I have spent quite some time testing and working with MirrorLink on my HTC One M8 & 2017 HRV EX. While navigating to Yellowstone using Sygic Car Navigation I accidentally discovered a way to launch and use just about any app while driving, including Google Maps! Using this method I have successfully launched non MirrorLink supported apps and had full access to their functionality while in gear and with the vehicle in motion!
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK • DRIVE RESPONSIBLY • DO NOT DRIVE DISTRACTED
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS, YOU ARE!
Order of Operations overview:
1. Connect phone to vehicle's bluetooth
2. Connect phone to vehicle's usb and wait for MirrorLink
3. Launch the MirrorLink home screen on the head unit (double arrows on right side of screen)
4. Launch RockScout and wait for it to fully launch
5. Press the power button on the phone twice (off then back on)
6. From the lock screen, select Google Maps or other desired app from either the quick launch icon (touch and drag the app up), persistent notification or from Bar Launcher (or similar notification launcher
That's it!
Phone:
HTC ONE M8 T-Mobile with Software number 6.20.531.5 (Only phone I have, only one I have tested. Lucky me, it worked!)
YOUR HTC ONE M8 MUST BE FULLY STOCK, NO ROOT, NO CUSTOM RECOVERY!
An unlocked bootloader will break MirrorLink compatibility. A relocked bootloader will work. Believe me, I tried many things.
Vehicle:
2017 Honda HRV EX
Required Software:
1. Google Maps
2. Stock HTC Sense Lock Screen (only one I have tested)
3. RockScout (Can be launched and accessed via MirrorLink while in gear and motion. This is key!)
Optional Software:
1. Bar Launcher (Allows any application to be launched from the notification on the lock screen)
2. Vanilla Music (for RockScout compatible music playback)
Software Conditions:
You need a way to launch the Google Maps, or other app from the lock screen. This can be accomplished in one of three ways that I have tested.
1. Add the Google Maps app to the dock of the STOCK HTC Sense launcher to enable the lock screen quick launch icon.
2. Any persistent notification selected from the lock screen will launch the associated app. For Google Maps simply start navigating BEFORE this process to initiate the persistent notification for the current route.
3. Use an application like Bar Launcher to launch selected applications from the Bar Launcher notification.
Limitations:
1. If you choose to listen to music while navigating, playback will need to be from the phone. The head unit's audio source must be set to "Apps" if you want navigation voice commands over the car speakers and since the navigation commands do not contain the necessary MirrorLink flags the commands will not interrupt the audio playback from any other source on the head unit. Alternatively you could set the commands to play over the phone speaker instead of bluetooth, but that may be difficult to hear.
2. Unless you are switching to a MirrorLink Compatible app via the head unit's MirrorLink menu, leaving the Google Maps, or other app accessed using this method, will cause a MirrorLink lockout and parts of this process will need to be repeated to get back to the app. Fortunately in most cases it is as simple as double clicking the phone's power button and flicking the Google Maps app from the phone's lock screen dock, selecting the active navigation notification or selecting the app from Bar Launcher's notification.
Tips:
1. I recommend starting music playback on shuffle before launching maps, You will have to start the process all over again if you want to change the music.
2. Use Smart Lock to keep the phone unlocked while connected to the vehicle's bluetooth.
3. A (well) used ONE M8 can burrently be had for somewhere around the $50 mark. You could pick one up as a music player, Google Mapsy proxy or even for use with Sygic Car Navigation offline maps. I believe it to be a good idea to keep an old phone in your car anyway for emergency calls (just make sure you have an old deactivated sim card installed.) And as an emergency camera in case you get in to an accident or see something photoworthy.
Enjoy and DRIVE SAFE
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK • DRIVE RESPONSIBLY • DO NOT DRIVE DISTRACTED
I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS, YOU ARE!
Order of Operations overview:
1. Connect phone to vehicle's bluetooth
2. Connect phone to vehicle's usb and wait for MirrorLink
3. Launch the MirrorLink home screen on the head unit (double arrows on right side of screen)
4. Launch RockScout and wait for it to fully launch
5. Press the power button on the phone twice (off then back on)
6. From the lock screen, select Google Maps or other desired app from either the quick launch icon (touch and drag the app up), persistent notification or from Bar Launcher (or similar notification launcher
That's it!
Phone:
HTC ONE M8 T-Mobile with Software number 6.20.531.5 (Only phone I have, only one I have tested. Lucky me, it worked!)
YOUR HTC ONE M8 MUST BE FULLY STOCK, NO ROOT, NO CUSTOM RECOVERY!
An unlocked bootloader will break MirrorLink compatibility. A relocked bootloader will work. Believe me, I tried many things.
Vehicle:
2017 Honda HRV EX
Required Software:
1. Google Maps
2. Stock HTC Sense Lock Screen (only one I have tested)
3. RockScout (Can be launched and accessed via MirrorLink while in gear and motion. This is key!)
Optional Software:
1. Bar Launcher (Allows any application to be launched from the notification on the lock screen)
2. Vanilla Music (for RockScout compatible music playback)
Software Conditions:
You need a way to launch the Google Maps, or other app from the lock screen. This can be accomplished in one of three ways that I have tested.
1. Add the Google Maps app to the dock of the STOCK HTC Sense launcher to enable the lock screen quick launch icon.
2. Any persistent notification selected from the lock screen will launch the associated app. For Google Maps simply start navigating BEFORE this process to initiate the persistent notification for the current route.
3. Use an application like Bar Launcher to launch selected applications from the Bar Launcher notification.
Limitations:
1. If you choose to listen to music while navigating, playback will need to be from the phone. The head unit's audio source must be set to "Apps" if you want navigation voice commands over the car speakers and since the navigation commands do not contain the necessary MirrorLink flags the commands will not interrupt the audio playback from any other source on the head unit. Alternatively you could set the commands to play over the phone speaker instead of bluetooth, but that may be difficult to hear.
2. Unless you are switching to a MirrorLink Compatible app via the head unit's MirrorLink menu, leaving the Google Maps, or other app accessed using this method, will cause a MirrorLink lockout and parts of this process will need to be repeated to get back to the app. Fortunately in most cases it is as simple as double clicking the phone's power button and flicking the Google Maps app from the phone's lock screen dock, selecting the active navigation notification or selecting the app from Bar Launcher's notification.
Tips:
1. I recommend starting music playback on shuffle before launching maps, You will have to start the process all over again if you want to change the music.
2. Use Smart Lock to keep the phone unlocked while connected to the vehicle's bluetooth.
3. A (well) used ONE M8 can burrently be had for somewhere around the $50 mark. You could pick one up as a music player, Google Mapsy proxy or even for use with Sygic Car Navigation offline maps. I believe it to be a good idea to keep an old phone in your car anyway for emergency calls (just make sure you have an old deactivated sim card installed.) And as an emergency camera in case you get in to an accident or see something photoworthy.
Enjoy and DRIVE SAFE
