In the process of buying a used Skoda. It doesn’t have satnav built in but has a touch screen that uses Smart link and Android Auto to pair the phone to the car.

I understand I can use Google maps from my phone and display it on the cars screen but does anyone know if I can run Google maps and play music at the same time?

Depends on what source you’re using, don’t think you can use the radio and use google nav, but it will let you listen to spotify or whatever and use google maps.

does anyone know if I can run Google maps and play music at the same time?

I wouldn’t recommend playing music while driving, there isn’t room for most instruments and even a ukelele or clarinet would be very distracting.

I just fitted an android head unit with satnav from ebay into a Yeti.

Slotted straight in, all steering controls, parking sensors and hands free calling still work. Although I could stream music from my phone before and can’t work how to now.

Cost about £250, most time was spent making sure it was the right model.

I’ve had DAB playing (6 music before the schedule went to rats) with Waze running on the screen, and as above music from your phone works fine.

Yes it works just like your phone. You can have the radio paying and your sat nav on at the same time or your music from you phone.

Yes it works fine. You can look at maps and listen to music simultaneously on your phone- so you can do both through the car head unit too.
You’ll also get notifications of text messages WhatsApp etc through the stereo, which it can read out loud to you.
Works very well

Make sure Smartlink is activated. I bought an Octavia in december and it shows the Smartlink icon on the display but doesn’t work. The activation key is about £135 from Skoda.

I understand I can use Google maps from my phone and display it on the cars screen but does anyone know if I can run Google maps and play music at the same time?

Yes you can. The smartlink/mirrorlink thing is different, in that it mirrors your phone onto the screen.

I stream Spotify whilst using Google Maps at the same time. I just leave the Google Maps screen up most of the time as it does real time traffic, so I can avoid the jams if it all goes south.

Make sure Smartlink is activated. I bought an Octavia in december and it shows the Smartlink icon on the display but doesn’t work. The activation key is about £135 from Skoda.

Thanks for the info. This one hasn’t been activated by the previous owner so I know i have to pay for that. Try to negotiate with the dealer to pay for it. Its a 2016 Yeti. Nice upgrade from a Fiat 500.

You can use the radio etc in the car as normal. You can also use certain supported phone apps for music from within the Android Auto heads-up.

What you cannot do is use the connected phone as a Bluetooth or USB audio source – connecting over USB overrides that.

Also, you need a vaguely decent phone to power it. My current Nokia 6.1 is great, the Samsung S6 I had (briefly) before it was utter toilet, flaky to connect and slow as owt.

What you cannot do is use the connected phone as a Bluetooth or USB audio source – connecting over USB overrides that.

But you can still play the same music from your phone, using the Android Auto interface/controls on the head unit.

I use ours with Google Play music all the time, works brilliantly.

But you can still play the same music from your phone, using the Android Auto interface/controls on the head unit.

… which is exactly what I said in the previous sentence.

Had it on three skodas now. Old one cost a fee to be activated – new one (Karoq) part of the package.

Works well – however with all three cars and different phones I’ve had connectivity issues – sometimes just won’t synch – and then out of the blue it fixes itself. (Different phones and changes of cable etc.)

It’s fab when working. Sound quality through USB is fantastic, better than BT – calls are still BT.

And the voice-recognition has got better in my opinion as has google maps integration.

It sounds promising then. I was just worried about using the phones Nav on the screen for long journeys with no music playing at the same time.

And the voice-recognition has got better in my opinion as has google maps integration.

The voice recognition is great. You can’t directly type in navigation destinations, which irked me at first, but that doesn’t matter because the voice entry is so good.

You can also use the “send to phone” option on a desktop before you leave too (or just set the route on the phone before you plug it in of course).

So is it possible to have music playing from the phone. While displaying the map and hearing the alerts/directions?
Or can you only have the audio from one at a time?

You can play audio from the phone (play music, spotify etc), the radio (DAB/FM), CD (if it has a drive), SD Card etc etc and it will talk over whatever you’re listening to with directions etc, notifications and read out messages.

And you can display the map or android auto home screen while it carries on playing your chosen source.

If you download Anroid auto app you can get a preview of how it works on your phone, it’s basically the same screen except it looks better on the car screen.

So is it possible to have music playing from the phone. While displaying the map and hearing the alerts/directions?

Yes, so long as it’s via a supported app within Android Auto.

Thanks. That’s what I wanted to hear! Now to arrange a date to sort out the paperwork. Excited!

… which is exactly what I said in the previous sentence.

Yeah I guess you did now I’ve re-read it. I just waffled more and made it less clear 🙂

Also have you tried typing in google maps recently, I think I get a keyboard pop up if the car is stopped (maybe with handbrake on?) which may be a new thing, I don’t think it was there originally. I’m going to check on the way to work this evening.

I think I get a keyboard pop up if the car is stopped (maybe with handbrake on?) which may be a new thing, I don’t think it was there originally.

Oh, I haven’t noticed that. I did notice it has kittens if you try do the initial setup whilst moving though.

I tested it on the way to work.

Stopped and you can click on search and keyboard pops up, start to drive and it pops up with a message saying it’s disable when moving.

Oh, I haven’t noticed that. I did notice it has kittens if you try do the initial setup whilst moving though

Yes. That’s a fairly recent thing.

All geared around you not crashing. Sensible.