DashReset
Free Android app · no ads

Android Auto only connects after you restart the phone?

DashReset does what the restart does, in one tap: it force-stops Android Auto, clears its cache and turns Bluetooth and Wi-Fi off and on again. For car stereos and motorcycle CarPlay/Android Auto screens.

⬇ Download DashReset 1.0.3 How to install

APK file · 212 KB · Android 10 or later

  • 🔒 No internet permission
  • 🌍 10 languages
  • 🏍️ 🚗 Cars and motorcycles
DashReset main screen with the big Reset connection button

Sounds familiar?

  • The screen connects only after you reboot the phone.
  • Android Auto drops during the ride, then comes back.
  • Clearing the cache or airplane mode works… sometimes.

Wireless Android Auto uses Bluetooth to start and Wi-Fi to carry the picture. When one of the two gets stuck, or the phone drops the screen’s Wi-Fi because it has no internet, only a clean restart of both — and of Android Auto — brings it back. That is exactly what DashReset automates.

What it does

Three things, all on your phone, nothing to configure on the screen.

↻

One-tap reset

Force-stops Android Auto and clears its cache for you, then turns Bluetooth and Wi-Fi off and on. About 20–30 seconds. From the app, the quick settings tile or the notification.

⚡

Drive mode

Runs in the background. If Android Auto doesn’t start within 45 s of the screen’s Bluetooth connecting, or drops and doesn’t come back within 25 s, it resets by itself (at most 3 times).

≡

A log of what drops first

Records every Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Android Auto connection and disconnection, with the time. After a bad ride you know the real cause — and you can share it in one tap.

DashReset reset screen with all steps completed

Everything a restart does, without the restart

Android doesn’t let an app close another app or clear its cache. DashReset uses its accessibility service only during a reset to tap «Force stop» and «Clear cache» on Android Auto’s page, exactly like you would by hand. It reads the button names from your phone’s own Settings app, so it works in your language. If the phone asks permission to turn Bluetooth back on, it taps «Allow» too.

How to install (5 minutes, once)

DashReset isn’t on Google Play, so Android shows a couple of warnings. Here is what you’ll see and what to tap.

  1. Download and install

    Open the APK file. Android warns that the app «was built for an older version of Android»: tap More details → Install anyway. If there is no such button, turn off «Scan apps with Play Protect» in the Play Store for a minute, install, and turn it back on.

  2. Open DashReset and choose your screen

    Allow notifications, then tap Choose the car/bike screen and pick it from your paired Bluetooth devices.

  3. Turn on DashReset accessibility

    The first time, Android blocks it for apps installed outside Google Play and shows «App was denied access». Tap Close, then open DashReset’s app info: on Honor/Huawei tap «Remove restriction» in the red banner, on other phones tap ⋮ → Allow restricted settings. Now go back to Accessibility and switch DashReset on.

    Android dialog: the app was denied access to a restricted setting
    The first time: «App was denied access». Tap Close.
    Honor app info page with the red banner: the app has been restricted, remove the restriction?
    On Honor: tap «Remove restriction» in the red banner. (Screenshots in Italian, Honor Magic 5 Pro.)

  4. Battery, background, drive mode

    In DashReset’s Setup section, allow unrestricted battery and background running (the app opens the right page for Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo). Then tap Start drive mode. Done: it now watches the connection for you.

Why the warnings, and why you can trust it

Straight answers, no marketing.

Why Android warns you

Since Android 10 apps can’t turn Wi-Fi on and off, and since Android 13 they can’t do it with Bluetooth. DashReset is deliberately built for an older Android version to keep that ability. That triggers the warning — and it’s also why it can’t be on Google Play, which only accepts apps built for the newest version.

What it can’t do

DashReset has no internet permission: it cannot send anything anywhere. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. The log stays on your phone until you share it. The accessibility service does nothing outside a reset.

Which phones and screens

✓

Tested on a Honor Magic 5 Pro (MagicOS 9, Android 15) with a motorcycle CarPlay/Android Auto screen: connection back without restarting the phone.

Works on Android 10 and later, with any wireless Android Auto screen: car stereos, motorcycle screens (Carpuride, Chigee, Aoocci and similar) and adapters. Button names are read from your phone’s Settings, so other brands should work too — if a step fails, the log says why: share it and it gets fixed.

iPhone? iOS doesn’t let any app turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on, so an app like this can’t exist there. The Shortcuts app can do it, though. Build the DashReset shortcut for iPhone →

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. No ads, no in-app purchases, no account. If it helps, you can leave a donation — entirely optional.

Does it fix the cause of the problem?

It’s a workaround: it does what a restart does, faster and automatically. The log helps you find the real cause — for example the phone dropping the screen’s Wi-Fi because it has no internet.

Will it drain my battery?

Drive mode only listens for connection events. The option that keeps Wi-Fi at full power while the screen is connected uses a little more battery, and you can turn it off.

Why isn’t it on Google Play?

Google Play only accepts apps built for the latest Android, and on the latest Android no app is allowed to turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on — which is the whole point of DashReset.

Does it work in cars too, not only on motorcycles?

Yes. It works with any wireless Android Auto connection: car stereos, motorcycle screens and wireless adapters. It’s designed for wireless connections.

What if a step doesn’t work on my phone?

Open the Log section and tap «Share log»: it contains what the app saw on screen, which is enough to add support for your phone.