Published Jul 4, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT
Andy is a senior writer and former Mac editor at HTG. He has over 20 years experience as a consumer tech journalist, and has covered everything from the old Palm Pilots to the original iPhone and Android devices, to the latest gadgets.
He has written and edited for UK-based print publications like PDA Essentials and Android Magazine, and online at sites including MUO, Android Tips and Hacks, broadband.co.uk, and Envato. He has a passion for all things mobile and has been a keen Mac enthusiast since 2005.
Android Auto keeps its settings simple, for good reason. The app is based around the things you need every day, with minimal distractions. But if you unlock the developer mode in Android Auto, you can access a few more features. Most are designed for testing and debugging, but some are actually quite useful for everyone.
How to enable developer settings in Android Auto
The developer settings in Android Auto are hidden, so you need to activate them before you can use them. The precise instructions might differ depending on which phone you’re using, but the simplest way on most devices is to go to your phone settings, tap the search button, and type “Android Auto.” The option for the Android Auto settings should appear here.
Open it and scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll see the Version section. Tap on that ten times. A box will appear asking you to confirm that you want to enable the developer settings. Tap OK. Now press the three-dot menu button in the top right corner to access them.
The developer options in Android Auto aren’t as much fun as the ones you get in Android on a phone, and there are a lot fewer of them. But there are some that are worth exploring.
Wireless Android Auto
Wires or no wires?
Many years ago, the wireless Android Auto toggle was part of the main app, but then it got relegated to the developer settings. While most new cars now support wireless connections, there are still good reasons to turn it off.
In my experience, wireless Android Auto isn’t quite as reliable as a wired connection, and it drains the battery very quickly. You need to charge your phone while you’re using it. If you don’t, you’ll probably get to the end of your journey, but you might not have much juice left in your battery.
Of course, wireless is much cleaner and clutter-free, so you can use this setting to enable it again, if that’s your preference.
AAWireless TWO+ Dongle
Type
Android Auto & Apple Carplay adapter
What’s Included
Adapter, USB-C to USB-A cable
Easily add wireless Android Auto or CarPlay to your vehicle with this capable dongle that works with both platforms.
Unknown sources
Install apps from outside the Play Store
The next option worth enabling is Unknown Sources, which you’ll find near the bottom of the screen. This is similar to the standard Android setting that allows you to install apps from outside the Play Store. If you use an alternative app store like F-Droid or you sideload apps like alternative navigation apps or open-source media players, then this will enable them to work on Android Auto.
Once you’ve enabled it, you have to go back into the main Android Auto settings and select Customize Launcher. Here you can see the list of all the apps that will appear on your Android Auto screen. Check the ones that you want to add.
Enabling apps from unknown sources doesn’t magically let you use any app on Android Auto. You’re still bound by the limitations of the service, which restricts you to using things like mapping, messaging, and certain media apps, etc. It doesn’t mean you can start watching YouTube on your device while driving, and even third-party YouTube clients will likely remain audio-only.
Video resolution
Get a better fit and smaller notifications
Credit: Cory Gunther / How-To Geek
When you connect Android Auto, your phone and car negotiate to find the best video resolution to use. It’s usually fine, but it doesn’t always work out quite right, especially if you have a larger display. The image can end up being blurry or poorly scaled, and sometimes notifications take up far too much space on the screen.
If you have problems like this, go into the developer settings and select Video resolution. You’ll see that the default option is Allow car and phone to negotiate, but you can force it into a higher resolution. You’ll need to experiment to see how each one looks on your device and then pick the one you’re happiest with.
Take screenshots
Capture your screen at any time
Want to take a screenshot of your Android Auto screen? You can do this but only through the developer settings on your phone.
Queue up the screen that you want to capture on your Android Auto device, then in the developer settings, tap Share screenshot. From the share screen that opens, locate your files app to save it. Using Files on my Pixel, the image goes into the Downloads folder. Yours might be different depending on what you’re using.
You can also share screenshots through your email app or in messaging apps via the same menu.
Save videos
Play back your driving route
Finally, these are quite niche, but there are Save video and Save audio options in the developer settings. These record the picture and sound from your Android Auto screen as you drive. The options are intended for developers who need to diagnose problems, but some enthusiasts might also use them to record their journeys.
However, keep in mind that they use a huge amount of data and will fill up your phone storage very quickly. And if you’re driving in a hot environment, that constant recording can also heat up your phone and drain your battery faster.
More settings to change
If you decide that you don’t want to use the developer mode on Android Auto, you can just leave it enabled and forget all about it. Alternatively, tap the three-dot menu button in the Android Auto settings and select Close developer mode.
Once you’ve finished looking through these settings, don’t forget to tweak the regular Android Auto options as well. Some of the ones I change are forcing dark mode for my maps, customizing the launcher to make apps more accessible, and enabling music to play as soon as the phone connects.
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