CarPlay and Android Auto

[D-Marc1]

Plugin Request

Name: Capacitor CarPlay Android Auto (alternatively, just Capacitor Car)
Package: @capacitor-community/carplay-android-auto (alternatively, just @capacitor-community/car)

Platform(s)

iOS and Android

Existing Solutions

React Native has a nice CarPlay plugin and separate Android Auto plugin (with vastly different APIs). Would love to have a single plugin with both for CapacitorJS. The only existing solutions currently are to either develop natively or with React Native.

Description

Use both iOS CarPlay and Android Auto, which greatly improve the experience for music and map -based apps for example.

[antonioberetini]

This is absolutely needed

[piotrpazola]

Agreed, if anyone could help, it'll be great

[mgscox]

There's an abandoned cordova plugin, which does work as far as it's been implemented
https://github.com/mike-nelson/cordova-carplay-android-auto

I've used it under Cordova, and can confirm it works for iOS.

[armenr]

I came here to say "+1" - I really need this plugin. I'd literally donate money (not kidding) to the Capacitor team if it meant we could get this feature/request delivered.

In the meantime, in addition to @mgscox REALLY AWESOME and REALLY USEFUL link, this also looks promising (if you're on capacitor v2):

https://capacitorjs.com/docs/v2/cordova/using-cordova-plugins

I'm going to attempt a small boilerplate/example repo where I spin up a capacitor2 + Vue3 (TypeScript) app & successfully build the project for iOS and Android (and get it working in the car - luckily my car does CarPlay and Android Auto, and I've got both types of devices sitting around the house).

I'll post back with working code if I get the job done!

[antonioberetini]

Why capacitor 2 when v3 is out already? Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef>

…

________________________________ From: Armen Rostamian ***@***.***> Sent: Friday, May 28, 2021 6:51:19 PM To: capacitor-community/proposals ***@***.***> Cc: Tony Beretini ***@***.***>; Comment ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [capacitor-community/proposals] CarPlay and Android Auto (#94) In addition to @mgscox<https://github.com/mgscox> REALLY AWESOME and REALLY USEFUL link, this also looks promising (if you're on capacitor v2): https://capacitorjs.com/docs/v2/cordova/using-cordova-plugins I'm going to attempt a small boilerplate/example repo where I spin up a capacitor2 + Vue3 app & successfully build the project for iOS and Android (and get it working in the car - luckily my car does CarPlay and Android Auto, and I've got both types of devices sitting around the house). I'll post back with working code if I get the job done! — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#94 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/APUUMIDJSVRY4MTKDMJWBZTTQAT7PANCNFSM4XKBL7MA>.

[advplyr]

When launching an android auto app from the head unit the capacitor app is never mounted.

Without communication between the native android auto activity and your capacitor app, a plugin would be useless.

In testing this out on the demo head unit, if you manually open your app before launching it on the head unit, then you can communicate, but it's not a viable solution.

[josexs]

something new?

[armenr]

Back to +1 this again.

[paliuca]

have anyone found a solution for this ? even a paid one.
Thanks

[iskizreal]

Yes, such a plugin would be great!

[JonasBeking]

Currently working on an android-automotive specific solution. Accessing CarProperties and UxRestrictions is already working great with ionic-angular. Problem is Capacitor is likely not gonna work for production, as Google does not like Webviews being used as the main-app for Android Automotive and Android Auto.

[TheHolyRoger]

Having also worked on this myself, it's a no-go for Capacitor. As @JonasBeking said android auto does not allow webviews.

What I've done myself is write a cordova plugin for my app, with another app inside. You need to pretty much create a whole new app in java with mediabrowser then let capacitor wrap it in, to use it in android auto.

[fromage9747]

@TheHolyRoger Could you provide a bit more detail around this? I have built the below app: https://www.reddit.com/r/llamafin/ and have been perusing around regarding Android Auto and Car Play. As I don't have such capable Devices, I initially thought it was just a normal app with the view for those resolutions. After researching a bit more, I discovered that it's a mirroring/cast type of functionality.

I have come to the following conclusions. Scrap my current app and rewrite in Flutter as Flutter has Android Auto and Car Play functionality, or try and build a custom plugin that has its own UI that can cast to Android Auto and Car Play. Both will require learning some skills.

However, from what you have stated, sounds a bit easier. As if you are creating your own custom wrapper and chucking your app inside it in order to be able to make use of Car Play and Android Auto?

[TheHolyRoger]

@fromage9747 I've never used flutter so can't comment on that, same for carplay I'm afraid

Regarding android auto, I've got quite a bit of experience with it now :)

Android have fairly successfully discouraged any custom UI in android auto, if you attempt to use a webview (required for capacitor) you'll hugely limit the functionality of your app. I saw something that someone worked on here https://github.com/daspook99/WebViewAuto but didn't bother going down that path.

To get the best android auto experience, it's best to do everything "their way" which means the SDK handles the UI entirely.

E.g. for my media app, I'm using all the standard android components for the browser, player etc

This means I have two independent apps with some shared code, config/preferences between the capacitor app and the android auto app

There is no way to integrate capacitor without using your own webview, and then you're essentially breaking android auto. There's no guarantee how long it would work for, if it does even still work today :)

I include my android auto app as a cordova plugin for my project, which means it's still nicely put together by gradle etc.

Maybe flutter is worth looking at, but I am 99% sure it will still discourage custom UI in android auto