What is the DEAL with Car Mode???

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Putrid186

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2009
54
7
A long time ago, when stuff actually worked, I was able to slide my One into the HTC dock and it would enable the "Car Mode" state (NOT Car.apk, the stock garbage car app). With it, it would launch the apk associated with launching with Car Mode. This apk was set by the user if more than one car dock apps were installed (think opening a browser link from search, and it asks you if you want to use Chrome or Internet or Dolphin or Maxathon) which I had set to InDrive. So, I'd slide my dock in, and it would automatically launch InDrive, start playing music through bluetooth, and start Autoguard recording in the background.

But then they broke it. I believe it was 4.3 IIRC.

I'm now on 4.4.2 and it looks like they never returned the functionality to change what app gets launched when you slide it into the dock.

Purely, my question is: is there a way I can change the app that launches when I slide it into the dock? I'd like to get InDrive working again as that best suits my needs.

Some other info: There was a workaround which essentially re-enabled car-mode (and of course required root and a custom recovery image) but that wasn't even reliable, as it would only launch intermittently. I can't find this and doubt it works with 4.4.2.

I'm currently on Android Revolution HD 62
 

clsA

Senior Member
Aug 28, 2010
9,912
3,535
Central Florida
A long time ago, when stuff actually worked, I was able to slide my One into the HTC dock and it would enable the "Car Mode" state (NOT Car.apk, the stock garbage car app). With it, it would launch the apk associated with launching with Car Mode. This apk was set by the user if more than one car dock apps were installed (think opening a browser link from search, and it asks you if you want to use Chrome or Internet or Dolphin or Maxathon) which I had set to InDrive. So, I'd slide my dock in, and it would automatically launch InDrive, start playing music through bluetooth, and start Autoguard recording in the background.

But then they broke it. I believe it was 4.3 IIRC.

I'm now on 4.4.2 and it looks like they never returned the functionality to change what app gets launched when you slide it into the dock.

Purely, my question is: is there a way I can change the app that launches when I slide it into the dock? I'd like to get InDrive working again as that best suits my needs.

Some other info: There was a workaround which essentially re-enabled car-mode (and of course required root and a custom recovery image) but that wasn't even reliable, as it would only launch intermittently. I can't find this and doubt it works with 4.4.2.

I'm currently on Android Revolution HD 62

I don't really use it but as i recall it was an NFC tag built into the car dock that made the phone react to it being inserted. have you messed with any NFC programing apps ?
 

Putrid186

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2009
54
7
I don't really use it but as i recall it was an NFC tag built into the car dock that made the phone react to it being inserted. have you messed with any NFC programing apps ?

It's not NFC

edit: To elaborate, there are docks that use NFC. This is not one of them. The HTC Dock uses what they call "SmartCable" for enabling car mode (which doesn't actually enable car mode it just launches their stupid proprietary garbage app.
 
Last edited:

Putrid186

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2009
54
7
Looks like the car mode apk that it launches isn't actually HTC's, it's google's?

Not a real question I want answered, this post is just intended to be a bump.