Honestly this is one of the only things holding me back from going to graphene. Once this is available to non alpha users I might make the switch properly.
I tried out this OS last year and really loved it, until I went on a road trip and couldn't use Android Auto. This is huge and will make GrapheneOS an extremely attractive option to privacy minded people.
I think Android Auto is really the only thing keeping me from completely de-googling. Many times in the past I've installed some stripped down ROM or whatever but I always go back because Android Auto is too convenient.
I wish there was a nice open source alternative that worked with my head unit.
So you can have Android Auto while beinging degoogled. I do. As others have pointed out there is:
https://github.com/sn-00-x/aa4mg
It's a bit of a faff to install, but works.
The problem I found is no SatNav that can take into account traffic. The best I've found is "Organic Maps", but it is open and works without the Google infrastructure. No getting round that traffic knowledge makes Google Maps better.
I have non AA things forcing me towards having to at least partly re-google.
I've been eying GrapheneOS as a way to compromise without being compromised.
Awesome. I've been using GrapheneOS on my Pixel 7 for almost a year now and it's been great. I won't be using this feature, but am happy it might attract more users.
However, I do believe he is very devoted to improving the privacy and security for all users, despite his communication issue. So I personally still uses grapheneos.
Similar alternatives are divest and calyx, but it seems like graphene is still the best for me and probably for most beginners and experts alike.
If you need Android Auto, the closest thing you'll get is LineageOS with some sort of GApps, but those are far from the "privacy and security first" goals of GrapheneOS.
If you are looking for something private/"FOSS-focused" and don't need Android Auto, I like CalyxOS a lot, and have heard good things about DivestOS.
I generally like Louis Rossmann, but his arguments in the GrapheneOS video were beyond stupid. He says that he can't trust GrapheneOS because it's developed by Daniel Micay. I guess he doesn't understand that GrapheneOS is open source and anyone can see the code. Then he switched back to the proprietary Google ROM. So he's trusting proprietary software that's filled with spyware over privacy-respecting open source software that can be audited by anyone.
You don't seem to understand the situation either and you blindly follow some YouTuber. I'd advise you to overthink your opinion on this topic.
Yes it's proprietary and depends on a lot of Google services. Usually if you want it on a custom ROM, you need to use the full GApps packages. No Android Auto on smaller GApps packages.
Here's an example and why I'm not on a custom ROM. My job has "restaurant credit" as one of the benefits. That's 200 euros a month in a card that can only be used through Google/Apple pay.
So either I skip the money or I need a second phone with me all the time.
Privacy isn't a binary choice. Obviously I would love for there to be an alternative to Google Pay but no such service exists.
The most private form of payment is to use cash but that's just hugely inconvenient in 2024. Sometimes it would be nice to be able to pay from my phone when I don't have my wallet on me but custom ROMs don't allow it.
This is huge, but are there any navigation apps which work with Android Auto except Google Maps and Waze (which is re-skinned Google Maps)? Afaik OSMAnd or Organic Maps do not support it
I am curious why you think that? My reasons for liking it are the fact that it essentially just works, and gives me a consistent UI across multiple vehicles. What are your issues with it?
I'm just fundamentally against those tablets in cars. I've never seen a single good implementation of it. This first question I always have is... what can this do that my phone cant do easier, faster, and better? And 100% of the time I've had to ask this it has been nothing. I just use a phone grip on either my dashboard or my windshield and that accomplishes the same thing without having to use the massive, clunky, and usually dysfunctional tablet stuck on my console. Another enormous complaint is that most cars that work like this also remove aux/tape/cd and then BURY the bluetooth audio option underneath a bunch of finnicky android auto shit that has so many different problems all of which wouldn't exist in the first place if i could just set my phone in a clamp and plugged in the aux cable. The only benefit android consoles have i can tell it has is being big if you have bad eyesight.
I use a phone holder... It has better viewing angel, don't require any connection (except bluetooth for audio) and even better, it don't cost a new head unit, both in price and in e-waste.
On trips I have to unplug, search maps, start directions, and plug in the phone again because the keyboard is locked out. The car interface sucks for finding and comparing data like gas prices or restaurant reviews.
what baseless_discourse said. a windshield or dashboard mounted phone clamp. it is far cheaper, easier, and downright better, for myriad reasons. viewing angle is better, music playing is unspeakably easier, system resources are almost guaranteed to be better, software compatibility is better, etc.