greynolds Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Hi, I just started using Poweramp and am very impressed with the functionality so far. My primary use for it is going to be running on an Android headunit in my car which plugs into the factory headunit, giving me the ability to switch back and forth between the factory infotainment and the Android unit, making use of the factory screen and dashboard / steering wheel controls for the Android unit. The unit also has a built in microSD card slot and a couple of USB ports for adding extra storage (or other USB devices such as OBDII readers, etc.). Since the headunit itself is running Android, Android Auto functionality ends up working much differently than when connecting an Android phone to a car that supports Android Auto. I have found that the Android Auto app can be run directly on the unit, but the app switching has some bugs where it frequently shows only music or only navigation apps, which makes switching between apps problematic. While driving, it's obviously beneficial to be able to use a simplified user interface, which is where Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come in because they offer that simplified interface with large text and big buttons that's perfect while driving. Since Poweramp will run as an Android Auto app, is there any possibility of enabling the Android Auto user interface directly in the app, essentially treating it as a skin option? This would be an awesome feature for people like me - these Android units that serve as factory car infotainment supplements or replacements are becoming more and more popular. Either way, I'm planning to purchase the app after a bit more testing; I'm very impressed with the app overall so far. Just as an FYI, Media Monkey and Muzio both crash as soon as I attempt to play a song on the Android unit I have in the car and the developers have been completely unwilling to attempt to fix the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingdutchman Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 @greynolds you may want to have a look at either Bigyaps or $yaps$ skins. Bigyaps is a free Poweramp skin ith big play buttons. $yaps$ is a paid skin which offers a car mode landscape option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewilley Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 PA doesn't have the ability to display an Android Auto style interface itself, as that is generated by the hosting Android Auto device (or app). But as @flyingdutchman has said, there are PA skins that can be tweaked to simplify and enlarge the interface for in-car use. Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greynolds Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Thanks guys, I'll take a look at those skins. I've wondered how the Android Auto interfaces are done as there must be support for the interface in the app itself, but it wouldn't be surprising if the implementation details are very different from how the normal interface is done in "native" Android mode. I imagine if it was trivial to make the Android Auto interface available outside of Android Auto, many apps would offer a way to access it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewilley Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Max would be able to confirm, but I assumed that Android Auto actually generates the displayed output, while the hosted audio app simply sends it the metadata information (text items, cover image, etc) to display. Andre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greynolds Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 5 hours ago, flyingdutchman said: @greynolds you may want to have a look at either Bigyaps or $yaps$ skins. Bigyaps is a free Poweramp skin ith big play buttons. $yaps$ is a paid skin which offers a car mode landscape option. Is $yaps$ more or less the same as Big Yaps, but with additional options (car mode) and more configuration options? I just took a quick look at Big Yaps and it looks like it gives me most of what I'm looking for. Assuming I purchase Poweramp, I'll certainly pay for your more configurable skin too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greynolds Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, andrewilley said: Max would be able to confirm, but I assumed that Android Auto actually generates the displayed output, while the hosted audio app simply sends it the metadata information (text items, cover image, etc) to display. Andre I'm a developer, but I don't do iOS or Android apps, but I have always assumed that the Android Auto and CarPlay user interfaces came from the app rather than just sending metadata information to be displayed as each app has a distinct look and feel even when in Android Auto or CarPlay mode. Otherwise, all apps would all look identical when run in Android Auto or CarPlay mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingdutchman Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 1 hour ago, greynolds said: Is $yaps$ more or less the same as Big Yaps, but with additional apps (car mode) and more configuration options? I just took a quick look at Big Yaps and it looks like it gives me most of what I'm looking for. Assuming I purchase Poweramp, I'll certainly pay for your more configurable skin too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greynolds Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 I purchased Poweramp and $YAPS$ a little while ago. I'll need to spend some time experimenting with the configuration options, but it looks like the combination is going to give me pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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