Samsung Android + NordVPN + Sync = #&*#@$!!!

[DCBuckeye]

Looking to see if anyone else has had this issue and, if so, what they've done to solve it. (And, yes, split tunneling for Android Auto is enabled in the NordVPN app.)

Problem: Several times a week, I'll get the following error message: "Wireless connection failed. The wireless connection with your phone failed. Please connect your phone via usb to use android auto"

Setup: Samsung S21 Android; NordVPN with Android Auto confirmed as whitelisted for split tunneling

Troubleshooting steps so far: Switching airplane mode on and off, rebooting the phone, turning the car off for several minutes, disabling nordvpn

So far, the only reliable solutions have been turning off the car, and disabling NordVPN. Airplane mode and reboots sometimes work, sometimes do not. Oddly, when the NordVPN turns back on, there is no problem with continuing the connection.

Short of chucking the vpn or constantly doing this dance, anyone have any suggestions?

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[roadpilot]

Use the USB cable.

Mine has been finicky (not running a VPN client), so ...

 

[Carter1776]

usually when i get this error, no VPN, i go to my Bluetooth settings and disconnect from the car via my phone and then go to android auto on the cars screen, disconnect there as well. I then turn Bluetooth on and click the car, and then at the same time, reconnect android auto on the screen, usually works every time.

 

[P2]

I would also get this exact error consistently at the same intersection down the road from me. I have also had it happen at other intersections as well. I believe that there is some signal being emitted from those intersections that is interfering/crashing the wireless connection between your Android Auto and the car itself. What that signal is, I don't know. I have also had Android Auto act squirrelly on occasion. For some unknown reason when I turned on my car and Android Auto connected it started play the major league baseball channel by default on my Sirius XM radio. I didn't even have it listed as a favorite in my system. I got fed up with the quirky behavior of Android Auto and have since disabled it so it doesn't launch on my system. I actually like it without it. Don't think I will be going back...

 

[dbroush7]

Looking to see if anyone else has had this issue and, if so, what they've done to solve it. (And, yes, split tunneling for Android Auto is enabled in the NordVPN app.)

Problem: Several times a week, I'll get the following error message: "Wireless connection failed. The wireless connection with your phone failed. Please connect your phone via usb to use android auto"

Setup: Samsung S21 Android; NordVPN with Android Auto confirmed as whitelisted for split tunneling

Troubleshooting steps so far: Switching airplane mode on and off, rebooting the phone, turning the car off for several minutes, disabling nordvpn

So far, the only reliable solutions have been turning off the car, and disabling NordVPN. Airplane mode and reboots sometimes work, sometimes do not. Oddly, when the NordVPN turns back on, there is no problem with continuing the connection.

Short of chucking the vpn or constantly doing this dance, anyone have any suggestions?

I have the exact same problem unless I turn off the VPN before I turn on the car.

 

[roadpilot]

If my phone and Sync ever stop communicating wirelessly (Android Auto), all I do is:

Go into the Sync settings
Tap Phone List
Select my phone
IIRC there are three round (virtual) buttons to show what the phone is connected for: Calls, Music, and AA

(I assume for iPhone users, the one on the far right would be CarPlay, not AA).

AA button will be lit up if connected, even if Sync and the phone have given up communicating. The other two are NOT lit up if AA is connected but will light up if I disconnect AA.

All I do is tap the AA button. This disconnects Sync from my phone (this lights up the Call and Music buttons). Then I tap it a second time (that lights up the AA button and shuts the other two off).

This restores the connection between Sync and my phone and all starts working again.

No need to restart the phone, reset the APIM or anything else. This happens once every two or three drives, maybe. Happens in my F150, too.

 

[Basitbulusi]

Split tunneling’s supposed to stop stuff like this, but honestly, it doesn’t always work right with some devices or apps. I’ve had similar issues where even with apps whitelisted, the VPN still caused weird problems—sounds like that might be what’s happening with NordVPN and Android Auto for you.What worked for me was switching to a proxy server instead of a VPN. Basically, proxies let you route specific apps without locking down your whole connection, so it doesn’t mess with everything else running on your phone."

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