How to Add or Remove Cars in Android Auto Settings

Applies to
Android Auto, Android phones, wired Android Auto, wireless Android Auto, previously connected cars, Bluetooth pairing, and compatible car infotainment systems

Last updated
10 July 2026

Problem

You want to manage which cars are connected to Android Auto, but you are not sure where the car list is stored. You may need to remove an old car, fix a duplicated car entry, reconnect a vehicle, or stop Android Auto from trying to connect to the wrong car.

Android Auto stores a list of previously connected cars on your phone. If that list becomes cluttered or contains old connections, Android Auto may not start correctly or may behave unpredictably.

Solution

Open Android Auto settings on your phone, go to the previously connected cars section, then remove old or unwanted vehicles. If you are fixing a connection problem, also delete the phone from the car’s Bluetooth or connected devices list before setting it up again.

Step by step instructions

Open Android Auto settings

Unlock your Android phone.

Open Settings.

Use the search bar and search for Android Auto.

Open Android Auto from the results.

On some phones, Android Auto may be listed under Connected devices, Connection preferences, or Apps.

Find previously connected cars

Inside Android Auto settings, look for Previously connected cars.

Open this menu.

You should see cars that have been connected to Android Auto before.

If your phone has been used with several vehicles, the list may include old cars, hire cars, work vehicles, or duplicate entries.

Review the car list

Look through the list carefully.

Check whether your current car appears once or more than once.

You may also see cars you no longer use.

Old or duplicate entries can sometimes cause Android Auto to connect incorrectly, especially if the same car has been paired multiple times after updates or resets.

Remove an old car

In Previously connected cars, select the car you want to remove.

Choose the option to forget, remove, or delete the car.

Confirm the removal if prompted.

This removes the car from Android Auto on your phone.

It does not always remove the phone from the car’s own Bluetooth or device list, so you may need to do that separately.

Remove duplicate car entries

If your current car appears more than once, remove the duplicate entries.

If you are not sure which entry is correct, remove all entries for that car and set it up again from the beginning.

This is often useful when Android Auto connects sometimes but fails at other times.

Remove rejected cars if needed

Android Auto may include a list of rejected cars or blocked vehicles.

If your car was accidentally rejected during setup, Android Auto may refuse to connect.

Open the rejected cars section if shown.

Remove your car from the rejected list.

Then reconnect Android Auto and approve the connection when prompted.

Delete the phone from the car

If you are troubleshooting, remove the phone from the car as well.

Open the car infotainment settings.

Go to Bluetooth, connected devices, phone projection, Android Auto, or smartphone settings.

Find your phone.

Choose delete, forget, or remove.

This clears the connection from the car side.

Restart both systems

After removing the car and phone connection, restart everything.

Restart your Android phone.

Turn the car off fully.

Open and close the driver door if needed so the infotainment system powers down.

Wait briefly.

Start the car again.

This helps both systems forget the old connection properly.

Add the car again with wired Android Auto

For wired Android Auto, use a good quality USB data cable.

Plug the phone into the correct Android Auto USB port.

Unlock your phone.

Watch for prompts on both the phone and car screen.

Approve Android Auto permissions.

Allow access to calls, contacts, messages, notifications, microphone, Bluetooth, and location if prompted.

Android Auto should add the car back to the previously connected cars list.

Add the car again with wireless Android Auto

For wireless Android Auto, make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both enabled.

Put the car into phone pairing mode.

Open Bluetooth settings on your phone.

Select your car from the available devices.

Confirm the pairing code.

Approve all prompts.

If your car supports wireless Android Auto, the car should offer to start Android Auto wirelessly after pairing.

Check that Android Auto starts correctly

After reconnecting, turn the car off and let the infotainment system shut down.

Start the car again.

For wired Android Auto, plug in the phone and check whether Android Auto opens.

For wireless Android Auto, keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on and wait for the connection.

If it starts correctly, the old car profile was likely part of the problem.

Keep the list tidy

If you connect your phone to hire cars, courtesy cars, or borrowed vehicles, remove them afterwards.

This keeps Android Auto settings cleaner and can reduce connection confusion.

It also prevents your phone from trying to reconnect to cars you no longer use.

Optional methods or tools

• Use the Settings search bar to find Android Auto quickly
• Remove duplicate entries if Android Auto connects inconsistently
• Delete the phone from the car’s connected devices list when troubleshooting
• Use a reliable USB data cable when adding a car again
• Keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled when setting up wireless Android Auto

Best practices or tips

• Remove hire cars, courtesy cars, and old vehicles from Android Auto settings
• Delete duplicate car entries after phone or infotainment updates
• Remove the phone from both Android Auto and the car when resetting a connection
• Approve all prompts during setup while parked
• Keep only the cars you actively use in the connected cars list

Managing cars in Android Auto settings is useful when connections become unreliable or when your phone has been paired with several vehicles. Old, rejected, or duplicated car profiles can stop Android Auto from connecting smoothly.

The cleanest reset is to remove the car from Android Auto settings, delete the phone from the car’s device list, restart both systems, and set the connection up again. Keeping the previously connected cars list tidy can make Android Auto more reliable, especially if you regularly use more than one vehicle.