All the Ways to Customize Notifications in Android Auto
If you use Android Auto, you may already know that adjusting your phone’s notifications while driving isn’t as easy as it could be, although Google recently made a settings change that should simplify the process. While you don’t want to miss important messages or calls, you definitely don’t want to put yourself or other road users at risk by being distracted behind the wheel. A careful balance is required, and it’s important to know what settings are available on your phone.
If you’re using a Pixel, Do Not Disturb mode is controlled through “Modes,” which can be found by tapping “Modes” in Settings. Select “Driving,” and if you toggle on the ” While Driving” toggle, Do Not Disturb mode will automatically turn on when you’re in your car.
Tap the “While Driving” text (rather than the toggle), and you can tell Android how it should detect whether you’re driving. Google recently changed this setting: you can now choose “Use Bluetooth” (which activates when the car’s dashboard is detected) or “Use Motion & Bluetooth” (which also uses your phone’s accelerometer). Previously, you had to rely solely on motion, which led to issues with automatic activation for both drivers and passengers—the addition of Bluetooth should ensure more reliable operation.
On Samsung Galaxy phones, the situation is slightly different: in Settings, tap “Modes and Scenarios,” which then opens the “Driving” mode. Here, you can set a specific connection to the Android Auto dashboard as a trigger for turning on the mode, rather than just any Bluetooth device—a feature Google really should have added to the standard version of Android.
On Pixel and Galaxy phones, you can customize Driving Mode to allow notifications from specific apps or people, but again, be careful not to distract the driver with pop-ups and notifications.
Other Android Auto notification settings
In addition to setting which apps and contacts can trigger notifications on your phone while driving, you can further customize these modes. On the Driving Mode screen on your Pixel, tap Display Settings to control whether your phone’s screen lights up when you receive a notification. You can also dim your wallpaper and switch to black and white mode.
When editing Driving Mode on your Galaxy phone, you’ll see that you can tap the lock screen or home screen to change the wallpaper and color palette specifically for that mode. The idea, again, is to make your phone less visually distracting.
Additional notification settings are available on the main Android Auto settings page: in Android Settings, go to Connected devices > Connection settings > Android Auto (Pixel) or Connected devices > Android Auto (Galaxy).
In the “Messages” section, you can disable notifications for group chats or for messengers in general. There’s also a toggle to show or hide the first line of incoming messages—you might want to disable this feature if you prefer to spend more time on the road.
Finally, there’s the option to hear incoming messages read aloud, which also helps reduce the temptation to stare at your car’s dashboard or pick up and unlock your phone.
It’s also worth checking all of Android Auto’s other settings to make sure your driving experience is set up exactly how you want it to be: for example, you can reduce the number of apps available in Android Auto and enable taskbar widgets for easier app management, which can also impact how distracted you feel while driving.
The end result is an Android Auto notification system that won’t bombard you with alerts while you’re driving, but it also won’t hide important messages by automatically turning on notification filters without your knowledge.