Android Auto Night Mode Not Activating？ Here’s How to Fix It

Hey there! I know you must be mighty confused about that Android Auto night mode not working right. One day it works, next day it don’t, and it’s a real head-scratcher. Well, I’m here to talk through why this keeps happening and give some real simple fixes to try out. Now, Android Auto night mode—what it’s supposed to do is switch to dark mode when it gets dark, so you’re not blinded by the screen when driving. Simple as that! But sometimes, it just decides to take a day off.

Let’s talk about what might be going wrong, step by step.

• First thing first: Settings on your phone might not be set right. Sometimes you have to check both your phone’s settings and the Android Auto app settings. You see, some phones have a mind of their own and only follow what’s set on the phone itself.
• Second, it might be the car settings. I know, it sounds funny, but the car’s brightness settings can mess with the night mode too. If your car’s display is set too bright, it could be keeping Android Auto in day mode.

Alright, so now you know the common reasons. Let’s look at how to fix each one, plain and simple:

Fix #1: Check Your Phone’s Settings

First off, grab your phone, and check in its settings. Go to your display settings, and make sure dark mode is on or at least set to automatic, so it changes with the time of day. Some phones, especially those running the latest Android, have both Battery Saver and Night Mode options that can cause confusion. Make sure Battery Saver mode isn’t messing with Night Mode, as that can override other settings. Android Auto sometimes needs that Battery Saver off to work smoothly with night mode.

Fix #2: Adjust Android Auto’s Settings

Once you’ve sorted the phone settings, open up the Android Auto app on your phone. Yes, you can still open it even if Android Auto itself runs only on the car screen now. In the settings, there should be a Day/Night mode for maps option. You’ll see three choices here: Automatic, Day, and Night. Now, if you want night mode to work properly, select Automatic. This setting should let Android Auto pick night mode when it’s dark outside.

Fix #3: Try Developer Mode (If All Else Fails)

Now, this fix is a little trickier, but if none of the above works, it’s worth a shot. Open up Developer Mode on Android Auto. To do this, go into Android Auto’s settings and scroll to where it says version. Tap that version a few times until you see the Developer Mode notification pop up. Once that’s done, you can go into Developer settings and find the option for Day/Night Mode. There, select Phone Controlled, which tells Android Auto to follow whatever’s on your phone.

Some folks have found success just by toggling this setting a few times—it’s a bit like knocking on the screen to see if it’s listening! But hey, sometimes it works.

Other Quick Tips:

• If you’ve got a newer car, try updating your car’s firmware. Some newer cars, like the Dodge Durango, have settings that can interfere with night mode on Android Auto.
• Unplug and plug back in that USB cord. A simple reconnect can sometimes reset everything back to normal.
• Restart your phone! I know it sounds silly, but a fresh reboot can fix a bunch of weird issues like this.

Finally, if you’ve tried all these and it still won’t work, it might just be a bug on Android Auto’s end. Android rolls out updates that sometimes mess up things like night mode. Just keep your app updated, and hopefully, Google will fix it soon!

So, don’t let it drive you too crazy. Try these steps, and you should be on the road with night mode in no time. Safe driving!

Tags：[Android Auto, night mode, Android Auto not working, dark mode, Android Auto settings]