How to Find and Hide Apps on Android Auto

The disappearing act is not necessarily Android Auto's fault. On Samsung phones, a system feature automatically disables apps that have not been used recently to save battery life, and those disabled apps are also removed from Android Auto's launcher until they are reactivated. The apps themselves stay on the phone, so nothing is permanently lost.

To make an app visible in Android Auto again, find it on your phone and launch it, updating it first if necessary. After that, reconnect to Android Auto; the next time you open the app launcher in your car, the app should appear again. No settings menu or reinstallation is needed — simply launching the app signals to Android that it is active.

If you want to prevent apps from being auto-disabled in the first place, open your phone's Settings and navigate to Battery or Battery and device care, then Background usage limits. Look for the option labeled “Auto disable unused apps” or “Put unused apps to sleep” and turn it off. That stops Android from hiding apps you rarely open.

For users who want to hide apps they do not actually use, Android Auto has no dedicated button to long-press and remove an icon. Instead, you can customize which apps appear by going to Settings on your car's display, then Connected devices, Android Auto and Customize launcher. Check the boxes for apps you want to see and uncheck the ones you do not need.

It also helps to remember that not every phone app is compatible with Android Auto. Only applications designed to work with the platform, such as messaging services, Google Maps and Spotify, will show up in the launcher; games or video streaming apps like Netflix will not be listed, no matter how many times you open them. The same customization method works for both wired and wireless Android Auto connections.