Modern cars are filled with a lot of technology.
Often, this in-car technology is both safer for the driver and makes for a more pleasant experience on the road. For example, modern automatic braking is believed to prevent twice as many collisions as older systems—and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone complaining about a car that parallel parks for you.
That said, having all of this technology in a car comes with some downsides. Performing even basic tasks like changing the radio or turning on the air conditioning can now involve going through multiple steps on an in-screen menu—which can cause a host of safety issues.
Not only that, but actually dealing with this technology can be a headache, as one Volvo driver recently learned.
What’s Going On With This Volvo’s Infotainment Screen?
In a video with over 1.1 million views, Instagram user and car reviewer Yuri Tereshyn (@yuritereshyn) shows the interior of a 2026 Volvo XC90.
“My favorite part about the new Volvo XC90 is that if you don’t log in, you start your car and you just have to click ‘Not now,’” Tereshyn says, showing the car’s infotainment screen. On the display is a message reading that, in order to “unlock all the features in your car,” which includes navigating with maps, one must log in with Google.
Tereshyn taps “Not now” to take him to the home screen. Then, the prompt pops up again, and he selects “Not now” again. And again. In total, he does this eight times before he’s able to actually get to the car’s main screen without interruption.
“There, now we can drive,” he says at the video’s conclusion.
In the caption, Tereshyn writes, “$100k for this?”
Why Is This Happening?
In a comment, Volvo claimed that this was not supposed to occur in their vehicles. Still, many commenters wondered why something like this could happen in the first place.
The technology shown in the vehicle is called Google built-in. This is both an infotainment system and a hands-free setup. The system allows drivers to do things like make calls and play music without touching the screen. The software also offers a variety of apps, including Google Assistant and Google Gemini. By logging in, drivers can save their previous destinations, recent searches, and more.
While a sign-in prompt for a Google service isn’t unusual in many modern cars, it can usually be dismissed with a simple tap of a button. This was not the case with Tereshyn’s car, nor has it been the case with some other drivers using Google built-in.
Other Problems With Google Built-in
Although many drivers solve this issue by simply logging in, even that isn’t a foolproof solution. Google advertises that a car can be used without logging in. Still, some drivers say they’ve found that issues with the Google system render their car difficult to use.
In a Reddit thread discussing Volvo’s use of Google built-in, users affirmed that the system being “slow” was a common complaint. One user said their backup camera did not work in cold weather and that getting the system to function properly involved waiting for five minutes.
Another XC90 driver said that their Google system crashed and did not return “for days.” As a result, they lost access to cameras, parking sensors, all sound, air conditioning, and more.
In response, Volvo has rolled out a variety of software updates to fix certain issues. Still, some believe that the problem is not with the software itself, but with the fact that it is in charge of controlling so many aspects of the car. When it works, it may make the car function better. However, when it doesn’t work, it can render the car near-inoperable.
Drivers Don’t Like It
While some users in the comments section chided Tereshyn for not simply logging in to the car, others said that this video represented a major issue with contemporary vehicles.
“I’ve been a car guy my whole life and I have literally zero interest in anything right now,” declared a user. “Worse automotive timeline so far.”
“I will NEVER buy a new car. My … 27 year old saab just has to last until i die,” added another.
“Having to make an account to use your car is unacceptable,” stated a third.
BroBible reached out to Google and Volvo via email as well as to Tereshyn via email and Instagram direct message.