How to Access Google Assistant Driving Mode Settings

This article explains how to access Google Assistant driving mode settings.

How Do I Access Google Assistant Driving Mode?

You can access Google Assistant driving mode at any time by saying, “Hey Google, let’s drive.” You can also access it automatically whenever your phone connects to your vehicle’s Bluetooth or when your phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle, but only if you change some driving mode settings.

How to Access Google Assistant Driving Mode Settings

Unlike Android Auto, Google Assistant driving mode doesn’t have a dedicated app. Instead, it’s part of Google Assistant, so you access driving mode settings through Google Assistant. In addition, if driving mode is active on your phone, you can also access the settings directly through driving mode.

Here’s how to access and use driving mode settings through Google Assistant:

1. Say, “Hey Google.”
   

2. Say, “Open assistant settings.”
   

3. Tap Transportation.
   

4. Tap Driving mode.
   

5. Make sure the When navigating in Google Maps toggle is on.
   

6. In the When connected to car’s Bluetooth section, tap either Launch driving mode or Ask before launching.
   

   If you select Ask before launching, you will receive a prompt on your phone when it connects to your vehicle’s Bluetooth. To start driving mode, you will need to accept the prompt manually. If you want driving mode to start automatically, select Launch driving mode instead.

7. In the When driving is detected section, tap Ask before launching or Do nothing.
   

   Select Ask before launching if you want to be able to use driving mode in a vehicle that doesn’t have Bluetooth.

8. Tap Hey Google detection.
   

9. Make sure that at least one of the toggles is turned on.
   

   If both toggles are off, you’ll have to tap the microphone icon in driving mode whenever you want to issue a voice command.

10. Tap the back arrow.
    

11. In the Calls & messages section, tap the Allow incoming calls while driving toggle and the Get messaging help while driving toggle.
    

    If you leave these toggles off, you won’t be able to receive calls in driving mode, and Google Assistant won’t give you the option to read your text messages when you’re driving.

How to Access Google Assistant Driving Mode Settings From Driving Mode

When driving mode is active, you can access the settings directly through the driving mode interface.

Here’s how to access driving mode settings when driving mode is active:

1. Start Google Assistant Driving Mode.
   

2. Tap the app launcher (four boxes) icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
   

3. Tap Settings.
   

   These basic settings let you toggle driving-friendly messages and quickly allow or turn off incoming calls.

4. For the more advanced settings, tap More settings.
   

   When you tap More Settings, it takes you to the settings menu referenced in the previous section.

How to Access Google Assistant Driving Mode Settings From Google Maps

Driving mode is designed to activate when you initiate navigation from Google Maps. When that happens, you also have the option to access driving mode settings directly from that screen.

Here’s how to access driving mode settings from Google Maps:

1. Select a destination in Google Maps, and start navigation.
   

2. Tap the app launcher (four boxes) icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
   

3. These basic settings allow you to toggle driving-friendly messages and incoming calls. You can tap More settings to access all of the driving mode settings.
   

How Do I Turn Off Google Driving Mode?

If you want to close driving mode and return to the standard Android interface, there are a couple of ways to do it. With driving mode active, you can tap the circle icon at the bottom of the screen to return to the Android home screen. You can also tap the crossed-out car icon in the upper right corner then tap I’m not driving to close driving mode immediately.

If you don’t want driving mode to activate at all, follow these steps:

1. Say, “Hey Google.”
   

2. Say, “Open Assistant settings.”
   

3. Tap Transportation.
   

4. Tap Driving mode.
   

5. Turn off the When navigating in Google Maps toggle.
   

6. Tap Do nothing in the When connected to car’s Bluetooth section.
   

7. Tap Do nothing in the When driving is detected section.
   

8. Driving mode will no longer activate automatically, but you can still say, “Hey Google, let’s drive” to start it manually.