There is good news for Android Auto users, as updates to the in-car mirror system announced during the Google IO 2022 have revealed a new look for the user interface and better functionality.
And it’s high time.
Google made a number of announcements to update Android Automotive OS and Android Auto on Thursday, and what really caught my eye was the new UI for the later system, which allows the interface to seamlessly scale to any screen size in your car – such as shown in the GIF above.
This means that those who use Android Auto – where you connect your smartphone to your car display wirelessly or via a USB cable – will see that the system takes full advantage of the available space. Something he’s not doing right now.
Years of disappointment
Look, I love Android Auto. He has helped me to travel on the roads not only in my native England, but also in Europe and North America for years.
Google’s clear navigation and real-time traffic make driving abroad all the easier, while integration with Spotify and WhatsApp entertains and keeps me connected.
This is not a perfect system and I am constantly disappointed when I connect Android Auto to a new car and use only part of the available part of the screen, often leaving part of the display redundant.
With the advancement of in-car technology accelerated by the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), which boast ever-increasing screen sizes, there are an awful lot of real estate to play with, and Auto is finally on way to take advantage.
Even in my personal car, the Kia Niro, I look forward to Android Auto filling the entire central display, as it currently fills approximately two-thirds, leaving the last third unused.
New Android Auto UI lets you show more apps (Image Credit: Google)
Auto’s ability to intelligently scale to any screen size and orientation will allow it to display more features of the application at once, reducing the distraction of having to switch between them, while providing larger and more -clear visualizations.
The new user interface will give priority to “basic user needs”, which means that in addition to mapping, you will see your other frequently used applications such as podcasts, music and audiobooks.
Once the update appears, Android Auto will also share relevant, contextual alerts and suggestions, such as the option to share your arrival time with other people and reply to messages or missed calls with one touch.
This update of Android Auto will not solve everyone’s problems, but for me it is a huge positive step in the right direction.
Google says the update will be released worldwide “just in time for summer”, which means it should be inevitable (May / June 2022).
We contacted the search giant to ask for further clarification on this issue, but a spokesman could not give us an exact date for dropping the update.
Automotive OS gets video enhancement
But it’s not just Android Auto that’s gaining new skills, as Google has also announced new video apps for its Android Automotive OS.
Automotive OS is built directly into vehicles and does not require your smartphone, giving you direct access to key applications from Google and many others through the Play Store, all on the screen in the car.
The range of vehicles currently running Android Automotive OS is still relatively small, but GM, Ford, Nissan, Volvo, Polestar, Honda and Renault are currently offering it in select models.
And soon (there is no exact date yet) you will be able to watch videos in a trio of new applications that are added to the platform; Tubi, YouTube and Epix. They will only be available when you are parked – whether it is while charging an EV or waiting for a pickup by the board.
A little further down (again, there is no exact date yet), you will also be able to surf the net from the comfort of your car – when you are parked. These are features we’ve already seen at Teslas, but as Google introduces them into its in-car operating system, it means more drivers will have access in the future.
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