Lyft Driver App — Android Auto: 3-Step Glitch Fix (LyftDriverPatch)

Originally identified on Nissan vehicles — but applicable to any vehicle that uses Android Auto. LyftDriverPatch is a free, open-source collection of ADB (Android Debug Bridge) scripts that resolve the three most common issues causing the Lyft Driver app to lose background GPS or drop navigation while connected via Android Auto.

The scripts communicate with your Samsung Android phone over USB using Google’s official Android Debug Bridge (ADB) tool — the same tool Google ships with Android Studio. The Android Platform Tools are downloaded automatically (~11 MB) on first run directly from Google, so no manual setup is needed. After the script completes, the tools folder is deleted automatically, leaving your PC clean.

All three fixes apply automatically in sequence. The script verifies each fix was successful before exiting. No rooting, no bootloader unlocking, no custom recovery required. Compatible with Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 10 or newer.

This issue was first identified on Nissan vehicles but can occur on any vehicle that uses Android Auto.

#	Fix	Why It Helps
1	Disable Wi-Fi “Switch to Mobile Data”	Stops Samsung’s Intelligent Wi-Fi from silently abandoning your cellular data when it detects the car’s weak dash Wi-Fi signal
2	Force Lyft to “Allow all the time” location	Grants all three location permissions (fine, coarse, and background) so Lyft can never be silently downgraded to “While using the app”
3	Disable precise GPS for Android Auto	Forces Android Auto to use cell-tower location instead of the Nissan’s hardware GPS chip, preventing signal conflicts with Lyft’s positioning

All three fixes are applied automatically in sequence. The script then verifies each fix was successful before exiting.

Platform	Script File	Folder in ZIP
Windows 10 / 11	LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.bat	Win10_Win11\
Linux / Bash	LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh	Linux_Bash/
macOS	LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh	Mac_Bash/

All scripts perform identical fixes. Choose the one that matches your operating system.

You will need all of the following before running the script.

1 — Android Platform Tools (downloaded automatically)

No action required. The script automatically downloads (~11 MB) and extracts the correct platform tools for your OS directly from Google the first time it runs. The tools are deleted automatically when the script finishes. Requires an active internet connection on first run.

Antivirus warning (Windows): Some antivirus programs flag ADB executables as potentially unwanted software. If adb.exe is blocked after extraction, add the platform-tools-latest-windows\ folder to your antivirus exclusion list and re-run the script.

2 — A Data-Capable USB Cable

Charge-only cables carry power but no data signal and will not work. Use the cable that came with your phone, or any USB cable explicitly rated for data transfer. If the script shows no device detected, try a different cable first.

3 — Developer Options (must be enabled on your phone)

1. Go to Settings › About Phone › Software Information
2. Tap Build Number 7 times in rapid succession
3. Your phone will display: “You are now a developer!”

On some Samsung models, Build Number is located directly under Settings › About Phone rather than in Software Information.

4 — USB Debugging (must be enabled on your phone)

1. Go to Settings › Developer Options
2. Toggle USB Debugging to ON

🖥️ Windows 10 / 11

1. Open the Win10_Win11\ folder and double-click LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.bat
   If a “Windows protected your PC” SmartScreen prompt appears, click More info → Run anyway. This warning appears because the file is unsigned, not because it is unsafe.
2. The script automatically downloads Android Platform Tools (~11 MB) if not already present — wait for it to complete.
3. Read the on-screen phone prep checklist and confirm your phone is ready.
4. Connect your phone to your PC via USB.
5. On your phone: when the “Allow USB debugging?” dialog appears — check “Always allow from this computer” and tap OK.
6. Press any key to begin — all 3 fixes run automatically, one at a time.
7. After Fix 3, automatic verification checks run — review results on screen.
8. Press any key to exit — the ADB server stops and the platform tools folder is deleted automatically.

🐧 Linux / Bash

cd Linux_Bash
chmod +x LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh
./LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh

Connect your phone when prompted, allow USB debugging, and press Enter to begin. Press Enter to exit when done.

🍎 macOS

cd Mac_Bash
chmod +x LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh
./LyftDriver-AndroidAuto-Nissan-Glitch-Fix.sh

Connect your phone when prompted, allow USB debugging, and press Enter to begin.

If macOS Gatekeeper blocks the script, right-click the file in Finder → Open → Open again in the confirmation dialog. This one-time approval lets you run the script normally from Terminal going forward.

After all 3 fixes are applied, the script queries your phone directly to confirm each change stuck.

Check 1 — Wi-Fi Settings

Both lines should display 0:

0
0

• 0 = setting is disabled ✓
• 1 = still enabled — apply Fix 1 manually (see Troubleshooting)
• null = your firmware doesn’t use this key — apply Fix 1 manually in Settings

Check 2 — Lyft Background Location

Look for granted=true:

android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION: granted=true

• granted=true = permission is active ✓
• granted=false or no output = permission did not apply — re-run the script

Check 3 — Android Auto Precise Location

Look for granted=false:

android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION: granted=false

• granted=false = precise GPS is revoked ✓
• granted=true = permission was not revoked — apply Fix 3 manually in Settings

Fix	Survives Reboot?
Fix 1 — Wi-Fi switch setting	Maybe — depends on Samsung firmware; disable manually in Settings for guaranteed persistence
Fix 2 — Lyft location permissions	Yes — persists until Lyft Driver is updated or reinstalled
Fix 3 — Android Auto location	Yes — persists until Android Auto is updated or reinstalled

• App updates reset fixes: A Lyft Driver or Android Auto app update can revert runtime permissions to install-time defaults. Simply re-run this script after any Lyft Driver update.
• Regular Lyft rider app unaffected: Fix 2 only targets com.lyft.android.driver. The consumer Lyft rider app (me.lyft.android) and Lyft Direct (com.payfare.lyft) are completely untouched.
• No root access required: All three fixes use standard Android permission management over ADB. No rooting, no bootloader unlocking, no custom recovery required.
• Does not void warranty: Enabling Developer Options and USB Debugging is a standard documented Android feature. All changes can be reversed manually through Settings.
• Android 10+ required: ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION as a separate permission only exists on Android 10+. On Android 9 or older, Fix 2 will fail — set Lyft location to “Allow all the time” manually in Settings instead.

Pull requests are welcome. Please open an issue first to discuss significant changes.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-fix
3. Commit your changes
4. Push and open a Pull Request

This project is licensed under the MIT License. Copyright © Donald James Company. Source code is available on GitHub.