Android Auto drops support for two Android versions, leaving older phones behind

Published Nov 9, 2026, 5:55 AM EST Sanuj is a freelance tech journalist with over six years of experience covering smartphones, wearables, and consumer technology. He currently writes for Android Police, Tom's Guide, Android Central, Android Authority, and Pocket-lint. He has previously contributed to publications like Pocketnow and MakeUseOf. Since the start of 2025 alone, he has tested over 30 smartphones. He has also attended major global trade shows including MWC (2024, 2025, 2026) and IFA (2024, 2025), along with launch events hosted by Google, Samsung, and other leading Android brands. When he's not writing about tech, you'll find him sipping a cup of chai, scrolling Twitter, and reading updates about his favorite football club, Chelsea FC. Feel free to reach out to him via email at sanujb6 [at] gmail [dot] com. Sign in to your Android Police account Google is officially dropping Android Auto support for older Android phones, with the minimum software requirement now raised to Android 11. Android Auto has been around for quite some time now, allowing users to access apps like Google Maps, Spotify, and even YouTube directly on their car's infotainment screen without having to interact with their smartphones. While Google has continued adding new features to Android Auto over the years, the company has also gradually dropped support for older Android versions. And now, two more versions of Android are being left behind. As spotted by Android Authority, Google has quietly updated its Android Auto support page, confirming that smartphones now need to run at least Android 11 to use Android Auto. The new requirement applies to both wired and wireless Android Auto connections. However, wireless Android Auto already required Android 11 or newer, so this change primarily affects users who connect their phones to their cars through a USB cable. Nonetheless, Android 11 is now the minimum requirement for both connection methods. Android Auto is leaving older Android phones behind Previously, the minimum software requirement for Android Auto was Android 9. But with Google now raising that requirement to Android 11, both Android 9 and Android 10 have officially fallen outside the supported software versions. This means that smartphones still running either of these Android versions are no longer officially supported by Android Auto. Google had already started warning Android 10 users back in October 2026 that their devices would soon stop working with Android Auto. And now, the change has officially come into effect. As for what this means for users, if you're still using an older Android phone running Android 9 or Android 10 that can't be updated to Android 11 or newer, there isn't much you can do to get around the new requirement. You'll likely need to upgrade to a newer Android phone if you want to continue using Android Auto. Google hasn't provided an exact date for when Android Auto will stop working on every affected device. However, some users have already started reporting that the service no longer works on their phones, suggesting the change may already be taking effect.