Android Auto not available for Pixel 3

kaccatu I'm just wondering if GrapheneOS team would be able to enable the Android Auto app install feature from App Store for old & unsupported devices?

No. Upgrade your phone.

kaccatu The App Store app will only install Android Auto on devices running Android 14 or higher. You won't be able to run Android Auto because the changes GrapheneOS made to make Android Auto work without being a privileged app aren't included in Android 12. The reason it works on the stock OS is because Android Auto is installed as a privileged app, so it doesn't crash like it does on GrapheneOS before support was added.

The Pixel 3 is no longer supported. If you want a device with GrapheneOS and Android Auto, you will have to get a supported device.

It's not just about enabling it, there's a continuous maintenance burden with keeping Google Play, and thus Android Auto too, functional in their sandboxed state. A lot of moving parts that will break down if no more updates come in.

kaccatu The Pixel 3 does not officially support Android 13 and don't expect to get it right with the Pixel Experience which is an abandoned project, you need a supported device with full system and firmware updates.

A better option for you will be to try DivestOS: https://divestos.org/pages/devices#device-blueline

kaccatu Well, my counter argument to that is that the GrapheneOS on Pixel3 is working perfectly fine with the sandboxed Google Play. Whats there to maintain now that its not even receiving any more updates or fixes?

Your device is unmaintained and thus in an unsupported state. Sure, you can use your Pixel 3 for offline or niche purposes, but expect anything but security or compatibility. Once Google drops support for it upstream, naturally GrapheneOS will need to drop support as well.

As for Android Auto, unless there is an unofficial (and unrecommended) method that can install Android Auto with privileges, I don't think there is much you can do besides getting a newer supported Pixel. You can get a cheap Pixel 7a on the market now with the Pixel 9 rolling out soon.

kaccatu the GrapheneOS on Pixel3 is working perfectly fine with the sandboxed Google Play.

kaccatu Whats there to maintain now that its not even receiving any more updates or fixes?

GmsCompatConfig limits the max version of Google Play you can update to, so you're on an old version there. You can't update Google Play because the configuration that makes it possible to run Google Play unprivileged is outdated as well, it won't support recent Google Play because that's a moving target. Android Auto has a dependency on Google Play, and that taken alone for itself also stops working if you don't update it. And now we've come full circle because GmsCompat must be updated to accommodate for Android Auto, alongside all the rest. Plus I reckon this whole structure is ever so evolving across new Android versions.

Google Play and Android Auto were not designed to handle these out of the ordinary restrictions imposed onto them, the stock operating system doesn't do any of that so it's not a problem there.

I agree that the old Pixels are still excellent devices and would be perfectly fine for the majority of users... If it wasn't for the update politics. It's borderline planned obsolescence and while I understand the business perspective of this, it's just sad on so many levels.

I loved my Pixel 3a and would still use it today if Google and Qualcomm were willing or forced to keep them secure. But it is what it is, at least we arrived at 7 years of support by now, although I'm sure current devices would still excel in running GOS over a decade into the future (with a new battery which is not too hard to replace).

I think most people here are with the OP, it would be nice to use the perfectly functional Pixel devices from 5+ years ago. But we have to face reality, and security is too important to ignore, especially on the most secure and private mobile OS there is...

I am assuming this also applies to a Pixel 4a which is still supported under legacy extended support. I can't find that information anywhere, nor do I see it in the documentation about Android 14 being the oldest supported version for AA. It would be nice if it were mentioned in the GrapheneOS documentation that Android Auto required Android 14 or higher in order to work, rather than having to scour the forum and reddit to find out why AA isn't showing up inside the app store.