Motorola and Google probe Android Auto Gemini bug blocking calls

The bug stops folded phones from placing calls through Android Auto. Users describe the same pattern across Reddit and Google’s and Motorola’s support forums: with the phone closed, a voice request to call someone finds the person and number but never dials. Open the phone and repeat the request, and the call goes through.

Incoming calls appear to work normally. One user on Google’s forums said messaging and general questions also worked with the phone closed and only calling broke, though others say text messages fail too when their device is folded.

Most reports name the Motorola Razr Ultra, specifically the 60 and 70 models, running Android 16. A post from earlier this year described the same issue on a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and that owner also said calls worked fine until they began using Gemini.

No official list of affected phones has been published, so other flip-style foldables could be hit as well. The problem has been around for months: owners first flagged it in the summer, and no fix has shipped since.

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant, which has replaced Google Assistant on Android phones and in Android Auto. Several posters say their calling problems started only after they moved to Gemini.

The strongest clue came from people who switched back. Users reported that returning to Google Assistant restored calling with the phone closed. That points at Gemini rather than Android Auto itself, though Google hasn’t confirmed the cause.

There’s also a chance some of this is by design. One user noticed Gemini sometimes asks them to open the phone to finish a call, which could mean the assistant deliberately won’t dial when the device is folded. If so, it’s a design choice that clashes badly with driving.

Gemini’s calling trouble isn’t limited to foldables. Drivers with regular single-screen phones have also complained of unreliable voice calls in Android Auto, along with app crashes mid-drive and other errors since the switch.

Earlier this year, a separate Gemini error that showed a generic “Something went wrong” message broke voice calling on both Android phones and Android Auto in June 2026. Some drivers have also found that Gemini calls work only after disconnecting from Android Auto, which defeats the point if you rely on it for maps.

Until recently, the simplest fix was to go back to Google Assistant. That option has disappeared. Google began removing Assistant from phones, tablets and other devices on September 4, 2026, starting with phones that meet the minimum requirements to run Gemini, and the move to Gemini in Android Auto was completed that same month.

So for most owners of newer foldables, Gemini is now the only built-in assistant, bug and all.

If you drive with a Razr or another flip-style phone in Android Auto, assume voice calls may fail while it’s closed, and plan around that before you set off. The only workaround users have found is keeping the phone open when placing calls, which isn’t practical on every mount.

• Open the phone before you drive if you expect to make calls, and set it in a mount that holds it open safely.
• Make important calls before leaving or once you’ve pulled over, rather than fiddling with the phone on the move.
• Don’t count on Gemini for emergencies. Google’s own Gemini help page says Gemini can’t call emergency services like 911, so dial emergency numbers directly.
• Use your car’s own controls to scroll recent calls or favorites only when you’re stopped, since browsing a phone book while moving is its own distraction.
• Report the problem in Google’s or Motorola’s support forums, where staff are gathering details from affected users.

There’s no fix date yet. Representatives from both Google and Motorola have replied in forum threads asking affected owners for details, which suggests both companies are trying to reproduce the problem. Neither has said what’s causing it or when a fix will arrive.

Until then, keep your phone and Android Auto app updated, since a fix would most likely arrive as a Gemini, Android Auto or system update, and check the support forums for a reply from Google or Motorola.