CarCar Launcher FAQ

Table of contents

• Installation and update
• Supported devices and Android versions
• Licensing and trial
• Known issues and solutions
• FAQ
• Donate

Installation and update

I can't find CarCar in the app store, where can I download it from?

CarCar Launcher really isn't in the app stores and never will be. Due to the technical features of the launcher, we cannot undergo moderation in the Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, etc. application stores. CarCar is an application that uses some system rights and API to implement its functionality – launching two applications simultaneously inside the launcher itself, monitoring the network type/state, enabling the access point, etc.

The current version of the launcher can always be downloaded from our public Telegram channel, as well as from the AIBOX community. In the future, we will launch a website from where you can also download the latest version of CarCar.

How to install the launcher on my device?

To install, you need to download the .apk installation file to your device in any way convenient for you, click on it and agree to the installation. In the future, you will not need to download the .apk again – the launcher can update itself.

Examples of ways to download .apk to your device:

• Install Telegram and download the installation file from our channel or AIBOX group. During installation, Android may ask you to confirm “installation from third-party sources” for Telegram – accept it, this is how it should be.
• Download the installation file on your computer and transfer it to your device via a flash drive/SD card.
• Transfer via Google's NearbyShare feature, if supported on your devices.

A new version of CarCar has been released, how to update? Do I need to remove the installed version or can I install it “on top”?

We recommend updating the launcher through its settings, i.e. “over the air” is the fastest and most convenient way, which only requires an Internet connection. In this case, the latest version is always downloaded.

If you want to update the launcher via .apk, then you do not need to delete the previous version – this will delete the launcher settings. The new version can be installed “on top”, just like you installed it the first time.

Where can I find the instructions for CarCar?

You can find instructions for setting up and using the launcher in the AIBOX community.

Supported devices and Android versions

I have Android 8/9/x, during installation it gives an error. How to fix?

CarCar only supports Android 10-13; in the future, support for Android 14 will appear. Unfortunately, versions up to 10 at the OS level do not have the functionality necessary for the key functions of the launcher to work, namely support for multi-window mode.

On the Internet you can find modified versions of the launcher with an artificially low version of the API, but they will not work.

It is also important to note that many device manufacturers programmatically overestimate the Android version in the settings. You can determine the real Android version using AIDA64, Geekbench, etc.

I have a device with a vertical Tesla-style display, will CarCar work for it?

Yes, the CarCar interface is fully optimized for devices with a vertical display.

On my Teyes/Topway/... head unit function X doesn’t work/application Y crashes/..., fix it!

The CarCar launcher was originally developed and optimized only for CarPlay/AA boxes (aiboxes, CarPlay Android Box). Due to the abundance of manufacturers of embedded devices on the market, as well as the fact that each manufacturer interferes with the operation of the operating system in its own way, we physically cannot ensure and guarantee the correct operation of CarCar on such devices.

When installing my Teyes/Topway/smartphone it gives me an error with text "Syntax error. Error while parsing packages"/"Application not installed". How to fix?

If your device is running a CarCar-supported version of Android, then the problem is with app signature verification. CarCar is an application that uses some system rights and an API to implement functionality – launching two applications simultaneously inside the launcher itself, monitoring the network type/state, raising an access point, etc. Most head unit manufacturers sign the OS with a private certificate and do not allow installing applications with system rights without matching the signature of the application itself and the OS. There is no such problem on CarPlay/AA boxes (aiboxes), because manufacturers of these devices use a publicly available AOSP certificate, which is also used by CarCar. You can read more about signing applications, for example, here.

To solve this problem on the head unit, you must have root rights on the device and disabled application signature verification. There are two ways to get root rights:

• Using custom firmware (OS), where either application signature verification is already disabled, or there is an easy way to obtain root rights (for example, a switch in the settings) with further manual disabling of signature verification.
• Obtaining root rights on the device and then manually disabling application signature verification.

Ways to root for each device and And versionroid are different, detailed information and instructions for your device can be found on the forums 4PDA, XDA, etc., as well as in thematic groups on Telegram.

You can check the status of root rights using the free Root Checker program or any other convenient method.

After obtaining root rights, you can use our instructions for disabling signature verification.

Licensing and trial

Where and how can I buy CarCar?

The launcher is currently undergoing public free beta testing. You can always download the current version in our Telegram channel, as well as in the AIBOX community.

When will the "paid" version be released? How much will it cost?

We can't say for sure when we'll add a licensing mechanism to the launcher, but it's estimated to happen in early 2024. We still have quite a lot of work to do on this front, plus there are several other parallel and time-consuming tasks that we can't put off.

We will announce the availability of licensing, costs and payment methods in advance on our Telegram channel, as well as in the AIBOX community. Follow the updates!

For those who want to support us and express gratitude, we launched donations. Donations are not mandatory, do not constitute a basis for the implementation of anything and do not cancel our plans to release a paid version of the launcherю

An important clarification: there will be no “paid” or “light” version. The functionality of the launcher will not change in any way after purchasing a license.

Will there be a subscription?

No, there will be no subscription. Purchasing a license will be a one-time purchase for the device you want to use the launcher on. In other words, one license - one device. If you change the device, you will need to purchase the license again.

In the settings there is an inscription “Trial (N days)”, what happens after this period?

After the specified period, the functionality of the widgets will be blocked. You will still be able to launch apps from the app list in full screen if the Dock's Always On Screen option is turned off, and you can also go to the launcher settings and update it to the latest version.

Thanks to this small limitation, we are confident that most launcher users always have the latest version installed, which contains bug fixes and current functionality, and also simplifies the process of catching and correcting errors for us.

In the future, when licensing appears, the trial mechanism will remain. It will be limited to a fixed 30 days from the date you start using the launcher.

An inscription “3/2/1 day left until the trial expires” appeared on top of the widget, can it be removed? When is the new version?

You can disable the inscription only by updating the launcher to the latest version.

We always release a new version with an extended validity period in advance so that you (and we) can continue to use the launcher. It happens that we do not always have time to update the launcher more than 3 days before the previous version expires, but such cases are an exception.

Known issues and solutions

After some time of use, application widgets turn black, how to fix this?

Unfortunately, no way. The problem is that Android does not always notify about application crashes, so we cannot track such situations in any way.

In cases where we can determine that an application in the widget has crashed, the corresponding interface appears in the widget with the ability to restart the crashed application.

CarCar is installed as the default launcher, but when the device starts, the standard launcher still launches, how can I fix this?

This problem is observed on TBox Plus devices with Android 13. To make it disappear, you need to install the latest firmware. You can download the current firmware version for your device, as well as update instructions here, through your device's manufacturer and in the AIBOX community.

When I launch the launcher, it logs me out of my Yandex/Google/... accounts, how can I fix this?

This problem is observed on devices with Android 13, but may also be relevant for earlier versions. This behavior is due to the fact that some manufacturers, solely for marketing purposes, “speed up” the launch of the OS by starting the default launcher before Android services, which respond incl. for authorization.

Solution: in the CarCar settings, in the “Start delay” section, set the delay to at least 1 second. The value is selected individually for each device.

Application XYZ does not work in the widget, how to fix it?

Not all apps are optimized to work in widgets (secondary displays), so no way. As an alternative, you can launch the application in full screen from the application list, or find its equivalent.

The YouTube app doesn't switch tabs, can you fix it?

Unfortunately, we can't yet. We do not in any way regulate the operation, rendering or internal processes of applications that run in widgets. In the case of YouTube, according to our theory, the developers did not provide the ability to launch the application on secondary displays, so the coordinates of clicks are always calculated from the main display.

We are currently developing an alternative way to render widgets (“new engine”), which will potentially solve this and some others problems with rendering applications in widgets.

But for now there are two ways to solve this problem:

• Use an alternative YouTube client
• Update Android to version 13. On some devices the problem goes away after updating. You can find out more information about your device and YouTube, as well as find update instructions in the AIBOX community.

There are some black bars at the bottom of the application widgets, how can I fix it?

This problem is a consequence of the fact that every device manufacturer, incl. AIBOX interferes with the operation of the Android OS.

On some devices, at the OS level, all applications are assigned a horizontal orientation (width is greater than height), which is why when they get into a vertical (width is less than height) widget, they cannot correctly rebuild their interface.

Unfortunately, we cannot programmatically change this behavior in any way; this problem can only be fixed at the OS level, i.e. either by the manufacturer of your device, or by installing a custom (third-party) OS, where the developers have removed this limitation.

Pages in the application list do not always switch; you have to move your finger from edge to edge of the screen, what should I do?

Nothing for you, but for us to try to fix the problem by increasing sensitivity, scrolling speed or other parameters in the application list. If we can fix it, we will immediately release a version with the fix - stay tuned!

When I start the device, the launcher sometimes gets blocked and says that the trial has expired, although I know for sure that there were still many days left, what’s the matter?

The fact is that some devices do not know how to save the system time and date between reboots, because of this, the date may be incorrect when starting, which is why the launcher is blocked when checking the time.

The solution is simple: wait for the network or GPS signal to appear and restart the launcher.

FAQ

There are thick frames and round corners around the widgets, can you remove them and make them like in Android Auto?

We can't. This is due to the fact that all users have different head unit screens, which may also be framed by a “side” that prevents the finger from getting into the interface elements. All sizes are selected universally so that you can use the launcher on all devices equally conveniently.

We make a high-quality product that, in addition to correct and convenient operation, should look good. Therefore, all rounding, blurring and other effects in the interface will remain as is, in accordance with our experience and principles of how user interfaces should look.

Can you add a weather widget to the Dock, the current date, the number of satellites, car battery level, ...?

We can’t, because we don’t see the value of this information for the driver.

Developing any functionality requires time and resources, which, unfortunately, are limited. We have a list of planned functionality, incl. proposed by users, and we work in accordance with it.

Is there any way to change the wallpaper?

The wallpaper cannot be changed. We selected the most neutral images that are not distracting on the road, not too bright at night, and correspond to the appearance of the launcher interface.

If desired, you can disable them in the launcher settings: instead of a background image, there will be just a black background.

Can you make the icons in the application list smaller/larger?

We can't. The sizes of the icons, as well as other elements of the launcher interface, are selected in accordance with our experience and principles of how user interfaces should look so that they are convenient and, more importantly, safe to use in the car.

We do not recommend switching anything while driving.

How to set CarCar as default launcher?

• In the CarCar settings, go to the first section, where the logo and name are, inside there will be a button “Set as default” or
• In the Android settings, in the Applications section - Default Applications - Home Screen, select CarCar Launcher

How to remove CarCar?

• In the CarCar settings, go to the first section, where the logo and name are, there will be a “Delete CarCar” button inside. This is the fastest way. Or
• In the Android settings, in the Applications section - Default applications - Home Screen, select a standard/other launcher, then return to the Applications section or to the main screen and delete CarCar Launcher

I change the size of applications in widgets, switch to another preset, come back, and the sizes are old, what’s wrong?

There are two main concepts in CarCar:

• Current running applications or "state" are those applications that are currently running in widgets. The application in the widget can change, for example, when you follow a link from application A you will be taken to application B, or you select an application through the list of applications that can be seen by pulling the indicator under the widget.
• Presets are combinations of applications you have configured that you can switch in widgets. A simple and convenient analogy is shortcuts in Windows. The purpose of presets is one: quick, convenient access to the applications you need without having to search for them in lists and adjust the scale every time.

When you enter edit mode (long press on the Dock) and change the size of the widgets, as well as the app scale in each widget, you only change what is currently running on the screen. Similar to Windows, you simply move the current application windows and change their size.

To ensure that the size and scale of the applications you need is always the same when switching presets, you need to configure each preset separately. To do this, in edit mode you need to click on the gear icon on the desired preset, change everything you want and then save the settings.

Instructions with images for setting up presets can be found here.

My device is rebooting due to CarCar, can you fix this?

We can’t, because this is a non-CarCar issue.

When an unhandled error occurs in the launcher, it crashes. And then, if the launcher is installed “by default” in the system, then the system will launch it, or the one that is installed “by default”. This is normal behavior of any OS – Android, iOS, Windows, etc. Such crashing problems that occur with the launcher are fixed and corrected by us and do not lead to the crash of the entire system, reboots, etc.

It is also important to note that the launcher itself does not perform any actions other than “subscribing” to system events when the signal/network type and time change, and all other work of the launcher occurs based on the user’s click action. In other words, the launcher does not actually consume any system resources; on the contrary, applications running simultaneously on the screen in widgets do. Of course, keeping three open applications on the screen (the launcher itself + two applications in widgets) can be quite expensive, and in addition, do not forget about other energy-intensive processes in the system, such as, for example, searching and switching the network. Therefore, on those devices where normal cooling is not organized and there is insufficient power supply, reboots may occur, but again, this is not due to the launcher.

Is it possible to hide the dock automatically or enable a full-screen clock as a screensaver after a few seconds of inactivity?

No. Canceling user actions, as well as showing interactive elements after some time has passed, is a bad UX pattern, which is used in extremely rare cases when there is no other way. For example, a reserve of goods in the cart of an online store, when the goods disappear from the cart if the user has not confirmed the order.

In other words, making a decision for the user without having confidence in his further actions is bad and causes nothing but irritation. In addition, driving situations are different, and you need to be distracted by the screen to a minimum.

Does CarCar support the function of automatically playing music after turning on the device?

Yes, it does. You can set up automatic playback for the desired applications in the CarCar settings.

Autoplay may not work with some applications. The function only works at system startup if the launcher is installed by default and the required application is launched at startup in one of the widgets.

How to remove the left navigation bar on Carlinkit/Ownice?

• Carlinkit – Factory settings – Password 4545 – Other – Disable the “navigation bar” option
• Ownice – Factory settings – Password 1260 – Other – Disable the “navigation bar” option