GitMag/UnknownAuto

UnknownAuto is an Android tool for people who build or sideload Android Auto apps with the Car App Library and find that the car ignores them. It makes Android record the install as coming from Google Play, which is the mark Android Auto checks before running such an app. The work happens entirely on the phone, with no computer, account, internet connection or payment, and the source is MIT-licensed.

The problem it solves

Android Auto will not run a Car App Library app unless Android believes it was installed from Google Play. The developer "Unknown sources" switch does not change this, and ordinary sideloads via adb install, a file manager or Shizuku are recorded as not from Play, so the app is quietly refused. The mark can only be set at install time and cannot be changed afterwards.

How it works

UnknownAuto drives Android's own package installer through Shizuku, which runs with the phone's shell privileges — the same ones a connected computer's adb has. Depending on the Android build, UnknownAuto either asks the system installer to apply the Play mark or starts the installer itself; when an install comes out without the mark, it retries the other way after one more tap on Update and remembers which method works on that phone. Shizuku should be started so both paths are available.

Workflow and prerequisites

Shizuku must be installed and running. On Android 11 and later, Shizuku can be started without a computer through Developer options → Wireless debugging, and this must be repeated after a reboot; UnknownAuto offers an Install Shizuku button that downloads the official app Shizuku project. UnknownAuto also needs permission to install unknown apps, which it helps open in settings.

For each app, the user picks the APK, reviews its name, package and version, then taps Install and confirms the system prompt once. A large success or failure banner reports whether Android Auto will accept the app, with the installer's technical output behind Show details. If installation fails — for example, a newer version or differently signed copy is already installed — UnknownAuto says so, and its details include the installer's own log lines, which the README recommends pasting into an issue.

Limits and licensing

The tool addresses the Play-install mark only; it does not make an incompatible app compatible. Setup depends on Shizuku remaining available after reboots, and the Android 17 retry behavior is described as build-specific rather than universal. The project is MIT-licensed and is not affiliated with Google, Android Auto, Shizuku or the proprietary AA Enabler repository. The README documents the install and setup flow but does not present formal compatibility testing across Android versions or devices README.

HotRepo's take

A single NEW-REPOSITORY board observation on 2026-10-31 recorded 102 total stars for this Java project; no daily-board history is available, so that snapshot says nothing about sustained interest or project reliability.