With automotive infotainment screens getting seemingly bigger every year, watching video or surfing the web while parked and charging your EV is becoming a thing.
Tesla has allowed web browsing and watching video while parked since the debut of the Model S. For EV Riders with other electric vehicle brands that use Android Auto, it’s a little more complicated to get video up and running while parked.
At the time of this video’s posting, Android Auto didn’t offer any automotive web browsers or video apps in Google Play.
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Thankfully, Google does allow Android users to sideload video-capable apps outside of the Play store on their smartphones that will work with Android Auto.
Once installed, sideloaded apps work just like regular Android apps but they haven’t been vetted or approved by Google.
That means anyone considering installing sideloaded apps needs to understand the risks are higher that they might come with malware, poor coding or something even worse.
Keeping those cautions in mind, I’m currently using three side loaded apps, one is called the Android Auto Apps Downloader or AAAD for short.
It lets me sideload a number of other apps not in the Play store, including an Android Auto web browser I’m using called CarStream. AAAD allows users to install CarStream and some other sideload apps without rooting a smartphone, which Google frowns upon.
While CarStream isn’t as refined as Chrome, it gets the job done, letting me watch YouTube or surf websites like CNN, CNET or evrider.tv while parked.
I want to stress very strongly that no one should ever attempt to watch video or web surf while driving. That’s not the purpose of this post.
When using CarStream, I avoid entering any sort of personal information such as account log-ins because I’m not willing to trust my account information to a web browser coded by an individual.
As the old saying goes, caveat emptor. There are potential risks to running Android apps that have not been vetted by Google.
Another sideload Android app I’m running on Android Auto is AA Mirror Plus. As its title implies, it allows you to mirror your Android smartphone’s screen on Android Auto.
This opens up a world of productivity options since most Android apps will work properly while being mirrored. I have a Bluetooth keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse which allows me to quickly type and navigate between apps such as Microsoft Word or Excel while parked and charging my EV back up.
If you’ve got an Android remote desktop app you can even log into your home Windows computer. For example, I can in theory open Cyberlink Power Director or Adobe Premiere to tweak in progress EV Rider episodes.
Once again, keep in mind these apps have not been approved by Google so do not assume they are safe or secure. I am not a developer or versed in cyber security. If you choose to download or use any of these, you are doing so at your own risk.
If you’re thinking of mirroring your Android smartphone’s screen to Android Auto while parked and using a remote desktop app, remember you’ll need a robust 5G connection. Anything slower than 5G will be an exercise in frustration due to the lag you’ll experience.
Keeping in mind that sideloaded apps have not been vetted or approved by Google – there’s that warning again – if you do want to investigate downloading a few to run on Android Auto, the process is pretty simple.
Download and install AAAD, then follow the directions inside the app. It will direct you to your phone’s settings where you can allow non-Play store apps to be installed.
Once AAAD is installed, you can then install CarStream and a host of other apps – if you spring for the premium version. AAAD lets you download one sideloaded app a month for free.
Android enthusiasts will correctly note there are other ways to get video onto Android Auto, but this one avoids rooting, which is more complicated and best left to the real Android geeks that know what they’re doing. If not done correctly, rooting can “brick” your phone. Rooting will also likely violate your smartphone’s warranty – meaning if anything goes wrong, you’re out of luck.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Google is constantly updating Android and Android Auto so while the sideloaded apps discussed were working as intended at the time of this post’s publication, that could change if Google pushes an update that is incompatible with AAAD or the sideloaded apps it is capable of installing.
If you run into any difficulties, you can try checking with AAAD’s developer or the developer of the app you’re having trouble with. The forums on developer websites such as xda-developers.com and github.com may also be helpful if you need to do any troubleshooting.
The CarStream web browser isn’t perfect. It struggles to properly render some web pages correctly and has some audio sync lag when watching video. You might be able to eliminate or improve the lag by tweaking the frame resolution settings in the app. The web browser comes pre-loaded with a YouTube bookmark. Other bookmarks are relatively easy to setup and touch friendly.
The AA Mirror Plus app I’m using also has some slight audio lag, although when using it for productively apps like Gmail or Word, that doesn’t matter.
To all the Apple Car Play fans out there, since I don’t own an iPhone I can’t offer any advice on opening up Car Play to video while parked, but if you search “video on Apple Car Play” you will find some advice from other YouTubers and websites.
In closing, I want to stress one more time: don’t EVER attempt to web surf or watch video while driving.
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