Android Auto Communication Error 8 deserves a more targeted diagnosis than a generic list of Android Auto connection fixes. The error has historically appeared when the phone and vehicle cannot complete the communication or security checks required for Android Auto, and reports frequently point to date/time mismatches, Google Play services, or the connection between the phone and head unit.
A USB cable can still be responsible for an Android Auto connection failure, but I would not automatically make it the main suspect for Error 8. Start by checking the clocks on both sides, then determine whether the problem follows the phone or stays with the vehicle.
Start With the Error Message Itself
Read the full message shown on the phone or vehicle display.
Communication Error 8 has appeared with wording that refers to the car’s software not passing Android Auto security checks or asks the user to verify the date and time. When your message specifically mentions date/time or security, troubleshoot that path first.
Use this quick diagnosis:
| What you find | Where I would start |
|---|---|
| Phone and car show different time/date | Correct both clocks |
| Car has wrong time zone | Correct the head-unit time zone if possible |
| Time looks correct but Error 8 remains | Check Google Play services and restart both devices |
| Another phone gets Error 8 in the same car | Focus on the car/head unit |
| Your phone gets Error 8 in another compatible car | Focus on the phone |
| Error occurs only over USB | Test cable and USB data connection |
| Error began immediately after an update | Check for newer updates and rebuild the connection |
This avoids resetting unrelated Android settings before you know which side is failing.
1. Set the Phone’s Date and Time Automatically
On Android, open the date and time settings. Depending on the phone, the path may look like:
Settings > System > Date & time
or:
Settings > General management > Date and time
Enable the available automatic options, particularly:
- Set time automatically
- Set time zone automatically
Then check the displayed time, date, and time zone rather than assuming the automatic setting produced the correct result.
Restart the phone after making a correction.
Secure communication can be sensitive to clock discrepancies, which is why this check matters more for Error 8 than it does for a normal Android Auto disconnect.
2. Check the Car’s Clock, Date, and Time Zone
Now compare the infotainment system with the phone.
Check:
- current time;
- AM/PM where applicable;
- date;
- time zone;
- daylight-saving setting;
- automatic/GPS/network time options.
The menus vary substantially between vehicles and aftermarket head units, so use the vehicle or receiver manual when the setting is not obvious.
A difference of an hour can matter when the car has the wrong time zone or daylight-saving configuration even though the displayed minutes look correct.
After correcting the car’s settings, turn the infotainment system off completely, restart the phone, and reconnect Android Auto.
When the Car Does Not Let You Choose the Correct Time Zone
This is a particularly important Error 8 scenario.
Imported vehicles, older infotainment systems, and some aftermarket receivers may expose only a limited set of regions or time zones. In that case, repeatedly clearing Android Auto on the phone may accomplish nothing because the mismatch is on the head-unit side.
Check for:
- an infotainment firmware update;
- a region setting separate from the clock setting;
- automatic GPS/network time;
- a manufacturer service bulletin or dealer update for the head unit.
Do not deliberately set the phone to a permanently incorrect time zone just to make Android Auto connect. That can affect calendars, authentication, messages, and other time-dependent services.
3. Update Google Play Services
Google Play services deserves early attention for Error 8.
Open:
Settings > Apps > Google Play services
The exact path to its store listing varies by phone, but you can also search for Google Play services in Google Play and install an available update.
Then:
- restart the phone;
- start the vehicle;
- let the infotainment system finish booting;
- reconnect Android Auto.
Older Android Auto community cases specifically reported Error 8 disappearing after a Google Play services update. That does not make it a universal fix, but it makes Google Play services much more relevant here than several generic Android settings.
4. Update Android and the Vehicle Software
Install pending Android system updates and Android Auto-related updates available for the phone.
Also check whether the vehicle manufacturer or aftermarket receiver manufacturer provides newer infotainment firmware.
This matters particularly when:
- Error 8 began after a phone update;
- multiple phones fail in the same vehicle;
- the head unit is several years old;
- the vehicle was imported to another region;
- the receiver has known Android Auto compatibility updates.
Use only firmware intended for the exact vehicle/head-unit model. Infotainment firmware is not something I would download from an unrelated third-party site.
5. Restart Both Ends of the Connection
Restarting only the phone leaves half of the Android Auto connection unchanged.
Restart the Android phone and fully restart the infotainment system. Some head units have a dedicated restart procedure, while others require the vehicle to be switched off long enough for the system to shut down.
Once both are running:
- keep the vehicle in Park;
- unlock the phone;
- wait for the head unit to finish booting;
- connect using the normal wired or wireless method;
- follow any new prompts.
Google’s current Android Auto setup guidance also specifies completing setup while the vehicle is parked.
6. Determine Whether Error 8 Follows the Phone or the Car
This is one of the most valuable tests in the entire article.
When possible, connect another compatible Android phone to the same vehicle.
Then test your phone in another Android Auto-compatible vehicle or receiver.
Interpret the results like this:
Another phone also gets Error 8 in your car:
The head unit, its time/region configuration, firmware, or vehicle-side connection becomes the stronger suspect.
Another phone works normally in your car:
Focus on your original phone, Google Play services, Android updates, saved Android Auto configuration, and its USB connection.
Your phone works in another car:
Stop repeatedly resetting the phone. The evidence points back toward the original vehicle.
Your phone fails in multiple cars:
The phone side deserves much more attention.
A/B testing is more informative than clearing five different caches and hoping one changes something.
7. Test the USB Cable When Error 8 Is Wired-Only
For a wired connection, verify the physical data path.
A phone charging from the vehicle does not prove that USB data communication is healthy.
Use:
- a short, high-quality data-capable cable;
- a direct connection without an adapter or hub;
- the vehicle’s Android Auto-capable USB port.
Inspect the phone and vehicle ports for lint, looseness, or damage.
Google’s Android Auto community troubleshooting guidance notes that defective USB cables are a frequent cause of connectivity problems and recommends shorter tested cables when diagnosing connection failures.
When changing the cable makes no difference and multiple phones show Error 8 in the same car, stop buying cables and return to the vehicle-side diagnosis.
For broader connection failures that do not specifically show Error 8, see Android Auto Not Working? How to Fix Connection Problems.
8. Remove the Car and Build a Fresh Android Auto Connection
A stale connection record is worth eliminating after the higher-value Error 8 checks.
Open Android Auto settings on the phone and find Previously connected cars. Forget the affected vehicle where the option is available.
Also remove the phone from the vehicle’s saved-device list.
For wireless Android Auto, remove the relevant Bluetooth pairing as well.
Restart both devices and set Android Auto up again from the beginning.
For wireless setup, Google recommends keeping Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Location Services enabled during initial pairing.
9. Clear Android Auto Cache Before Clearing Everything
Open:
Settings > Apps > Android Auto > Storage & cache
Tap Clear cache.
Restart and test.
I would not immediately clear every piece of Android Auto and Google Play services data. Cache clearing is less disruptive and makes a better first diagnostic step.
When cache clearing changes nothing, clearing Android Auto storage can be considered before more drastic phone resets, but expect to rebuild app-related configuration afterward.
10. Clear Google Play Services Cache Carefully
Because Google Play services participates in many Android services, treat it more carefully than an ordinary app.
First make sure it is updated.
Then, when Error 8 still appears:
Settings > Apps > Google Play services > Storage & cache
Choose Clear cache if your phone provides that option.
Restart the phone and retest.
I would avoid recommending a full Google Play services data wipe as an early Error 8 fix. It affects much more than Android Auto and is unnecessary when the actual problem is the car’s clock or firmware.
11. For Wireless Android Auto, Recheck the Wireless Setup
When Error 8 occurs only wirelessly but the same phone works over USB, the diagnosis changes.
During wireless setup, keep:
- Bluetooth on;
- Wi-Fi on;
- Location Services on.
Remove and recreate the car’s Bluetooth pairing when necessary.
Google’s current setup instructions state that the first wireless connection pairs the phone and car over Bluetooth and recommends Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Location Services during setup.
When wired Android Auto works consistently but wireless does not, do not keep replacing USB cables. Focus on wireless compatibility, pairing, phone settings, and the head unit’s wireless Android Auto support.
12. Check Whether the Vehicle Actually Supports Your Connection Method
A car can support wired Android Auto without supporting wireless Android Auto.
Likewise, an aftermarket receiver may require a firmware update or particular setup procedure before wireless Android Auto works.
Verify the exact model and model year rather than assuming support because a similar trim or later vehicle supports it.
Google recommends confirming vehicle compatibility with the manufacturer when necessary.
13. What to Do When Error 8 Started After an Update
Timing is useful evidence, but do not immediately assume the update permanently broke Android Auto.
Check for:
- another Android update;
- Google Play services update;
- Android Auto component update;
- vehicle/head-unit firmware update.
Then restart both devices and rebuild the Android Auto connection.
Google’s Android Auto known-issues tracker continues to document model- and update-specific connection problems, so a newly introduced compatibility issue is possible. When a widespread current issue matches your phone and symptoms, repeatedly resetting the device is unlikely to be productive.
14. Do Not Reset Network Settings Unless the Evidence Points There
Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile, and Bluetooth settings can remove saved networks and pairings.
For a wired Error 8 with an explicit date/time or security message, a network reset is not where I would start.
It becomes more reasonable when:
- the failure is wireless-only;
- Bluetooth pairing is corrupted;
- Wi-Fi connectivity is behaving abnormally outside Android Auto;
- rebuilding the individual car pairing did not help.
Use targeted troubleshooting before broad resets.
15. Do Not Factory Reset the Phone Yet
A factory reset is especially poor as an early response to Error 8 because the head unit may be the actual cause.
Before even considering it, you should know:
- whether another phone works in the car;
- whether your phone works in another car;
- whether both clocks are correct;
- whether Google Play services is current;
- whether the car has a firmware update;
- whether wired and wireless connections behave differently.
When another phone gets the same Error 8 in the same vehicle, factory-resetting your phone has very little diagnostic logic behind it.
When Error 8 Is Probably on the Car Side
Move the vehicle/head unit higher on the list when:
- two compatible phones produce the same Error 8;
- your phone works with another vehicle;
- the car cannot maintain the correct date/time/time zone;
- the problem started after infotainment firmware changes;
- the vehicle is imported and region/time-zone options are restricted;
- both wired and wireless Android Auto fail in the same vehicle.
At that point, check manufacturer firmware, the owner’s manual, dealer support, or the aftermarket receiver manufacturer.
When Error 8 Is Probably on the Phone Side
Focus on the Android device when:
- another phone connects normally to the same car;
- your phone fails in more than one Android Auto-compatible vehicle;
- the problem began after a phone-side update;
- Google Play services is outdated or behaving abnormally;
- rebuilding the connection fixes the problem temporarily;
- other connectivity problems occur on the phone.
For microphone-specific problems after Android Auto has already connected, use Android Auto Microphone Not Working instead. That is a different failure from Communication Error 8.
