Google finally fixed Android's Driving Mode, so it only turns on at the right time

What you need to know

• Google is finally bringing back Bluetooth-based automation for Driving Mode on Pixel phones.
• Driving Mode can now trigger when connected to your car's Bluetooth instead of relying only on motion.
• The update fixes past issues where Driving Mode misfired or failed to activate properly.

If you've found Android's Driving Mode not very useful because there was no easy way to automate it, there's finally some good news. Google appears to be quietly rolling out a fix that makes it simpler and far more practical to use.

Google revamped Do Not Disturb on Android years ago when it introduced Modes. Alongside it, Google added preset options like Bedtime and Driving. These modes filter out non-essential notifications and calls when you don't want to be disturbed. However, Driving Mode has not been particularly helpful unless you manually trigger it.

Until recently, Google relied on your phone's motion to activate Driving Mode on Pixel devices. This meant it sometimes failed to turn on when needed, and in other cases triggered for passengers in the same car.

The more logical approach would be for the mode to activate when your phone connects to your car's Bluetooth unit. That option existed before but was later removed. Now, it looks like Google is bringing it back.

As spotted by Android Authority, Google has updated how Driving Mode works. You can now set it to activate automatically when connected to your car's Bluetooth or when both motion and Bluetooth are detected.

The feature no longer relies solely on motion detection and instead prioritizes Bluetooth, which arguably makes more sense. It was discovered in version 26.05.32 of Google Play Services and appears to be rolling out. If you don't see it yet, try updating Google Play Services from the Play Store.

To set it up, open the Settings app, go to Modes, then tap Driving and enable it if it is not already turned on. Next, turn on the While driving toggle, tap the arrow next to it, and choose either Use Bluetooth or Use motion and Bluetooth based on your preference. Once you enable this, Do Not Disturb will now activate automatically based on your selected option.

Android Central's Take

It does make you wonder what took Google so long. Samsung already offers an easy way for Driving Mode to activate automatically when using Android Auto, but Google never provided a similar option natively. Thankfully, Pixel users now have something close to that level of convenience.