If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Excalibur]

Peter, do yourself a favour and get a Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL, both currently £50 off at £349 & £419 respectively: https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_3a

Proper Android, great phones for the price.

All I need is an app/program which allows me to send and receive texts over an Android phone in a car. The old Nokia/Lumia phones could do this natively, without further help, that's what rankles. No matter how may apps I try which are guaranteed to work thus, they just don't. Android Auto manages to ring people of its own accord at three in the morning, as I drive home.

[rth_discos]

Google assistant does this


You don't need android auto running to use Google assistant

[Marc J]

All I need is an app/program which allows me to send and receive texts over an Android phone in a car.

Android Auto has done this for some time, for incoming messages from SMS, RCS or WhatsApp. It'll read them out to you, and ask if you want to reply (dictate), or give you the option of a one-touch automated "I'm currently driving" reply.

Android Auto manages to ring people of its own accord at three in the morning, as I drive home.

Sausage fingers? Is your phone docked in the vehicle?

[Excalibur]

Google assistant does this


You don't need android auto running to use Google assistant

No it well won't

Android Auto has done this for some time, for incoming messages from SMS, RCS or WhatsApp. It'll read them out to you, and ask if you want to reply (dictate), or give you the option of a one-touch automated "I'm currently driving" reply.

I refer my colleague to the previous reply.

Sausage fingers? Is your phone docked in the vehicle?

Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people.

[Marc J]

I refer my colleague to the previous reply.

Something's not right. Pure Android (Pixel phones) works a treat, you'll have some manufacturer garbage on your phone that's interfering with the way things should work

Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people.

Which is why it should be docked. I have a metal plate between my phone and it's case (the case has an indent for this), and a magnetic mount in the car. Works a treat

[rth_discos]

Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people.

Touch?

It's all hands free - you just talk to it.

'OK Google - send a WhatsApp message to Pete - it all works fine'

[Excalibur]

Touch?

It's all hands free - you just talk to it.

'OK Google - send a WhatsApp message to Pete - it all works fine'

Mayhap. Problem is, the bugger keeps schtum when one comes in, and doesn't let me know.

[rth_discos]

Mayhap. Problem is, the bugger keeps schtum when one comes in, and doesn't let me know.

I'm somewhat confused now. What's that got to do with touching it and it phoning people?

My phone has a little LED light in the top corner that lights up when I have a notification (different colour for different notifications).

[Excalibur]

I'm somewhat confused now. What's that got to do with touching it and it phoning people?

My phone has a little LED light in the top corner that lights up when I have a notification (different colour for different notifications).

Let's go back to the Good Old Days of pre W10 Nokia phones. I drive my van, and somebody texts me. Radio asks if I want to read it, I say yes, hear it and may reply. Years ago, a colleague and mate were travelling down one motorway, while I was on another, heading to the same place. His passenger was texting me, and receiving virtually instant responses, which baffled and worried them, as they couldn't work out how I could safely drive and text!

Forward to W10/Android, and in the same scenario, I don't hear a thing,( or possibly I get a notification, but can't reply ) but when I stop and look at my phone, I've got a message, which I only see when I wake the phone up.

Progress? Not in my book. In answer to Marc's point about things interfering, I've tried apps to make this work, and probably one of them is now fouling things up even more, I'll admit.

[rth_discos]

Forward to W10/Android, and in the same scenario, I don't hear a thing,( or possibly I get a notification, but can't reply ) but when I stop and look at my phone, I've got a message, which I only see when I wake the phone up.

Gotcha

I have my phone on a mount on the screen.

My phone is my Sat Nav, so if I'm following Google Maps home, then I see notifications on screen easily. Google Maps is my preferred option - even for routes I already know as the live traffic updates route me the quickest way to the venue, avoiding any traffic incidents or road closures (helped me avoid an M3 closure I wasn't aware of one night).

Additionally, if I'm not using the Sat Nav, my phone lights up the moment I get a text (screen comes on and shows I have a message). I can then ask Google to read the message to me.

I don't think there's any option for it to override the radio to announce a message - and I think the majority of people wouldn't want that - hence why it doesn't do that (although I can see it would be a useful feature to at least have as an option to turn on).

Hope the above helps - if you don't use Google Maps for your route home, then I highly recommend it, even when you know the route home.