Android Auto Not Connecting After One UI 9 on Some Galaxy Phones

Android Auto not connecting has become a common complaint among some Samsung Galaxy owners after installing One UI 9, Samsung’s Android 17 update. Since the stable rollout began in September 2026, users of the Galaxy S26, S25, S24 Ultra and A55 have reported cars that no longer recognize their phones, connections that drop mid-drive, or a stuttering interface. As of November 2, 2026, neither Samsung nor Google has confirmed a cause or a fix.

The reports are spread across Reddit, Samsung’s community forums and Google’s Android Auto Help forum, as Android Authority first highlighted. The problem does not appear to hit every user, and several Galaxy owners say Android Auto works normally on One UI 9.

Why Android Auto is not connecting after One UI 9

The exact cause is still unknown, but the timing points to the update. One of the earliest threads, on Samsung’s US Community forum, came from a Galaxy S26 owner who said Android Auto stopped working the morning after their second One UI 9 update in two weeks. Re-pairing, clearing Android Auto data and switching to a cable did not help.

Another user ran a simple comparison. Two Samsung phones still on One UI 8.5, including a Galaxy S25 Edge, connected to the same car without trouble, while a Galaxy S24 Ultra updated to One UI 9 reproduced the problem right away. It is a single test rather than a controlled study, but it suggests the new software is at least partly to blame. The fault could also sit in the Android Auto app or in some car head units, which is why the picture is still unclear.

What Google and Samsung have said so far

On the Android Auto Help forum, a Galaxy A55 5G owner said Android Auto stopped connecting to their cars after the Android 17 update. A member of Google’s Android Auto team replied that the report had been received and forwarded internally. That is an acknowledgment, not a confirmed bug or fix date.

Samsung has not issued a public statement. In the Galaxy S26 thread, a Samsung community moderator pointed users to the company’s Android Auto troubleshooting steps and asked them to file an error report through the Samsung Members app (Get help, then Send feedback, then Error reports).

Connection trouble between Galaxy phones and Android Auto is not new. Wireless disconnects on models such as the Galaxy A55 were reported before One UI 9 arrived, and the update itself has had a rocky start, with some owners hit by setup screen errors after installing One UI 9 in October.

What you can try now

• Remove the car from Android Auto’s connected cars list, forget the phone in the car, and pair again.
• Try a different, data-capable USB cable, or a wired connection if you normally use wireless.
• Uninstall Android Auto updates from the app’s settings page to roll it back to the factory version. The Galaxy S26 owner who started the Samsung thread said this fixed it for them, but it is one user’s workaround, not an official fix.
• If Android Auto connects but opens the wrong navigation app, check your default maps setting: one user said the update switched it from Google Maps to Waze.

What it means for Galaxy owners

Samsung is still pushing One UI 9 to more Galaxy phones, including A series models, so more drivers may run into the issue over the coming weeks. If you rely on Android Auto every day and have not updated yet, it may be worth waiting until Samsung or Google confirms a fix. Google is also adding new features to the platform, such as Gemini Personal Intelligence in Android Auto, which makes a stable phone connection more important.

For a broader look at the software behind the update and which devices get it, see our guide to the Android 17 release date and supported phones. We will update this article if Samsung or Google announces a fix.