The January Pixel update screwed up Bluetooth connections to users vehicles for some reason

With the official release of the new Android Auto user interface, features, and improvements, you’d think there would be a few bugs to iron out, but oddly enough, for many users this week, the issue is not Auto’s fault. For some odd reason, Pixel users are unable to connect to their vehicle’s Bluetooth to stream music, podcasts, and more after the January update.

The ironic part about this is that I just got done reporting two days ago that the very same update fixed Bluetooth connection issues. What was actually addressed was the connection problems being experienced between BLE devices and accessories during pairing and use. Little did I know that right after publishing it, I’d find out a new set of Bluetooth problems would crop up!

Anyone who has suffered from Bluetooth connection or pairing issues here and there for certain BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) devices or accessories will be happy to know that they have been addressed. Oh, and those instances where audio simply doesn’t play over certain headphones under certain connection conditions should also be cleared up now too.

As noted by Reddit users thesuhas and zdlr (kudos 9to5Google) the borked connections are primarily affecting Android Auto and not specifically standard in-car Bluetooth setups. I’m not seeing a trend with the vehicles of these users and others who that have pointed this out online since the update went live, but clearly, the update itself is the variable contributing based on the timing.

Do you use Android Auto in your vehicle? Are you rocking the new “Coolwalk” update yet with improved features, split screen, and more? If you are, are you experiencing trouble connecting to Bluetooth under these conditions? I’d like to see if this is tied to the update for Android Auto and how it plays with the new January Pixel update.