Android Auto is supposed to keep distractions to a minimum, but I still found myself reaching for the dashboard more often than I would like. So, for one week, I gave myself a simple challenge: use Android Auto normally without touching the screen. I expected it to be frustrating and full of compromises. Instead, it changed the way I use Android Auto on almost every drive. I realized how often I touched the screen Not ideal during traffic hours I never thought of myself as someone who constantly fiddled with Android Auto while driving. But changing a song, starting navigation, replying to a message, or checking something along the way usually meant at least a quick glance and a tap. The problem became obvious during busy traffic hours. Even a quick tap meant taking my eyes off the road for a moment to locate the right button. That felt less innocent when cars were constantly braking, bikes were squeezing through gaps, and pedestrians could appear without warning (and don't get me started on pets like dogs and cows appearing on Indian roads out of nowhere). Sometimes I would look down for only a second, but in dense traffic, a second can be enough for the situation ahead to change completely. That's why I decided to cut down on my screen usage when I am behind the wheel, but first I needed to go through some settings for a flawless Android Auto setup. Going over my hands-free Android Auto setup Follow these steps first Before I could stop touching the screen, I had to make sure Android Auto was actually for a hands-free workflow. First, I set Gemini as the default voice assistant on my phone. That way, the same assistant was available when I connected to Android Auto. Next, I