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Troubleshooting

ars edited this page Jan 16, 2026 · 13 revisions

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while using HeadUnit Revived, try the solutions below.

Video / Screen Issues

Black Screen / No Video

The connection is established (audio works), but the screen remains black.

  • Cause: Your device's hardware video decoder might be incompatible or failing to initialize correctly (common on some Mediatek/Rockchip devices).
  • Solution 1: Go to Settings -> Video and enable Force Legacy Decoder. This uses a synchronous decoding mode that is often more compatible with older or quirky hardware.
  • Solution 2: If Legacy Mode fails, enable Force Software Decoding. This bypasses the hardware decoder entirely. Warning: This uses significant CPU power and may cause the device to heat up or lag.
  • Solution 3: Try changing the Video Codec setting from "Auto" to "H.264".

Distorted Video / Green Artifacts

  • Solution: Change the Resolution in Settings -> Graphic. Some devices struggle with non-standard resolutions. Try 800x480 or 1280x720.

Navigation Bar Overlapping Content

  • Solution: Ensure Start in Fullscreen Mode is enabled. This hides the system bars and allows the projection to use the full screen. If the navigation bar reappears and covers the content, try swiping it away or toggling the app to the background and back.

Connection Issues

Connection Drops Immediately

  • Solution: Disable Battery Optimizations for HeadUnit Revived in your Android settings. Android may be killing the background service.
  • Check: Ensure you are not running other apps that compete for the USB port or exclusive audio focus.

Wireless Connection Fails

  • Solution: Reset the connection.
    1. Forget the Head Unit from your phone's Bluetooth settings.
    2. Clear Data for "Android Auto" on your phone.
    3. Repair Bluetooth and try again.
  • Check: Verify that your Head Unit is creating a 5GHz Hotspot (preferred). 2.4GHz often causes connection instability.

Self-Mode (on the same device)

Self-Mode fails without Internet

If you disable WiFi and Mobile Data, the automatic "Self-Mode" might fail to start or disconnect immediately.

  • Cause: Android Auto's wireless startup process often requires an active network interface or internet check to initialize.
  • Manual Workaround:
    1. Open Android Auto settings on your phone.
    2. Enable Developer Settings (tap version 10 times).
    3. In the top-right menu, select Start Headunit Server.
    4. Go to HeadUnit Revived -> WiFi menu.
    5. Select 127.0.0.1 (Localhost) to connect. This bypasses the automatic startup logic and works reliably even without internet.

Audio Issues

No Audio

  • Solution: Check the volume levels on both the Head Unit and the Phone. Android Auto has separate volume channels for Media, Navigation, and Voice Assistant.

Audio Stuttering

  • Solution: Increase the buffer size (not yet configurable in UI, check future updates) or lower the video resolution/FPS to free up CPU resources. Using Software Decoding can also cause audio stuttering if the CPU is overloaded.

Touch / Input

Touch Not Working

  • Solution: This is usually a resolution mapping issue. Try changing the DPI in Settings -> Graphic. Setting it to 0 (Auto) usually works best.
  • Note: Some resistive touchscreens do not support multi-touch, which limits gestures like pinch-to-zoom.

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