Android Auto Shows Communication Error 8? Follow These Tips for a Fix!

So, the other day I was trying to use Android Auto in my car, you know, the usual – maps, music, maybe take a call hands-free. But I kept getting this “communication error 8” message on the screen. It was driving me nuts! I mean, what does that even mean?

First, I did what anyone would do – I unplugged my phone and plugged it back in. Nope, still the same error. I tried restarting my phone, thinking maybe it was just a little glitch. Still nothing. Okay, time to dig a little deeper.

I started checking the USB cable. Maybe it was loose or damaged? I wiggled it around, made sure it was securely connected on both ends. No luck. I even grabbed a different USB cable that I had lying around, just in case. Still that annoying error 8.

Next, I went into the settings on my phone. I made sure Android Auto was up to date. I cleared the cache and data for the app, hoping that would do the trick. I even uninstalled and reinstalled the darn thing. I rebooted the phone again after all that just for good measure. But nope, the error was still there, staring me in the face.

Messing with the Car’s System

• Checked for updates: I went into my car’s infotainment system and looked for any software updates. Everything seemed to be up to date there.
• Rebooted the system: Just like my phone, I figured maybe the car’s system needed a fresh start. I turned the car off and on again. Nope.

I was starting to get really frustrated at this point. I mean, I just wanted to listen to my tunes! I even considered just giving up and using my phone’s speaker, but that’s not really safe when you’re driving, right?

Then, I stumbled upon a setting in my phone’s developer options called “Default USB configuration.” It was set to “Charging only.” Hmm, that could be it. I switched it to “File transfer / Android Auto.”

I plugged my phone back into the car, held my breath, and… YES! It finally worked! No more communication error 8. I felt like a total tech genius, even though it was probably just a simple setting all along. It was such a pain to try to fix, but we finally made it work.