Black screen when switching from smartphone app to Android Auto

[schachi5000]

Environment

• Android OS version: 14
• Devices affected: Samsung
• Tested Device: Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
• Maps SDK Version: 10.13.0 & 11.6.0

Observed behavior and steps to reproduce

In our app we always close (finish) the smartphone app, once the Android Auto app has been launched by the user - to reduce load and keep the focus of the user on the head unit.

Exclusively on Samsung devices running Android 14 we've noticed, that the map surface in the head unit always turns black after a while, if the app was first launched on the smartphone.

At first the map screen is fully rendered, but after returning from another screen (i.e. Search) the map surface stays black. Only thing the user can now do in that situation is to close the app completely and directly start it manually via the head unit.

The following error log is constantly repeating while the screen is black.

[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: renderThreadPrepared=false but Android surface is valid, trying to recreate EGL...
[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: Setting up render thread, flags: creatingSurface=true, nativeRenderCreated=true, eglContextMadeCurrent=false, eglContextCreated=true, paused=false
[maps-android\Mbgl-EglCore]: eglCreateWindowSurface: EGL error: 0x300b
[maps-android\Mbgl-EglCore]: EGL error 12299 occurred for eglCreateWindowSurface!
[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: Could not create EGL surface although Android surface was valid, retrying in 50 ms...
[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: Setting up render thread failed, check logs above.
[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: renderThreadPrepared=false but Android surface is valid, trying to recreate EGL...
[maps-android\Mbgl-RenderThread]: Setting up render thread, flags: creatingSurface=true, nativeRenderCreated=true, eglContextMadeCurrent=false, eglContextCreated=true, paused=false

I was able to easily reproduce the behavior in your Android Auto example app, by adding some slight modifications.

1. Added a MapView to the Activity
2. When the CarSession is created the Activity is being finished (quick and dirty approach)

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
  companion object {
    var instance: MainActivity? = null
  }

  override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

    instance = this
  }
}

class MapSession : Session() {
  private val carMapShowcase = CarMapShowcase()
  override fun onCreateScreen(intent: Intent): Screen {
    MainActivity.instance?.finish()

Expected behavior

The map screen should not turn black after returning to the map screen.

Additional links and references

error_example.mov