C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung Auto already exists as an Android Auto alternative in China but requires specific regional software and hardware to function.
- “Samsung Auto DeX” refers to an unofficial workaround enabling Samsung Auto functionality on non-support head units via desktop mode casting.
- Despite ongoing speculation, we could not locate confirmed evidence that suggests Samsung is officially developing “Auto DeX” as a distinct feature.
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are the two most popular ways to use your smartphone’s features through your car’s head unit. Apple CarPlay is compatible with all recent iPhones, while Android Auto is compatible with practically all Android phones that have Google Play Services, so most people don’t wonder why other OEMs like Samsung aren’t working on their own implementations. Recently, reports started doing the rounds of Samsung working on a feature called “Samsung Auto DeX,” which many claimed to be an Android Auto alternative. The truth about Samsung Auto DeX is a little complicated, though, so hear me out.
First reports about Samsung Auto DeX
X user Galaxy Techie showed off a “first look” at Samsung’s “Auto DeX” functionality. The user claimed that the feature supports more than 8,500 car models across over 120 car brands.
Further, the user claimed Samsung Auto DeX can be used even if your car doesn’t support it, and even if you don’t have a car in the first place. This DeX is claimed to work even if the phone doesn’t support DeX.
In follow-up posts, the X user also mentioned that Samsung Auto DeX won’t replace Android Auto. However, the user also noted that Samsung is bringing its own version of Android Auto. Despite sounding contradictory, both of these statements are correct, but much context is missing on what Samsung Auto DeX actually is.
So, what is Samsung Auto DeX?
Before we answer what Samsung Auto DeX is, it is essential to lay the groundwork for Samsung Auto.
What is Samsung Auto, and does it really exist?
Samsung already has an Android Auto alternative in the form of Samsung Auto. Yes, Samsung Auto already exists, but it is restricted to regions like China where Android Auto doesn’t work (because Google Play Services don’t exist there, which is a requirement for Android Auto).
Samsung hasn’t mentioned any plans for bringing Samsung Auto to global markets, nor has the company shared any reasons why it doesn’t already provide the feature for its Galaxy smartphones in international markets. Presumptively, there could be exclusivity agreements with Google to keep using Android Auto to avoid fragmentation, but there could also be operational reasons, like localization and distribution challenges.
Samsung Auto already exists, but it is restricted to regions like China where Android Auto doesn’t work.
Redditor FrostyAd7433 explains that if you want to use Samsung Auto outside of China, simply installing the Samsung Auto APK on your Galaxy smartphone will not work. You will also need the Samsung-developed Baidu CarLife+ plugin, available only in the Chinese version of the Samsung App Store. If you manage to locate a mirror and install the plugin too on your Galaxy device, you can get Samsung Auto working on a compatible head unit.
Redditor FrostyAd7433 already shared some screenshots of the UI a month ago, but it’s still fascinating to those of us who missed the memo at the time:
The trick to using Samsung Auto outside China is having access to a “compatible head unit.” The Redditor used a Ford SYNC 3 head unit to get these screenshots, a head unit model that is the same across all regions and markets. The head unit still needed to be reconfigured and set as a “Chinese” unit to unlock Baidu support and eventually get Samsung Auto running.
Samsung Auto DeX: The missing context
We got access to the latest Samsung Auto APKs and reviewed the code within. Unfortunately, the only mention of “Auto DeX” is in one of the package names, but there’s nothing within the app code itself. While this doesn’t confidently mean that the feature doesn’t exist, it points in that direction.
It turns out that Samsung Auto DeX isn’t an actual feature after all. It’s the name used to denote the unofficial workaround that hooks Samsung Auto into a DeX-like environment. This makes Samsung Auto easier to access on non-Chinese head units. The workaround involves enabling desktop mode on a secondary display and installing a receiver app to allow it to receive a cast session from the phone.
Samsung Auto DeX is the name of an unofficial workaround that makes Samsung Auto easier to access on non-Chinese head units.
If you do this successfully, you will get the same UI the X user Galaxy Techie shared. You can notice the DeX navigation bar in their screenshots, which doesn’t ordinarily make sense for a car-centric UI.
Hopefully, this clarifies some of the mystery regarding Samsung Auto DeX, even though it leaves a few questions unanswered. For one, the mention of Auto DeX in the package name is still throwing us off. It could be that Samsung is indeed working on a way to trigger an Android Auto/Samsung Auto-like experience on your phone and then mirror the entire experience to a car’s head unit, thereby justifying the “Auto DeX” name. We couldn’t locate code suggesting this is happening just yet, so make of that what you will.
