auto swapping to bluetooth audio source

coma24

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Northern NJ
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Air GT, Honda S2K AP1
With Tidal selected as my active audio source, and paused, if I get a phone notification (Android), the Air immediately swaps to Bluetooth audio input, plays the tail end of the notification sound, then resumes playing whatever audio was last playing on my phone, such as a music track or a YT video.

This has been happening for quite a long time, too.

Anyone else?
 
With Tidal selected as my active audio source, and paused, if I get a phone notification (Android), the Air immediately swaps to Bluetooth audio input, plays the tail end of the notification sound, then resumes playing whatever audio was last playing on my phone, such as a music track or a YT video.

This has been happening for quite a long time, too.

Anyone else?
ChatGPT says:
That behavior you’re experiencing — Android Auto switching to phone audio when media starts playing on the phone — is unfortunately common and often caused by Android’s audio focus system, which tries (sometimes too aggressively) to prioritize new media sources.

Here’s how to stop Android Auto from auto-switching audio sources when media plays on your phone:

1. Check Android Auto Settings (on your phone)
Go to:
• Settings > Connected devices > Android Auto
• Scroll to “Start music automatically” or “Media resumption”
• Turn this OFF
This prevents Android Auto from auto-starting media when it connects or when audio resumes on your phone.

2. Disable Battery Optimizations for Android Auto
Some phones “wake up” certain apps during transitions (like plug-in events) due to battery optimization issues.
Go to:
• Settings > Apps > Android Auto > Battery
• Set to “Unrestricted” or “Don’t optimize”

3. Set Bluetooth Priority (if using Bluetooth audio)
Sometimes the phone connects to your car via both Android Auto (USB) and Bluetooth, and the audio source switches to the phone’s BT media instead of staying on USB/Android Auto.
On your phone:
• Go to Bluetooth settings
• Find your car’s name, tap the gear/settings icon
• Turn off “Media audio” (leave “Phone calls” on if needed)
On your car stereo:
• Make sure it’s prioritizing Android Auto USB input, not Bluetooth media

4. Stop Media Auto-Launching Apps
If you use a media player like Spotify, YouTube Music, Pocket Casts, or Audible, check the app’s settings:
• Disable:
• “Resume playback on Bluetooth”
• “Auto-play on start”
• “Resume on reconnect”

5. Try Developer Settings in Android Auto
You can access Android Auto’s developer options by:
  1. Open Android Auto settings on your phone
  2. Scroll down and tap “Version” 10 times to enable developer mode
  3. Tap the 3-dot menu > Developer Settings
  4. Look for “Disable audio focus” and try turning it on or off (depends on how your car handles audio control)
6. Get an iPhone and you won't have to deal with this crap anymore
  1. visit the Apple Store or Apple.com
  2. choose your favorite iPhone
  3. toss your crappy Android in the nearest bin
  4. enjoy
 
it used to do this before Android Auto support was introduced, it's not new. I have it completely disabled in the car, but I will double check.
 
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