Spotify not wanting to launch, unlock your phone and try again. For some reason the Spotify app never seems to launch on my phone/car unless the screen is unlocked. Once it is launched, I can lock the phone again.
 
Selecting alternate routes via the arrow menu on the left is super simple. It even zooms out to a route overview with traffic patterns and as you hover over the alternates will identify them on the screen. When backing out of the menu it automatically "recenters" too.

I'm finding this way easier than the panning / zooming I was doing to check traffic before.

I can't believe I didn't find this sooner. I was so used to pinching and zooming on my cell in MAPS that I had never gone into that menu before. Thanks for the tips ya'll
 
Perhaps someone can help me with this query as its driving me MAD!

I'm enjoying CarPlay but from within the Music app how does one use the rotary controller to quickly scroll to the first letter of an album or artist rather than scroll through the whole lot?

This is easily done in the main MZD system but the procedure seems elusive in CarPlay.

To the side of the main list are icons for up/down and A to Z but I cannot access them - though inadvertently I've managed to find this function twice - a large capital letter appears on the screen and one changes/selects it with the rotary controller - but I have been unable to replicate the procedure since.

Any help greatly appreciated.

BTW, pushing the controller forward or backwards and holding it takes you to the top and bottom of the list.

Best,

Johnners
 
Re: Quick selection from lists - SOLVED

I have solved the query in my previous post.

In Music, to quickly jump to the first letter of an Artist or Album (in a list), spin the controller knob quickly twice in succession - this will bring up a capital letter which can then be further amended to the one you want by further rotating the knob. Press down on the knob to select it and you're there.

Hope someone finds this helpful - I couldn't find reference anywhere in the documentation or on the web.

Best,

Johnners
 
Colorado_2018 THANK YOU for this - especially the Apple Car Play full user guide. The instruction book the dealer provided is basically useless.
 
Does anyone know a way to pause music while playing a playlist other than rotating the Commander knob to the pause button on the screen? Theres buttons for forward and back on the steering wheel, but no pause.

Also is there an easy way to zoom in and out on the Apple Map using a knob, or do you have to move the cursor over to the +- buttons?
 
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