CarStream (previously YoutubeAuto) for Android Auto APK download and setup

2,440 Replies

Play Youtube Video on Android Auto using this app

Screen Shot 2017-12-31 at 10.04.28 AMVersion history :

29th Dec 2017 : v1.0 released

29th Dec 2017 : v1.0.1 released to fix install errors on Android API level < 21

30th Dec 2017 : v1.0.2 released with safety disabled. Safety was showing blank screen when fullscreen. Controller support for nontouch screen still pending.

30th Dec 2017 : v1.1.0 Controller support for non touch devices done. Includes fullscreen and back nav support as well.

1st Jan 2018 : v1.1.1 Fix for app not installed on Marshmallow and lower Android phones. Install this version if you face “App not installed” error

1st Jan 2018 : v1.1.2 Stability fixes and support to resume video if was playing before app was minimized.

2nd Jan 2018 : v1.1.3 Ability to open any website via “Google search” option. Also send any custom url from the phone app. The car app remembers the last url visited and loads it automatically.

2nd Jan 2018 : v1.2.0 Speech to text for youtube searches. Minor fix to controller inputs.

2nd Jan 2018 : v1.2.1 Possible first fix for audio volume not controllable.

3rd Jan 2018 : v1.2.2 Full screen videos can be toggled more easily due to floating toolbar. Speech recognising view not hiding bug fixed. Its clickable just in case it doesnt hide. Progressbar to show page load progress.

3rd Jan 2018 : v1.2.3 Possible second fix for audio volume not controllable on some cars

5th Jan 2018 : v1.2.4 Fixed black screen which appears sometimes. Possible third fix for volume control in some systems.

6th Jan 2018 : v1.3.0Night mode support for Youtube added. Switch on your headlights to see the magic.

9th Jan 2018 : v1.3.1 Full screen mode now persists across videos. No need to switch fullscreen mode for each video on a playlist. It also stays on across app launches. You also should see a slight page speed boost.

9th Jan 2018: v1.3.2 Initial implementation of playing local offline videos/music/images. To enable, open phone app, grant “external storage” permission, then long press on the home icon (to the right of back button) on the car to open the SDcard folders. Now you can select a file and play it fullscreen. (Demo)

12th Jan 2018: v1.4.0 Now you should be able to use steering mounted controls (for next and previous video). This update also allows a “somewhat” background playback which allows you to listen to the audio without the video, but the catch is that you have to select the video first using the UI and then switch to background mode. This update should fix any volume control issues you have been facing in the past. (Watch the Demo)

12th Jan 2018: v1.4.1 If you have crashed when accessing youtube purchased videos, this build will fix it.

13th Jan 2018: v1.4.2 Please uninstall all previous builds and install this one if “youtube auto” has suddenly disappeared from Android auto (from last 1-2 days). If you dont uninstall previous builds, there is a chance that 2 similar looking apps show up.

This is possible because Google has blocked my previous app. Still not 100% sure.

13th Jan 2018: v1.4.3 About link redirecting to 404 page fixed.

14th Jan 2018: v1.4.4 Safety Warning popup added which pops up everytime you start driving. This warning will disappear if you use handbrake/parking mode.

15th Jan 2018: v1.5.0Aspect ratio support to remove black bars. You can toggle between aspect ratios in full screen mode. Also irritating notifications have been removed.

15th Jan 2018: v1.5.1Fullscreen controls support for controllers, use right,left,up and center to seek, change aspect ratio and play/pause.

15th Jan 2018: v1.5.2Bug fixes for “I understand the risk” not clickable for some users. Fixed steering mounted controls not working the first time.

15th Jan 2018: v1.5.4Fix for “I understand the risk” button not clickable. Irritating notifications are back because without them there is no way to make steering controls work reliably. Will be fixed soon

18th Jan 2018: v1.6.0Youtube auto renamed to CarStream with new logo. Looks like google bannned again. So if previous app is not showing up, use this app.

19th Jan 2018: v1.6.1Youtube auto renamed to CarStream with new logo. Looks like google bannned again. So if previous app is not showing up, use this app.

25th Jan 2018: v1.7.0Bookmarks support added. Click on last icon on the top toolbar. Long press on a bookmark to delete. Demo

25th Jan 2018: v1.7.1 Italian and chinese translations added. Check the credits section for how to add more languages. Thanks to everyone (mentioend in credits) for translating.

26th Jan 2018: v1.7.2 External SD card support works with most devices. Look for the ‘external storage’ bookmark. French translation added.

27th Jan 2018: v1.7.3 Basic keyboard input added. Translations to finnish, portuguese, danish, turkish, french added. Thank you everyone

6th Feb 2018: v1.8.0 More translations added. Revamped local offline player. Now play SD Card videos with next and previous support. Also supports formats like MKV. Also Bookmarks issues have been fixed. For a full list of supported formats read ‘Standalone container formats’ on this page

6th Feb 2018: v1.8.1 Bug fix release,
issues related to local videos not playing correctly fixed.

7th Feb 2018: v1.8.2 Bug fix release for bookmark dpad support in non touch screens

8th Feb 2018: v1.8.3 Bug fix release for audio focus issues. If carstream overwrites other players, this version fixes it. Also local audio/video continues to play in background.

21st Jun 2018 : 2.0.0 Introduces a way to unlock carstream in rooted phones. Thanks to ‘slashmax’ for figuring out the trick.

The following message is shown if handbrake is not applied. Please make sure you use this app safely.
Android auto youtube warning

8th Feb 2018 : For raising bugs or enhancement requests please visit https://github.com/thekirankumar/youtube-android-auto/issues

Youtube Auto Latest Version
 (1537133 hits)
Youtube Auto Latest Version
Download

How to install the app

How to watch local videos of all formats on SD Card

Raising bugs, enhancement for new features

CarStream is developed and maintained by me in my free time. In order to efficiently manage my time, it would be great if you can use github for raising bugs and feature requests. I have been using this blog’s comments section till now for this, but it doesnt scale well. So if you put anything here, it will mostly get ignored. So please use github. I know its painful to create a github account, but it helps me. Before raising a github issue, check if the same issue exists, otherwise it will most likely be closed.
Use this link to reach github issues page

Debugging black screen issue

Black screen when switching on Youtube auto is usually related to Power saver mode on your phone. Some phones have it as “aggressive doze mode” or “advanced battery optimization”. For youtube auto to work seamlessly, you have to switch off power saver mode completely or disable it just for Youtube auto.

Also sometimes you can follow this trick of switching on youtube auto phone app on phone and then connecting to the car. Please try this on Xperia and Huawei phones. Also some huawei phones are not compatible with android auto in general. Even Waze doesnt work. Source

Disabling the bottom bar in fullscreen mode

Many users have requested this feature of hiding the nav bar when in fullscreen mode. Unfortunately google doesnt support this feature and we can expect google to give an API in future version of android auto. So this is not feasible.

Source code

If you want to add new features or checkout the code visit https://github.com/thekirankumar/youtube-android-auto/ Pull requests for new feature are welcome.

Donation

If you like this app, please make a donation.

My bitcoin (BTC) address 1MHUymspbm3FgJexAFcvxxq6QdHS9bJjZh

My paypal address https://paypal.me/thekirankumar2

My litecoin (LTC) address LXRkN1JDm1weqDL6WKCQRTcqqfPnSiGaCQ

Credits

Unofficial Android SDK https://github.com/martoreto/aauto-sdk Without this SDK this project wouldn’t exist. Thanks to Martoreto for reverse engineering the Waze app and coming up with a easy to use SDK and a sample app.

VideoEnabledWebview https://github.com/cprcrack/VideoEnabledWebView This webview makes fullscreen videos easy to implement.

Thanks for helping with translation :

German : Timo Neumeier
Russian : Ilja Skobelev
Italian : Gabriele Rizzo
Chinese : Nelson
French : Adil Bousfiha
Finnish : Joona Ahveninen & Raitsa
Portuguese: Daniel Stuart
Turkish: Ufuk Ata
Danish: Hayrullah Celik
Bulgarian : Boby
Polish : Krzysztof Białek
Estonian : Magnus Jaaska & Olev Kaas
Spanish : César Formica & Miceot

If you want to translate to your local language, please visit the github repository and raise a pull request or just mail me the strings.xml file at [email protected]

Note

Disclaimer :This is my personal project and I maintain it in my free time. The work here is in no way related to my Employer. It is a hobby project where I have not committed to anyone about maintaining it. With Google blocking every move, its getting more difficult to progress. You can imagine how it would be to fight as a one man army against google.

Unblocking instructions

[21st Jan 2018] Google has blocked the app multiple times till now and its becoming difficult for me to release just a new version to unblock it. Here are some tricks to do it yourself when google blocks the app.

Google blocks the app’s package name. This is how apps identify themselves and google is able to block the app easily by just identifying my app’s package name and then blocking it. As a workaround, if you are an android developer, just clone the source code and change the package name in build.gradle as well on the google-services.json file.

If you are not a developer, I recommend you use APK Editor Pro app (Its a paid app, but the apks are available everywhere). It allows you to change package names of any app without creating the APK yourself.

  • Download APK editor PRO (free version doesnt allow many features)
  • Open the settings and click “sign APK with” and select “key created by APK Editor”
  • Exit settings and come back to main menu
  • click “Select APK from app”
  • select the car stream apk
  • select “Full Edit”
  • click on the third tab on bottom called “manifest”
  • click on the second line from top called “manifest xmlns:android….
  • click on “package” and change the package name to anything you want. This is the most important step. You should use something which is unique to you. Use maybe your name or username in it. Do not use special character except “dot”. If your name is john doe, use maybe “com.johndoe.testapp” as the package name. Be creative here, because this is what google uses to block the app
  • Click save button, be careful not to press cancel.
  • Now click the build button on the top-right corner of the screen
  • This will take a few seconds and finish the creating a new APK
  • [IMPORTANT] Once it finishes, uninstall the old version of car stream. If you dont uninstall, the new APK wont install
  • Now go back to APK pro and press install the new apk you created which has your custom package name
  • After installation, Car Stream should work for you


If you get install issues with APK editor, try APK cloner. It doesn’t let you change package name, but it automatically chooses a package name and is easy to use and free.
If google blocks the apk again, come back here to this section for a new workaround.

8th Feb 2018 : For raising bugs or enhancement requests please visit https://github.com/thekirankumar/youtube-android-auto/issues

Incoming search terms:

2,440 thoughts on “CarStream (previously YoutubeAuto) for Android Auto APK download and setup”

  5. CATINIELLO

    HI, finally working on my FORD FIESTA PLUS 1.5 TDI with Sync 3. The most important part has been to INSTALL apk editor pro NOT FROM APTOIDE, but on GOOGLE PLAY STORE esactly. Then working very well.
    Any way, i want this app must appear the KEYBOARD ON DISPLAY so i can navigate to internet website and writing all i want for searching something…IT IS POSSIBLE?

    Reply ↓
  7. flyfoxx

    Hi,

    Once clicking the “last button”, there is no way to select the options for non-touch screen car. The up and down buttons won’t go “into” the selection panels.

    Reply ↓
  8. Quikbrav

    Hi, thanks for the app but since 1.6.1 I can not make it work, neither with app editor nor app cloner, it goes black, please a link from the cloner app that works for them, thanks

    Reply ↓
  10. Ryan

    Anyone figure out which websites work? I’m trying to access Netflix and DirecTV Now but when I log in and try to watch something, it sends me to the play store to download the app. Any way of letting it recognize as desktop mode?

    Reply ↓
  11. Sissi91

    I’m using your app since the very first day and you already improved a lot! But to use it with a controller is still somehow difficult. I just don’t know how to help you in that case, if you tell me how to help I will! The problem is for you, that the implementation of a controller in the emulator is very bad…. thanks for a replay and for your work.

    Reply ↓
  13. Kevin

    Thank you for the excellent work you are doing on this project. It has great potential.

    I have a 2017 Audi with a scroll wheel, but no touchscreen. It is very difficult to navigate the app with that. I can usually move from place to place by clicking the scroll wheel left or right, up or down (rather than turning it), but that is very cumbersome. (I don’t seem to be able to easily move through the items on the top menu no matter what I do.) It would be great if there were a way to scroll through the menu and the pages by simply turning the scroll wheel.

    Reply ↓
  14. Anthony weinman

    How can I click on the bar to type anything? It lets me click on it but does not pull up a keyboard or any thing. If I press and hold it pops up to paste but I can’t paste any thing. Any help would be awesome. Thanks!

    Reply ↓
  15. leonardo iodice

    Some suggestions for the developer. Please make sure that the videos are seen in FULL SCREEN format with the possibility to hide the UNDERLYING BAR. Furthermore, the KEYBOARD must always appear so that you can also write in the browser to search for websites or other videos

    Reply ↓
  16. Claudio

    Installed latest version of Carstream … modified with Apk Editor Pro ….. In Carstream, in the menu does not appear the voice to send videos to Android Auto

    Reply ↓
  17. Matteo

    Hi again,
    i installes the 1.7.1 version .
    Bookmarks work well but….
    Access to external sd card still no works,
    It could be great if After the end of a video in a local file, app continues to play automatically the next……

    Thanks again ….

    Bye

    Matteo

    Reply ↓
    2. Stefano Neri

      Follow this quote… It would be very great if it could play all the mp4 in a folder continuosly … However, very great job, Kiran !!! ;)

      Reply ↓
  18. Ronaldo

    Hello. you could add the option of when I put video clips that are in the memory of the phone so that when it finishes one continue the other to play .. and option to skip the video clips

    Reply ↓
  20. Ranvir

    Hi.. Need updated link to download carstream. Last downloaded version is not working. Have tried through apk also.

    Reply ↓
  21. Hash

    Hello

    Great app you are the man!! Keep doing it and not even google can stop you.
    Works great for me however is there a way to add Arabic keyboard so i can search arabic in YouTube ??

    Reply ↓
  22. c01029

    Thank you for the APP.
    I have a question for Mercedes Benz cars. The command on line doesn’t have touch panel but it equips with a touch pad. Will this touch pad be possible to support for better user control?
    Again, appreciated with efforts.

    Reply ↓
  25. Nikonja

    With app cloner everthing finnaly works. Only keyboard is missing in search, but other than that it is awesome.
    I dont know about others but I have somewhat jerky video from first version of app, it is not fluid as on cell phone. I’m not sure is this because of the app or car unit.

    Reply ↓
  28. Thor

    Woooow, what an imporvement! What stored files are supported? *.mkv won’t play, MP4 does. Would it make sense to strip the FileExplorer to show only the supported files? Nevertheless, best App of the year! Please work on. The App works perfect.

    Reply ↓
  32. Daniele

    Hi Kiran. Tnkss for your app!!! When i use new feauters, bookmark, i see on video external memory with other icona, but i can t select anyone. … I ve got samsung s4 on mercedes. Thank you for replay.

    Reply ↓
  37. KhoiChin

    First i would feeling thank so much to kiran!! I love this apps . My keyboard is not appear on my youtube search.. Please assist me

    Reply ↓
  38. Tower


    hide:

    Hi Kiran
    Thank you for useful apps
    Actually, the application ceased to be displayed from the other day
    Please help me.
    My car is Ford Mustang 2016.
    Android version is 7.11.
    Application is up to date.
    Please tell me what is the problem

    Same here stopped showing up on android auto on my 2016 Mustang

    Reply ↓
  39. Ken

    Good morning Kiran, I’m having a keyboard issue like stated by numerous people on here. I respect your work & the fine tuning you have given it. My only issue is the keyboard. Thanks so much & continue to grow your baby ( carstream)

    Reply ↓
  41. Kumar

    Hi Kiran, in my 2018 GMC Acadia head unit, when I open your app, it displays only “click last icon bottom bar…” with play control icons. No other options to select or open videos. Thanks for developing this app.

    Phone: Galaxy On5 Pro
    SM-G550FY

    Android 7.1.1

    Thanks,
    Kumar

    Reply ↓
    1. Thor

      Just do, what there is stated. Do not chose the “Media Button”. Click the very right Symbol (like a clock, beneath the Headphone-Symbol) in the bottom line.

      Reply ↓
  43. J0j0

    I am having trouble getting this app to work on android auto. I did both steps on apk edit pro and cloner, but android auto does not recognize is (app works tho). I have a note 3. It all looks like the demo video up until I open your app. Please help me

    Reply ↓
  46. Cesar

    Downloaded the paid apk editor pro for nothing this doesn’t work at all. I tried everything. Waste of time and money.

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>