Strange Android Auto bug prevents WhatsApp messages from being sent (update – fixed)

You’re driving, it’s busy traffic. You receive a text on WhatsApp and Android Auto reads it for you. Your grandma is asking you where her phone is (in our scenario, she doesn’t have a PC, alright). The Assistant says your reply informing her she’s texting you from her phone has been sent. But then, minutes later, she calls you – she never received any text (at least she found her phone…)

Jokes aside, not being able to send a text via Assistant and Android Auto because of a bug is quite an annoying issue, especially when you’re driving and your focus should be on the road. Unfortunately, it seems that’s just what’s happening. An Android Auto update seems to have broken WhatsApp, at least for some people, reports 9to5Google.

Bug affecting WhatsApp and Android Auto

People have shared the issue on Google’s forums and or Reddit. In recent days, it seems like WhatsApp on Android Auto is experiencing issues. Google Assistant still reads the message you receive, but it can’t send a reply or a new message.

What happens is that the Assistant tells you it sends the message, but it’s not sent. To put it bluntly – Google Assistant is lying (well, as close to lying that tech can get). And that’s actually worse than just straight-up not responding, because if you don’t check, you’ll be under the impression you sent a reply. So far, the issue is not happening to all users, but it’s reasonably widespread.

It doesn’t appear to be a particular app version for Andriod Auto that’s bugged, so it’s more likely a server-side change that’s causing it. Google has yet to acknowledge the problem. You can still send the message from your phone, but you shouldn’t be doing that while driving, as it could be unsafe.