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--- manual:user_guide:android_auto [2026/04/24 11:47] – mstupka
+++ manual:user_guide:android_auto [2026/04/24 14:26] (current) – mstupka
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-====== Android Auto ======
+{{ :android_auto.jpg?nolink|}}
+====== Android Auto ======
 <wrap info>Only available with **[[premium|Premium Gold]]**</wrap>
-<WRAP center round todo 60%>
-**...page in progress...**
-</WRAP>
 ----
-===== About =====
-With Android Auto, you can launch Locus Map from your phone onto the dashboard of a supported vehicle or third-party device—whether it’s a car or a motorcycle. In this case, the app features a customized interface designed for easier and safer use by the driver.\\ {{ :manual:user_guide:android_auto01.jpg?nolink |}}
-===== Maps =====
+This guide explains how to use Locus Map on your car's display via Android Auto — choosing a map, searching for destinations, navigating, and controlling the app from your phone while connected.
-You can  display any map you have in Locus Map on your car’s dashboard. Whether it’s our LoMaps in online or offline versions, road maps, hiking maps, satellite maps, or maps from your favorite publisher.
+===== Before you start =====
+  * Make sure Locus Map is installed and set up on your phone.
+  * Connect your phone to your vehicle via Android Auto (wired or wireless, depending on the car).
+  * Launch Locus Map from the Android Auto app menu on the vehicle's display.
+===== Displaying the map =====
+==== Choosing which map to show ====
+Locus Map can display any map you have available in the mobile app — LoMaps (online or offline), satellite imagery, or maps from third-party providers.
+  * By default, the map is selected automatically based on your phone settings.
+  * To pick a different map, open the map selector directly in Android Auto.\\ {{ :manual:user_guide:android_auto02.jpg?nolink |}}
+<WRAP center round tip>
+**Recommended:** Use the **offline version of LoMap**. Offline maps remain available even when you lose signal, and they support rotating place names to match your direction of travel.
+</WRAP>
+==== Controlling the map ====
+On the **vehicle display**, you can:
+  * **Pan and recenter** the map
+  * **Zoom** in and out
+  * Enable or disable map **rotation**\\ {{ :manual:user_guide:android_auto03.jpg?nolink |}}
+<WRAP center round info>
+During active navigation, the **map refreshes once per second**, in line with the location update rate.
+</WRAP>
+=== Automatic zoom during navigation ===
+When navigation starts, Locus Map switches to the **Auto preset** and restores your previous settings when navigation ends.
+To **customize** automatic zoom by speed:
+  - Open Locus Map on your phone.
+  - Find the [[.:settings:presets|Auto preset]] in the app settings.
+  - Adjust the [[.:settings:control#automatic_zooming|zoom-by-speed behavior]] — it will apply the next time you navigate via Android Auto.
+=== Day and night mode ===
+By default, Locus Map switches between light and dark modes based on the **lighting conditions reported by the vehicle.** You can change this behavior in the [[.:settings:control#dark_theme|app settings]] if you prefer a fixed mode.
+<WRAP center round info>
+Note: dark mode currently renders the map as an inversion of the light theme, which may not look ideal with every map type. A dedicated dark LoMap theme is planned for a future release.
+</WRAP>
+==== Showing waypoints, routes, and overlays ====
+You can display extra content on top of the base map:
+  * **Custom waypoints, including geocaches** — tap one to see its basic info or start turn-by-turn navigation to it.
+  * **Planned routes** prepared in the mobile app or web planner.
+  * **Auxiliary graphics**: time and distance circles, azimuth and direction lines, and dynamic elevation data near the cursor.
+  * **Map overlays**, for example, cadastral data from the WMS/WMTS library.
+===== Searching for a destination =====
+{{ :manual:user_guide:android_auto04.jpg?nolink |}}\\
+Locus Map performs a **full-text search for points of interest** (gas stations, restaurants, accommodation, campgrounds, etc.) and for **mailing addresses**.
+  * **When stationary**: use the keyboard or voice search via the vehicle's audio system.
+  * **While driving**: only **voice search is available**, for safety reasons.
+  * **Search history is shared with the mobile app**, so anything you searched for earlier on your phone shows up in Android Auto autocomplete.
+**Once you've picked a result, you can start turn-by-turn navigation straight away.**
+===== Navigating =====
+You can navigate either to a **single destination** or along a **pre-planned route**.\\ {{ :manual:user_guide:android_auto01.jpg?nolink |}}
+==== Choosing a destination ====
+There are three ways to pick a destination in Android Auto:
+  * **Select a custom waypoint** (for example, a geocache).
+  * **Search for a place or address**.
+  * **Tap directly on the map** — Locus Map fills in the address automatically.
+==== Route calculation modes ====
+Two modes are available:
+  * **Fast** — prioritizes the shortest travel time.
+  * **Economy** — optimizes for fuel efficiency.
-The map is automatically selected based on your phone’s settings, though you can override this setting directly in Android Auto. You can center the map, zoom in and out, and enable or disable rotation.  For best results, we recommend choosing the offline version of LoMap. Not only will this ensure that you can see the map while driving, even if you lose signal, but these maps also support rotating place names on the map to match the direction of travel.
+The app **remembers your last choice** and confirms it automatically after 5 seconds the next time you start navigation. You can **change the mode before it confirms**.
-The map refresh rate is now determined by the location update frequency. In practice, this means one map refresh per second during active navigation. We are working on ways to make the display smoother.
+===== Using your phone and Android Auto at the same time =====
-In navigation mode, Locus Map automatically applies the “Auto” preset and reverts the settings to their original state when navigation ends. So, if you want to customize the automatic map zoom settings based on speed, locate the corresponding “Auto” preset in Locus Map on your mobile phone.
+Locus Map can be controlled on **both the vehicle display and your phone simultaneously**. Use this when you want to:
-By default, the app automatically switches between light and dark modes based on the lighting conditions provided by the vehicle. If this behavior is undesirable for your use, you can configure it differently. In dark mode, the map is currently rendered as an inversion of the light mode. In some cases, the result may not be ideal. However, we plan to release a dedicated LoMap dark theme in the future.
+  * **Change** the destination or navigation content on the fly from your phone.
+  * Use features that **aren't available on the vehicle screen**, such as **track recording**.

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