Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
That's what Android Auto users say is happening right now with Everand, a popular eBook and audiobook app with over 10 million downloads and a 4.7-star rating on the Google Play Store.
Everand's Android Auto support allows users to listen to audiobooks while driving, and the app features the typical playback interface to allow users to control playback. However, as of late August, this functionality no longer works, with users reporting that all they see is a black screen with no options.
Playback still works, so the audiobook plays in the background, but the screen goes black whenever Everand starts playing content. The blank display means users can't interact with anything on the screen, and many are tempted to grab their phones and control the app from the mobile version.
As you can imagine, this is something you absolutely want to avoid, as looking at and using your phone while driving is dangerous. That's why an emergency update is now needed to fix the Everand issue on Android Auto.
However, Google doesn’t appear to be the culprit in this case. While the search giant is often responsible for the vast majority of bugs in the Android Auto world, the issue affecting the audiobook player is likely caused by a recent Everand update. Users say they’ve already contacted the development team, but despite receiving instructions on how to fix the issue, they haven’t been able to get the app back to its intended behavior.
Users have also tried the typical workarounds in the Android Auto world, including clearing the cache and data of both apps, but nothing has worked. The blank screen is still there, so an emergency update is now needed to fix the app issue.
Some say that the latest Everand update fixes the issue, but others say they see no difference, as the app is still broken when Android Auto is connected. The only option to continue listening to audiobooks is to control the app from the mobile device, although playing and pausing while driving is a real pain and not safe.
In the meantime, Google continues to work on improving and refining the Android Auto experience, and the latest updates include evidence that other big features are in the works. The search giant is already building support for listening to radio stations in Android Auto, and version 12.8 comes with code for another long-awaited feature: support for local media playback. Users will be able to listen to their favorite songs from USB drives connected to the head unit, although Google has remained tight-lipped about when it plans to release this feature to users.