im not entirely sure if android auto is a privacy nightmare but im not risking it, so is there anything like it thats open source and stuff??

I don't really believe so. Auto manufacturers have to specifically put Android Auto (and apple CarPlay) onto the firmware that lives on your cars system. Finding something that interacts with one of them without actually using that software seems extremely difficult or even impossible.

It may be done, possibly, but I imagine it would be extremely limited.

sounds cool but i was thinking about an app or something, im lowkey not interested in setting up a raspberry pi for that

oh that makes sense

Not fully open source,
but less proprietary crap.

AA4MG (Android Auto 4 MicroG)

It allows to run Android Auto with:

• MicroG, open source alternative to Google Play Services)
• Empty stub APKs, for the other Google Android Auto dependencies (e.g. Google Maps, TTS Text To Speech, ...)

That way the only proprietary thing you need,
is the actual Android Auto app,
not it's hand full of sketchy propriety dependencies.

Full disclosure: I helped develop AA4MG + AAXLU :)

• Buy a phone that can do display alt mode over USB.

• Buy a usb C display.

• Mount the display in the car.

• Connect to your cars bluetooth audio.

Viola!

Is it any less of a privacy nightmare?

Bluetooth audio device to aux in on my car with phone mounted on the dash is my privacy respecting solution. Work great for all my needs. And yes, as far as I know Android auto is indeed a privacy nightmare. It allows lots of access to your phone and use of your phones internet.

At this point I'll settle for that as long as it works with graphene, and more reliably than android auto. Even on my non graphene pixel android auto is less reliable than github.

Yes

Empty stub APKs, for the other Google Android Auto dependencies (e.g. Google Maps, TTS Text To Speech, …)

Can it be redirected rather than empty? I tried to use 3rd party GPS software with Graphene + AA and it still forced me to install Google Maps for even the 3rd party software to work :-/ ... I do want GPS with traffic, I don't want Google knowing every move I make and using it to make their executives richer.

Doesn't graphene os have its own android auto app that is stripped of tracking and proprietary crap? Does this do something different or is it just meant to be a way to make android auto work with microg?

No, I tried by changing the package name of another app to Google Maps, it did not work.

You can install 3th party GPS software though, but depending on the app, you might need AAXLU or KingInstaller to make the 3th party software show up in AA.

I've written it out in the AA4MG docs here

I'm not familiar with GrapheneOS,
so I can't say.
Only used LineageOS,
since the CyanogenMod days.

AA4MG simply makes the normal AA work on MicroG devices, with a minimal amount of proprietary privacy invasive stuff.