Gaia GPS with Android Auto

"Last year, Google decided to open up Android Auto to more app categories, finally unlocking the platform for third-party developers and giving them the opportunity of expanding their software beyond the mobile phone and tablet screen..."

Full article here.

 

I'm stoked about this. I thought the GPS looked different when I hopped in this morning. I didn't have to play with it but I'm glad they finally did this

 

@imjustabill1970 doing some research and I've discovered a few of your posts in older threads like this one, and it seems you have some info that can help. I've been using Basecamp and MS Streets & Trips for planning my motorcycle rides for the past ten years. I'd transfer those gpx files to my Garmin GPS units. Now, I want gpx files to show on my Tacoma display. If I get the Gaia app and subscription, can I connect my Android phone to the Tacoma and display the Gaia map and tracks to show in the OEM Tacoma display? Or, just skip this and stay with the Garmin GPS unit in the Tacoma?

 

I used Gaia through carplay during a recent off road trip in Utah.

Despite the truck having a built in Garmin Nav system Gaia was a game changer. I'm not a huge fan of Gaia but they were smart enough to write the code needed to work on carplay and they're way ahead of Garmin's built in system. None of the other off road app developers have bothered to update their apps to CP compatible "yet", I think it will happen. Why is it a game changer, it basically obsoletes the truck's built in Nav system. For the recent trip I was able to load my tracks into Gaia, call them up, display their shaded map showing the track and follow them on the same screen the built in nav plays on. With a simple screen tap I have access to GBs of MP3s that can be played through the same interface. On road the typical Carplay nav apps work better then the vehicles built-in Nav and they don't require periodic updating of their maps.

I navigate a good amount off road on a MC so I'm pretty well versed in the capabilities between the different nav systems. Built in based Nav systems can't display user provided tracks or routes and rarely can their map be changed, I've yet to see one that can display topo maps.

The exception is any system that can play android apps directly, I know the Joying system can and thats even better option if Nav is important. It can display any app on it's screen, not just carplay apps. The additional features of the app based programs pretty much blows away any of the built in Nav systems. I like the concept so much I use a wireless carplay on my dual sport bike.

 

That's an answer I don't have. I wish I had the answer you needed, sorry.