Just like Google Chrome and Calendar, Android Auto could also stop functioning on older devices in the future. It means if your device is running on an older version of the OS, then you might not be able to take benefits of the Android Auto functionalities for a long time.
According to the information, the latest 11.0 version of Android Auto text in the code makes it clear that users will soon be notified of a need to update to a newer version of Android, to run the application further and the Android Oreo could be the new minimum requirement.
In addition to phone notifications, Android Auto may also display a similar warning of upgrading to the latest OS on your car’s infotainment screen. So, if you are using Android Nougat instead of a more recent version, then upgrade to a new device, before you lose access to enjoy various functionalities.
However, the alerts to upgrade to the new OS have not yet been rolled out to devices, which means, Android Auto will continue functioning on Nougat for some more time. For recall, Nougat was initially released in 2016 and was the Android version that came preinstalled on the first-generation Pixel phones.
