Mobile Phones > Android How to Start Google Assistant Driving Mode Start it automatically or launch it yourself By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Facebook Twitter Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 17, 2021 Reviewed by Jon Fisher Reviewed by Jon Fisher Wichita Technical Institute Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Android Switching from iOS What to Know Say "Hey Google, open Assistant Settings," go to See All Assistant Settings > Transportation > Driving Mode > toggle on Launch driving mode. Once you've enabled driving mode, you can connect your car's Bluetooth and tap the driving mode notification on your phone.You can also say, "Hey Google, let's drive," to launch driving mode at any time. Google Assistant driving mode is designed to help you use your phone safely when you're driving. It allows you to send and receive messages and calls, control media, and perform other useful functions with your voice so that you don't need to take your eyes off the road. Here's how to use it. Google Assistant driving mode was introduced with Android 12, and it requires an Android phone with Android version 9.0 or newer, at least 4GB of RAM, and it’s only available in a limited number of countries. If you can’t start driving mode, make sure your phone meets the minimum requirements and that it’s fully updated. How Do I Use Google Driving Assistant? There are three ways to start Google Assisting driving mode: Voice command: Say, "Hey Google, let's drive" to start driving mode at any time. Automatically: You can set up driving mode to automatically start whenever your phone connects to your vehicle's Bluetooth or whenever your phone detects that you're in a vehicle. Google Maps: When you create a route in Google Maps and initiate navigation, driving mode starts automatically. Once the driving mode is active, you can use it by issuing any compatible voice command or tapping the screen. Driving mode switches the regular Android interface into a card-based interface that's easier to see at a glance. When driving mode is active, you can also access many useful apps by tapping the app launcher that appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. You can tap the launcher icon for quick access to settings, media apps, and more. How Do I Start Google Assistant Driving Mode With Voice? If your phone supports Google Assistant driving mode, then you can start it at any time with a voice command. Google Assistant launches driving mode immediately when you use the command, even if you aren't in your car yet. Here's how to start driving mode with a voice command: Say, “Hey Google.” When Google Assistant opens, say, “Let’s drive.” Driving mode will launch. How Do I Set up Driving Mode? If you want driving mode to launch automatically, you need to set it up. The two options are to have it launch whenever your phone connects to your vehicle’s Bluetooth or whenever your phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. You can also enable both options. How to Access Google Assistant Driving Mode Settings Here’s how to set up driving mode: Say, “Hey Google, open Assistant settings.” Select See all Assistant Settings > Transportation. Tap Driving Mode. Locate the When connection to car’s Bluetooth section. Tap the Launch driving mode toggle or the Ask before launching toggle. If you select Ask before launching, you will need to manually confirm driving mode whenever your phone connects to your vehicle’s Bluetooth. Locate the When driving is detected section. Tap Ask before launching if you want to use driving mode without a Bluetooth connection. This option is helpful if your vehicle doesn’t have Bluetooth or if you want to use driving mode when borrowing a car or when traveling as a passenger. How Do I Put Driving Mode on Google Maps? If your phone supports driving mode, it will launch when you initiate navigation through Google Maps. Here’s how to use driving mode with Google Maps: Open Google Maps and enter a destination. Tap Start. Google Maps navigation will start in driving mode. What Can You Do With Android’s Driving Mode? FAQ How do I turn off Google Assistant driving mode? To disable Google Assistant driving mode, say "Hey Google, open Assistant settings" and tap See all Assistant Settings > Transportation > Driving Mode. Under Launch Driving Mode, toggle off When Navigating in Google Maps. Then, under When Connected to Car's Bluetooth, tap Do Nothing. Under When Driving is Detected, select Do Nothing. How do I get Google Assistant to read texts while driving? To hear messages while you drive with Google Assistant, make sure Google Assistant driving mode is enabled on your Android device. Then, say, “Hey Google, turn on auto-read.” When you get a new message, Google Assistant will read it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up! Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit