Need help getting driving directions from new Samsung Android phone

[wbwanzer]

I finally replaced my Motorola Android phone with a new Samsung A37 5G. This phone is closer to the bottom of the tier, but so was my old Motorola. My question is about driving instructions. Yesterday I had the new phone plugged into the car and asked for directions, hoping to get the map and directions put on the screen in the car (the car does have Android Auto). The car puts up a notice saying to go to the Settings portion of my phone and go to Location. I did that and everything was turned on. So that didn't work.

Then I thought I would just ask Google from the main screen on the phone which I have done before with the Motorola. With the old phone I ask for directions, it finds the destination. There is a green button that says 'Directions'. I push that button, it gets the directions and there is a green button near the bottom of that screen that says 'Start'. I would push that and the directins would start and it would usually guide me through verbally plus show on the map, with the icon moving as my car moves. The new Samsung phone will find the direction, but there is no 'Start' button. The directions are just listed in order which would be hard to use while driving.

Am I doing something wrong? Why can't I get live directions from my new phone? I am 75 if that helps explain my situation, but I've been using cell phone for quite a while.

Any help will be appreciated. (How did we live without smart phones?)

 

[y_p_w]

Might be easier to just load Google Maps but it would require manual entry of the destination. As for the rest, I use iOS which is tied into Siri and Apple Maps, so you’re looking for the Android equivalent?

 

[Pew]

If you are able to take a screenshot of your phone screen when the step-by-step directions show up, that would help alot.

Google maps (on my Pixel 6) has the Directions button where the Start button used to be but still there. When it's connected via Android Auto, once the directions pop up full-screen on my phone, the maps on AA will start.

EDIT::: Are you able to scroll up/down when the step-by-step directions show up on your samsung? If I scroll down the picture I attached, it will show me the step-by-step instructions.

 

[wbwanzer]

I can get the step by step directions but I think that would be hard to use while driving. I have to leave now but will play with it some more.

 

[JohnnyG]

Unless you are dealing with a touch screen display, Android auto is very clunky IMO (76 y/o). Just use Google maps, turn the volume up and put the phone in the cup holder. You'll get turn by turn directions as well as traffic warnings (sometimes). If you get a traffic warning, it's usually too late to take action anyway.
If you tie it to your bluetooth, the sound CAN come from your car sound system, but I don't find that very useful.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Waze is a good free navigation app. It is in the Google Play Store and it works with Android Auto. It will show you the navigation map and turn-by-turn directions on the radio screen. It will also give you other alerts like red light cameras, Police clocking speeders, obstructions/hazards on the road etc. The only thing with Waze is you need to use a usb cable that allows data transfer to connect it in the car. The charging cable that came with my Pixel phone did not work with my car so I bought an Anker brand braided cable from Amazon. It is 6 feet long so I was able to route it neatly from the phone in the center console box to the usb port under my radio. My car is a 2018 Nissan Rogue, it does have a touch screen radio and Waze works great with the Android Auto.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.waze&hl=en_US&pli=1

 

[Pew]

I can get the step by step directions but I think that would be hard to use while driving. I have to leave now but will play with it some more.

Does Android Auto pull up maps automatically on your car screen once the turn-by-turn directions pop up on your phone?

 

[wbwanzer]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I talked with a friend yesterday afternoon and he suggested I try Google Maps. I did and that seems to solve the problem for me. I get the directions and there is the 'Start' button which I was looking for. Then I plug into the usb cord in the car and the directions and map and vocal directions come up. So problem mostly solved. But I still can't get Android Auto to work. It still wants me to get into Location Settings and open that up, but all of those settings are already turned on. The advantage of AA is that i can touch the microphone button and request my destination and it puts more of the map on the screen. I don't know why that is not working for me, but at least I have a work around.

 

[andrew_j]

Restart your phone by powering down or simply not charging . Usually holding power button a long time.

 

[dishdude]

On your car's touchscreen, tap the phone projection or Android Auto app. That'll send a prompt to your phone asking if you want to use AA.

On some cars you may have to go into the paired device list and turn on AA if you declined to allow it when you first paired the phone.

 

[andrew_j]

Glad you sorted directions by voice ! This is why I keep my older parents and in laws on Apple. Android kills Apple on price and customization. However Apple destroys Android on consistent and slow changes to their user interface.