I want to play the MP3s on Android Auto from my phone and also use Google Maps at the same time, I have tried to use a USB splitter cable but that won't work for some reason.
I was using Poweramp but it just didn't work well so I got rid of that and now have VLC to try out but it is coming up with missing MP3 tags that I would like to edit.
But this program doesn't seem to want to see my phone, a Samsung Galaxy S10+
How can I edit what it can't see? is there a workaround please.
See here for the different ways to connect a smartphone:
AFAIK the usb mode is not supported any more in current Android versions.
So you would have to copy the files to a local drive first, edit them there, then transfer them back.
Unless you see the smartphone storage with a drive letter, MP3tag cannot edit the files directly.
I am not sure what the point of this splitter would be. Android Auto uses a single wired (or with newer devices wireless) connection to access any AA compatible app. This includes maps, players, and communications apps.
Poweramp does have AA compatibility. So does GoneMAD if you want to try an alternative. Foobar and Neutron have not added native AA support. YMMV with these or others. [I have updated the AA compatibility comment here since my original post]
Editing metadata directly on a phone can be a challenge. To get a drive letter to appear, drag from the top of the display after connecting by USB and change the connection type to media transfer. Your PC will then set a drive letter and mp3tag will be able to access them for editing. But note that this is not as fast as a PC drive. And changes on the phone won't be reflected to any local drives or backups.
It is supported. I use USB mode all the time, I'm on a Pixel, on the latest Android. However, it is off by default, and (I think) you have to go into developer settings to activate it. A google search will give you more info than you want.
Your comment about Drive Letters is spot-on. Some file explorers will show the phone, and give you a drive letter. Others won't. It's hit or miss. What I have found works best is to move the files to a hard drive, edit, move back.
Actually, what I do is keep the master copies of ALL my MP3 files on my hard drive, and move the ones I currently listen to the phone. If I have to make an edit, I do it on the master file, then copy again. I never move back from the phone to the hard drive. Risky, as you don't know what changes your android MP3 player might have made.
FWIW, here are the programs involved in this process:
I do not doubt that there are USB modes - but these are now limited to FTP, USB Tethering, MIDI, PTP - missing is the native USB mode from the older Android versions which turned the mobile into a mass storage.
Anyway: the drive letter is the important part. Only if you see the phone storage with a drive letter then MP3tag can access the files directly.