ScreenOnAuto app icon

ScreenOnAuto

Mirror your Android phone screen to the Android Auto display, with support for media button controls.

Free to use — no features require additional payment.

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Phone screen mirrored on the Android Auto display, side-by-side with the map
Legacy mirror running side-by-side with the map on the Android Auto head unit.

How you install depends on your Android version:

Android 14 and above — install via Google Play only (invite-based; the app is not searchable on the Play Store). Join the tester list →

Android 13 and below — sideload the APK with KingInstaller (steps below), or install via Google Play.

Features

Screen Mirroring

Capture and mirror your phone screen to the Android Auto head unit in real time.

Media Session Proxy

Control any phone media app from Android Auto's native media UI.

Touch Forwarding (experimental)

Tap, scroll and fling the Android Auto display to control your phone.

Auto Start

Begin mirroring automatically when Android Auto connects.

Auto Launch App

Automatically launch a chosen app on the phone when mirroring starts.

Force Landscape

Force the phone into landscape while mirroring, with an on-screen toggle.

Auto Dim

Automatically dim phone screen brightness during idle mirroring (15–120 s delay).

Prevent Sleep

Keep the phone screen awake during mirroring; stop automatically on disconnect.

Launch Shortcuts

Add up to 4 app quick-launch buttons to the Android Auto mirror screen.

On-screen Buttons

Show or hide mirror-screen buttons individually: Force Landscape, Auto Dim, and phone Back / Home / Recents.

Button Placement

On the Legacy mirror, left-align the buttons or automatically avoid the phone's navigation bar.

Mirror Adjustment

Trim the mirror width/height for head units that crop the edges.

Requirements

Installation

Android 14 and above — install via Google Play

Android Auto only runs apps installed from the Play Store, and Android 14+ blocks the KingInstaller workaround — so Play is the only way to get a build that Android Auto accepts. It is still the full app, delivered through Play's internal-testing track.

Installation is invite-based (the app is not searchable on the Play Store). See Join the Beta Test for the sign-up form and step-by-step instructions.

Android 13 and below — sideload with KingInstaller

Android Auto requires apps installed via Google Play. A directly-installed APK is rejected; KingInstaller installs APKs while reporting Google Play Store as the installer source.

  1. Install KingInstaller — download the latest KingInstaller.apk from its releases page, allow "Install unknown apps" for your browser or file manager, then install it.
  2. Install ScreenOnAuto via KingInstaller — download the latest ScreenOnAuto-*.apk from the latest release, open KingInstaller, pick the APK and tap Install.
  3. Grant permissions — launch ScreenOnAuto and follow the in-app prompts.

Verify in Android Auto

This works however you installed — sideload or Google Play. On the phone, open Settings → Connected devices → Android Auto → Customize Launcher; you should see three ScreenOnAuto entries:

NameFunction
ScreenOnAutoMirrors the phone screen full-screen — replaces the map area.
ScreenOnAuto (Legacy)Mirrors via the Legacy projection path — can run side-by-side with the map.
ScreenOnAuto Media ControllerControls any phone media app from Android Auto's native media UI.

Ready to go? See How to Use for starting the mirror in the car.

Permissions

PermissionRequired for
Screen Capture (MediaProjection)Screen Mirroring
Notification ListenerMedia Session Proxy
Display Over Other AppsAuto Dim & Force Landscape
Accessibility ServiceTouch Forwarding (experimental) & the Back / Home / Recents buttons

Tip: to skip the Screen Capture dialog on every launch, pre-grant it via ADB — see Grant Mirror Permission via ADB.

Known Limitations