It wasn’t big news when it was announced at CES 2023, but let me tell you something: if you are a very active person on WhatsApp and usually receive calls and video calls through the popular messaging app, this is a function that can make a difference when you are behind the wheel. I went on a trip with Android Auto and tried WhatsApp calls: It was an experience.

Making and receiving WhatsApp calls on Android Auto is great… if you can

Making a WhatsApp call with Android Auto is pretty easy, but there’s a catch: These are done from the phone, not from the messaging app itself.. When you tap on a contact, you will be presented with the option to call the old way or via WhatsApp. After that the call is the same as standard calls, even in the interface. As you can see below these lines, the call takes up the entire screen and you can silence the call, select audio output or hang up.

Since this process requires touching the screen, it is best to do this while the vehicle is stationary to maximize safety and avoid fines. So, isn’t it possible to do these with a voice assistant? Theoretically yes, in practice Google Assistant has a hard time understanding the layout.

If you receive a WhatsApp callWhat you see when using Android Auto is what is shown in the main image illustrating this article. The only difference from a normal voice call is the ‘WhatsApp incoming call’ line. From here and with good 5G coverage, we didn’t see any lag or dropouts.

The biggest drawback of WhatsApp calls on Android Auto is its compatibility. The overall experience is good in terms of interface and usage, but there is room for improvement: For this test, I used my Google Pixel 6 Pro and not my OnePlus 11 because the latter is not compatible.

Google’s infotainment system is quite common as there is a large park of compatible cars. And if there are many cars compatible with Android Auto, the number of phones with WhatsApp and people using the app every day is also increasing. Despite this, WhatsApp calls on Android Auto are only available for a few phone models, namely the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy from 2021 onwards. I understand the limitation when this functionality is deployed, but more than a year Then again limited.

Cover | Eva Rodríguez de Luis

Xataka on Android | All ways to make and receive calls on Android Auto