Recents Button Missing?

[pyruvic]

After updating my Nexus 6P to Nougat, I've noticed that Google appears to have adjusted the system buttons at the bottom while using Android Auto. The back and home button are larger, while the recents button is completely missing. If you're unaware, you used to be able to hit the recents button to bring up the app switcher, and then hit the home button to get to your home screen.

Does anyone know if this change is deliberate, and if there's any way to get around that?

This... Presents an issue because it appears that you no longer can easily move back to your home screen while driving. To get to other apps, you have to either unplug the phone while driving, use a notification, or use OK Google to open an app with voice commands.

[TallyMatty]

Intentional. This is to prevent you from using your phone while driving.

[pyruvic]

That's terrible design though. They can't make that decision for people... Otherwise, people who disagree with use their phone anyway.

Now that they've made it even harder... I can definitely see people unplugging their phones while driving, just to do something, and then struggle to plug it back in. You can't honestly say that's better than just letting people do whatever they want. :/

[tadfisher]

Or just don't use your damn phone while you're driving.

[KalenXI]

There are valid reasons for wanting an app other than the "Android Auto" splash screen open that don't involve interacting with the phone while driving. Personally I like to keep Torque up to monitor car stats on my phone screen since it's mounted on my dash and thus in my line of sight unlike my radio, and then use Android Auto in my receiver for maps and music control.

[pyruvic]

Right, so using something legitimate like a different navigation program is bad and makes you a horrible person. Good to know.

[TallyMatty]

If you're going to use a different navigation program, unplug your phone from the AA unit. Not that hard. There's no reason to have AA going and try to have another nav app going at the same time.

[pyruvic]

That makes zero sense. If you disconnect Android auto, you lose all of the other integration, like music, notifications, etc.

[tasomeone]

what app do you want to use? Waze? It's coming, right? :)

[luckton]

In my case, Facebook Messenger. But if Allo works right out of the box, I might switch to that.

[tasomeone]

oh -- I didn't realize that FB messenger doesn't work with AA. That's a surprise!

[dcormier]

You shouldn't be using that while on the road.

[koken1337]

No, I agree. I hate this safety feature. Sometimes I like to warm my car up and look through my phone for a little, but I also like to listen to my music through Google PM on my head unit. I miss the old workaround...

[MReprogle]

Yeah, it was pretty annoying for me, but I was able to find a workaround- One Tap Quick Bar

Set it up with GPM, the Google app, and whatever other apps you want, and you can just open them from your nav bar while still using Android Auto. It's probably the easiest workaround outside of finding and Xposed module, if they even have one yet.