Google could be about to roll-out a speedometer feature in Google Maps on Android Auto, letting you see the speed limit at a glance. The feature has been available in CarPlay for a couple of years, while it's also available in Google Maps on Android phones.

Sometimes, the disparity between Android Auto's offering and the native Android offering is remarkable. There are a number of apps that have great features on the phone, that aren't supported through the projected version on Android Auto.

For example, Waze on the phone supports ETA sharing, but the Android Auto version does not. It's almost as though the developers forget that you're going to be using the app in a car.

That's how it's felt with Google Maps for some time, with the phone app offering a speedometer when driving, but Android Auto missing out.

Sure, if you're in a car then there's a speedometer in the dash, but sometimes you just want that information centralised – especially if you regularly drive between countries that use imperial and metric systems.

Well, it appears that the Android Auto system might finally be catching up with Apple CarPlay (which got it in 2024). Drivers on Reddit (via 9to5Google) are reporting that the speedo has appeared.

That speedo also appears to be linked to national signage, with a rectangular design in Canada and a round design in Europe. That will help glanceability.

The bad news is that this only seems to appear when navigating: if you're one of the many drivers who likes to keep the map open in Android Auto when just driving around, then you won't get the full experience. Hopefully, Google will offer it as a toggle option like it does with traffic.

The other bit of bad news is that currently this appears to be in the beta release, so there's no telling when it's actually going to roll-out to drivers. Google doesn't have a great history with bringing timely updates to Android Auto, so it wouldn't be a surprise if it takes some time to actually land in your region.

Google Maps seems to be adopting features from Waze. Seeing as both are owned by Google, it's sometimes hard to see why both still exist, instead of having one unified experience.

Google is rolling out a change in Google Maps that will make the interface cleaner when driving. The change will address how Google Maps handles incident report pop-ups in Android Auto.

In 2024, Google incorporated one of Waze's features into Google Maps, with incident reports appearing on the Android Auto display – and asking drivers if the incident was still there. It typically refers to things like lane closures or crashes and it's a common feature on Waze.

But those notifications were always a bit of a distraction: they were too large, wanted a response and sometimes that meant other UI elements were lost. That's all set to change.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the new pop-up will appear over the estimated time, with much smaller buttons to confirm or deny. This is less of a distraction, while it also preserves all the information you expect on the screen.

According to the source, this new style of pop-up has been seen on different orientations of the Android Auto display.

At the moment it's not clear if this is part of the recent Android Auto update or if this is an update that's come from Google Maps.

Android Auto recently moved to version 17, with the promise that a number of new features will be coming in the future.

That includes things like customisable widgets, Dolby Atmos, Gemini Intelligence as well as its highlight feature – support for video – which should be starting with YouTube.

While the framework is in place for these new elements, none of the features have yet dropped into place. That might be because Google is waiting for the Android 17 push, so we're expecting Android Auto to get a lot of new features later in 2026.

While we wait for the bigger functionality push, we'll take this small update to Google Maps as a win. It does leave me wondering whether Google will also do anything to improve the number of distractions in Waze itself.

We've hit that point where Android Auto moves to a new version number, with Android Auto 17 now rolling out to users. It's part of a phased roll-out, so although it's available, it won't immediately appear in Google Play for all.

The exciting thing about Android Auto 17 is that it paves the way for one of the most highly-anticipated features coming to the in-car app – support for video, with YouTube expected to be the first service available.

That change has been in the works for well over a year, but Google confirmed support for Full HD 60fps video was coming during The Android Show, as well as demoing the changes at Google I/O.

Google has said that if you already have an adaptive video app then you don't need to do much to get it to appear in Android Auto, so hopefully, we'll see a number of services available to watch on in-car screens.

That's only going to be possible when the car is in park, but for those now spending time sitting in cars while charging, the introduction of video will make a big difference to the experience. As an extension, if you start driving, the video can switch to an audio stream and continue playing – if the app supports it.

Now we come to the bad news: actual support for video isn't quite here yet. While Android Auto 17 will support it, it'll take another software update before that feature lands with drivers.

Video support is only expected on phones running Android 17, so for most people that's going to mean waiting for another update before video playback will be supported. For Pixel owners who will get Android 17 first that might not be a cause for concern, but other brands could be waiting for months before it's supported.

As we move into summer 2026, we're expecting Android 17 to go gold and roll out as an update for Pixel phones, while we already know that Samsung's update is well in development too. It's expected that Samsung will announce its first Android 17 device on 22 July, with updates for Galaxy S25 devices to follow soon after.

So, while today is the starting point for video in Android Auto, it's going to take some time to get to the finish line.

Android Auto is also expected to get updates to the design, customisable widgets, Dolby Atmos, new audio widgets, as well as deeper Gemini integration, including Gemini Intelligence.

There's plenty to be excited about, but like all things Android Auto, a little patience will be needed before they arrive.

If you're a fan of tech developments which don't revolve around AI, last nights Google I/O event didn't have too much for you. Indeed, the first 92 minutes of the 111 minute presentation revolved entirely around AI and its implementation across the Google suite.

Still, it seems there's a lot of other news arriving around the periphery of the event, including some interesting automotive developments. As the show was happening, we heard about a new project with Volvo, to bring context-aware AI into your commute.

Now, there's news of another update, which should affect a few more users. As reported by 9to5Google, there's an update coming to the Android Auto Car App Library, which is going to let media apps make some fairly major design changes.

In a blog post, the brand explained, "We're increasing the modularity of existing templates to give developers more flexibility and options for laying out content. These improvements include expanded headers for better visual emphasis, such as on detail pages, spotlight sections that can be placed in scrollable areas to highlight specific content, and grid item variations to support different content types and states."

Any developers interested in making these changes will be able to apply for a beta programme, but there are a range of popular apps which are already making changes. That includes Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and more.

It's a great update, and a real opportunity for the brands to return a little of their own personality to the platform. Prior to this update, a lot of the different apps felt quite cookie cutter, with a relatively strict set of requirements on how the apps should appear.

We're expecting more and more developers to take the plunge over the coming weeks and months, so keep your eyes peeled if the one you use most often isn't included yet.

Android Auto is adding support for Google Meet, meaning drivers will be able to join scheduled voice calls while driving, or place calls to contacts. The feature was previously rolled out to Apple CarPlay.

Google's pace of evolution on Android Auto is often seen as a little slow, as Google looks to focus on the core experiences of navigation, music, calls and messaging, to keep you connected on the way to your destination.

Sticking with the driving focus, Meet on Android Auto won't allow for video calling, presentations or anything else – and at this stage, it doesn't yet support work profiles, according to Android Authority.

That will come as a relief for those spared a corporate meeting because they were on the road. Instead, this update seems to be about advancing Meet as a tool for keeping up with friends and family, with some using it for calling, rather than placing a conventional voice call.

More details on how Google Meet works on Android Auto is covered in the support pages, detailing exactly what you can and can't do.

The timeline for the rollout isn't clear: on checking devices in the UK I didn't have access to Meet, so it's probably a phased rollout as most Android Auto updates are.

While Android Auto has been rather static for a while, we've recently seen wider distribution of Gemini in Android Auto, providing a much fuller experience in the car than the previous Google Assistant.

Thanks to Gemini's conversational abilities, it's possible to have much longer conversations while driving, rather than it just being basic commands. That allowed me, for example, to plan various aspects of a forthcoming road trip, with the whole conversation saved in my Gemini for later access.

While some recently complained that Google Assistant had become unusable, we're likely approaching the point where more people have Gemini than don't, which is for the better in my experience.

The addition of Google Meet in Android Auto brings another Google service into the fold, making the driving experience a little more complete, giving drivers another communication option.

The Android phone versus iPhone debate has raged on for decades at this point. It has even spilled over into other areas, with Android tablets doing battle with iPad models.

Now, it's the era of Android Auto versus CarPlay – and the Apple just got a major upper hand. The brand has made it possible to utilise ChatGPT on CarPlay, which is currently not offered by the Android alternative.

That means that those using an iPhone connected to their in-car infotainment display will be able to ask ChatGPT questions directly. The functionality was mentioned in iOS 26.4, but it has taken a little bit of time to get the backend implemented.

Either way, it's something that Android users currently can't do. That's because Google limits which apps can be used, favouring its own Gemini for similar tasks.

It comes as something of a leftfield turn for Apple, which has traditionally been dedicated to its walled garden ecosystem. The fact that it has done a 180° turn on that front is telling of its tough start in the AI field.

What's even more interesting is the reason why you can't use it on Android. Google doesn't allow any chatbots onto its Android Auto system – aside from its own Gemini, of course.

You aren't able to use a third-party voice-based conversation app at all in the Android system, even when parked up. It feels like an incredibly tight wall, especially when apps for watching video or playing games can be used on the system.

If you aren't someone who uses ChatGPT all that often, you might not feel as put out by this. But for anyone who does – or simply anyone who wants to ensure they're working with the best possible tech – the move will likely cause some unrest. Hopefully Apple's approval for the app changes the mind of Google in the near future.

If you use Android Auto in the car, you'll likely be aware that the option of running YouTube is non-existent. That stands to reason, of course – you shouldn't be watching anything while driving which diverts your attention from the road.

But now, it seems that a new update could finally allow users to utilise YouTube content in the car – albeit with some pretty major caveats. The feature was first spotted on Reddit, with what seems to be a YouTube Player app on the in-car infotainment screen.

Now, as mentioned, there are some caveats. For starters, the system doesn't appear to play the actual video, merely showcasing the audio from those videos.

There's no word in the thread on whether or not you'll get full videos when parked, though we'd assume the absence of confirmation points to that not being available. There are some other quirks, too, with the controls appearing to only allow you to play/pause and skip to the next video, with no options to fast-forward or rewind.

YouTube Player added from r/AndroidAuto

Still, this seems like a decent boost for those who use YouTube as a primary source of entertainment. I definitely fall into that camp, and have long thought that being able to listen to content in the car might be a nicer way to spend a journey than listening to the radio.

Another limit on the utility of this system is that there's no ability to browse. Again, that makes some sense from a safety standpoint, though music streaming apps are able to get around this with voice-led searching.

It would certainly be handy to have something like that implemented, otherwise you'd have to spend time pre-queuing enough content for your journey, or face leaving it all in the hands of the algorithm. Either way, it seems like another long-requested feature has finally appeared.

There's a new in-car accessory that offers much more than your typical wireless CarPlay or Android Auto adapter. It gives you many more features, including the sort of entertainment options offered by Tesla models.

That's because the Tune Prime from Portronics isn't just an adapter for CarPlay and Android Auto, it's a complete in-car computer with wireless connectivity. It runs on the Snapdragon 662, there's 64GB of internal storage, and it's Android-powered, with full access to the Play Store and streamers, like Netflix and YouTube.

That means it can not only be a bridge to mirror your smartphone on the display (with full functionality available, according to Autoevolution), but it's a computer for your car, allowing many more options.

The hardware here also includes options for microSD storage expansion, as well as a SIM card, while the device has its own GPS. It also enables straight screen mirroring (outside of CarPlay and Android Auto), so it's definitely a versatile beast. And there are USB ports, for good measure.

Because it supports the Play Store it can run Google Maps or Waze natively, so if you didn’t want to use your phone, it will provide native navigation options for you.

But because it has access to all of Android's apps, you can use it for YouTube, Netflix and any other streaming service you might subscribe to. That's not designed for watching on the move, of course, but when parked, either when charging or because you spend a lot of time in your car.

Whether there's any block to using the apps when driving remains unknown, but we really hope that there is.

Tune Prime pricing and availability

The Tune Prime has launched in India for about £200 / $270 (currently with a heavy discount though, that makes it closer to £100 / $130), although it doesn't appear to be available to buy globally at present.

There's currently no support for video streaming apps in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as the key focus is on navigation, communication and music. But with brands like Tesla offering movie streaming and gaming when parked and charging the car, there's a growing demand for these sorts of services.

Google has previously said that it's going to be enabling streaming at some point in the future for exactly that reason, so that those charging EVs can make better use of their time when sitting in the car. After all, many cars now have Dolby Atmos sound systems, so why not take advantage of it?

Android Auto could soon add more settings, allowing drivers to customise the display further. Hidden options in the latest version of Android Auto have been discovered, revealing new details.

One of the nice features in Google Maps is the ability to customise your driving avatar – that's the little icon that appears on the map to show where you are. By default, it's a simple blue arrow, but through the Google Maps settings, it's possible to change the type of vehicle and the colour, just to make it more personal.

So far, it hasn't been possible to make those changes in Android Auto as well, so even though that custom avatar is visible, you have to return to your phone if you want to change it.

However, in the latest release version of Android Auto, Android Authority has found controls that bring the customisations to the in-car interface. That will bring up a similar menu to the one in Google Maps on your phone, allowing you to make the changes to the vehicle you're driving.

These controls currently aren't visible to users, but seem to work, with syncing back to your phone. So a change made in one place appears in the other. That suggests it's an update that Google will enable at some point in near future.

But if you follow the story of Android Auto, you'll know that there's often a lot sitting in the background that can take a long time to surface. Even some planned features – like Gemini – still haven't reached many users, despite being announced months ago.

Android Auto has been slow to add more detailed controls, usually leaving those to the phone – or just not allowing them at all. That's given the feeling that the car software has been a little static for some time.

That's understandable to an extent: Google is keen to avoid too many distractions when driving and that means that the core media, communication and mapping functions are slow to evolve, to avoid confusing users with regular changes.

At the same time, some of the popular apps that Android Auto offers aren't a patch on their smartphone-based original. Waze, for example, lacks useful features like route sharing, meaning drivers have to share that from their phone, rather than being able to tap the option on the screen when driving.

Even though this new option to control the avatar looks fully formed, there's no way of telling when it might be publicly available.

Android Auto has been updated again, bringing with it a feature that's likely to change daily interactions with the media player on the popular in-car driving companion.

As part of Android Auto 16 – which is finally rolling out in some regions – the update brings with it a controversial change to the button order in the media player. This was first spotted in May 2025, where the play/pause button moved from the central position to the left.

That means that to skip forward or back, drivers will have to tap the relevant buttons to the right, rather than them flanking the play/pause controller as before. While this layout was first leaked in May, it was then confirmed at Google I/O that this was a planned change for media moving forward.

Now, according to 9to5Google, with the Android Auto 16.0 update appearing for some drivers, that change has been implemented.

For some drivers, this will definitely cause some confusion with erroneous button pressing until they adjust to the new layout. According to the source, the new layout is visible in Spotify and Pocket Casts.

However, apart from those changes, there doesn't seen to be anything else that's major in the new version of Android Auto, as the slow pace of change continues for Google's in-car driving app.

Will the new Android Auto changes affect my car?

While the on-screen alterations might present some issues for some drivers, that's not the only option there is for changing tracks or to pause music. Most cars with steering wheel buttons have these mapped to those controls in Android Auto, so for many, the visual change will go unnoticed.

Android Auto appears to be in something of a fractured state at the moment, with the biggest change – the implementation of Gemini – not fully available to all users.

Although the rollout was officially announced in November, we've still not got it on devices in the UK – and many users have been commenting that the older Google Assistant is becoming unusable while they wait for the upgrade.

At the same time, the new button layout appears to have arrived with the Material 3 Expressive change that was expected. As previously reported, the track timeline changes from a straight line to a wavy bar to match the most recent visuals on Android 16 phones.

Users are reporting a downgraded experience when using Android Auto because of the slow deployment of Google's new Gemini AI assistant. While the update was confirmed in November, many drivers are still using Google Assistant, which seems to be in limbo.

Google Assistant has long been the highlight of Android Auto, allowing good voice interaction when driving. It launched in 2016 and was integrated into Android Auto in 2018, but has been earmarked for retirement as the focus shifts to Gemini instead.

The advantage Google Assistant offered was that it worked well for the basic functions that it needed to complete – navigation, calling, messaging and media control. Asking Assistant to play a particular artist from Spotify would result in near-instant playback and that's no longer the case.

Taking to Reddit (via 9to5Google), users are reporting that the Google Assistant side of Android Auto is now almost unusable: "Honestly it seems like it would be less distracting to just put the car in park at 80MPH, and type the address into the bloody search bar by hand," commented one disgruntled driver.

The problem is that Google Assistant feels like it's being downgraded, failing to execute tasks it was once adroit at.

"Voice barely works for playing music," says an additional Redditor.

Another (UnashamedSpace) goes even further: "At this point, I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of Gemini… on Android Auto because Google Assistant has become unusable."

My own experience with Google Assistant on Android Auto

I've personally found the same thing, where Google Assistant will sometimes listen to a request and then just completely ignore it, or report that it "didn't understand that". It feels like it's slowly being turned off the in background.

That brings us to Gemini.

Gemini first launched in 2023, hitting the mainstream with the launch of the Pixel 8 Pro. Google continued to push it as its new AI assistant through 2024, while looking to replace Assistant on smartphones through 2025.

But for all the skills that Gemini offers, it was a slow start, where it couldn't perform all the tasks that Google Assistant could. The roll-out has been slow and fractured, with different Google products offering a different voice assistant. At this point in time, in the UK, I have Gemini on my phone, but Google Assistant on my TV, Android Auto and Nest speakers.

It's reported that the Gemini experience in Android Auto is much better than Assistant, allowing a lot more conversational interaction, but Google really needs to step on the gas and push the update, before drivers abandon Android Auto and just use the stock infotainment system in their car instead.

Android Auto could soon change the process bar for music apps, with a new "wavy" bar designed to match the Material 3 Expressive design on its latest Pixel phones with Android 16.

Found in the code of an unreleased future version of Android Auto, the feature was uncovered by Android Authority which managed to turn it on for a better look at what it offers.

The biggest impact is making the progress bar for a music track or podcast more engaging, so it's not just a flat line, it's has an undulation to it. That makes the progress easier to see at a glance.

Google's aim with Material 3 Expressive was to make everything more simple and allow for exactly this sort of thing – easier glancing. Having seen the wavy progress bar on Android phones, it's a lot more visible than the previous version, where you'd have to spot the dot to really see the progress of a track.

Now there's a colour change as the flat line turns wavy as you move through the track. It's definitely a lift to the visual experience and part of Google's efforts to bring the benefits of Material 3 Expressive to more Google properties.

In Android Auto, the new progress bar will appear wherever music is displayed, whether that's through the full screen view or in a widget to the side. We know that Google is trying to work on how media apps are displayed, while still working on deeper integration with the car's own media hardware.

While that's a confirmed feature, there's no telling when the wavy progress bar might be enabled for users of the popular in-car software. Currently it's not enabled in the app, so it's likely that Google will be working on other Material 3 Expressive elements to boost the consistency across the entire app.

The biggest change to Android Auto in recent months is the arrival of Gemini, allowing for the use of Google's smarter AI. While that's a rollout that's started, I haven't yet seen it in the UK, suggesting that it's taking some time to get going.

Android Auto likes to make its changes slowly and it looks like this latest feature update from Google could help you avoid something else slow – low power EV chargers. According to details found in the latest Android Auto beta, Google is going to make it easier to filter EV chargers.

While ICE vehicles can basically pull up to any fuel station and find what they need, the EV world isn't quite as simple. That's because EV chargers come in different flavours, with high-power rapid chargers great for topping up on the motorway, but low power chargers preferable for a longer charging session.

Google Maps already offers access to details about EV chargers, letting you add them as stops on your route, as well as filtering by charging speed, but that takes a lot of clicking – it's not information that's immediately accessible, because you have to apply those options once you have started your route search.

But thanks to a deeper investigation into the Android Auto beta, Android Authority reports that Google could be planning to change this option. That could mean drivers will be able to set their preferences for Google Maps in general. By tapping on the Settings in Google Maps, you'll be able to access "EV map filters", with options for charger speeds.

Multiple options can be selected, but it means that you can avoid getting results for slow chargers (under 50kW for example), because it's likely that if you're searching for a charger, you probably want a quick charge.

That's not the only filter: it appears that Google is also going to let drivers have a payment filter, so the results will only show chargers where you can actually pay. That will avoid driving out of the way to find that it's an old charger that only accepts RFID cards for account holders.

It's a minor change and arguably, it doesn't go far enough. Having driven a number of EVs, I'd love the option to be able to have a one-tap search for a charger (with all those filters applied) right from the navigation screen. That would help drivers find chargers without digging or messing around – one tap and the details along your route pop up.

There's still a disconnect between Android Auto and the EV driving experience. Google doesn't know the car's range, or how much charge there is, so routing and charging isn't a seamless experience like it is using a car's native software.

For example, EVs can plan a route including the charging stops, they can tell you how much range you'll arrive with, while also playing a more important role, like preconditioning the battery before arriving at a scheduled charging slot to allow for optimal charging conditions.

As the changes to the EV charger options are currently in the Android Auto beta, it's not known if or when they will arrive as an update.

Google is updating Android Auto to include its smarter AI-powered voice assistant Gemini. It replaces Google Assistant and should boost the in-car voice experience, thanks to better understanding of natural language.

Voice control seems to be taking over the world of tech – from smart speakers to conversational chats with your phone, AI is driving an explosion in the power of voice. But there's one place where voice control makes a lot of sense – in your car.

Voice control is not new to cars. For years, it was offered by many manufacturers and resulted in a wooden and restrictive system that was not just limited in scope, it was frustrating too. I can't count the number of times I tried to use voice for navigation and was told the destination didn't exist, or the number of times I called the wrong person because of clunky understanding.

Google Assistant changed that and with Android Auto a feature of most modern cars, it's been easier than ever to use voice to message, call, navigate and control the media in your car. Gemini will supercharge that experience, with greater understanding, greater access to information, and hopefully a smoother experience.

Gemini has long been anticipated for Android Auto. Following the universal rollout of the AI assistant to Android phones and tablets, it's slowly been making its way into other Google systems, like Google Maps and Google Lens. But for drivers, this is G Day, the moment that everything changes (I hope).

According to 9to5Google, an increasing number of Android Auto users are now reporting the change. It appears that beta users are the first to get it – I don't yet have it on the non-beta Android Auto 15.5 that I have on my Pixel 10 Pro, but it's likely that it will take some weeks to appear.

As Google has so far said nothing about the change to Gemini, we also don't know if this is going to be a regional thing. While those in the US are sure to the be first to get it, it's likely that it's going to update for all users where Gemini is available.

According to the details, the "Hey Google" hotword still works, but if you're a Gemini Live user, you can reportedly trigger that with "let's talk live". Gemini on Android Auto will translate messages incoming and outgoing.

The arrival of Gemini might be met with mixed responses. While the AI voice system from Google has much greater scope than the Google Assistant that it replaces, some of the basic tasks that Assistant was great at have taken a long time for Gemini to master.

Redditors highlight that Gemini has often failed with a basic command like "call Mom", which Google Assistant had no problem with. That extends to the slow path towards controlling other apps and services. One confirmed loss in the introduction of Gemini is that it no longer supports nicknames.

We're looking forward to trying it for ourselves though, when the rollout hits our cars, too.

Android Auto could be about to make a change to how apps are controlled, with the introduction of widgets. The new addition will make the control of some apps easier when driving.

Currently, Android Auto offers taskbar widgets, which allows quick control of some app functions, as well as a split view – which was introduced with the latest design of Android Auto – called Coolwalk. That split screen option allows for a main app window (navigation) and then a secondary window, normally for media control.

Now it looks like Google is going to expand control options by introducing full home screen widgets.

The new function was discovered by Android Authority in the latest 15.6 beta for the popular in-car driving app. While it's clear that it's far from complete, the source was able to get it working well enough to be able to interpret how the final implementation will look.

These new home screen widgets will take up about a quarter of the display (in a horizontal aspect), with the main app still sitting in the remainder of the display. I stay still, because the proposed approach doesn't look too different to the current Coolwalk design.

The new system - codenamed "Earth" - is going to replace that secondary window with a customisable widget. While visually similar, key to the new offering is the option to create widgets from compatible apps.

That means you can create a Gemini widget, or widgets from the clock or weather apps. The source noted that only one widget could be applied at a time, meaning that whatever you choose is displayed, replacing whatever was there before.

That seems slightly limiting, as having a home screen widget function that only allows one fixed widget doesn’t seem to sit well with the needs of drivers and makes the system little better than just opening an app. But this single-widget function might not be the long-term goal.

Elsewhere in the same beta, Google has also enabled support for multiple media app controls through that secondary window I mentioned. This basically stacks the apps for different media sources – for example Spotify and YouTube Music – allowing simple switching between the two.

Under the current release version, only one is supported, so if you want to use a different media app, it has to be opened. That's before you can return to the split display and control it.

But the stacking of these media controllers perhaps gives an insight into how widgets would be managed. Allowing drivers to create those widgets and have them stacked for easy access would be a much better solution than requiring drivers to open the app menu every time.

There's some sign of this already: Spotify, for example, currently offers the now playing window alongside access to a "for you" listing to aid quick music discovery.

All these functions are currently in the Android Auto beta, and in an incomplete state. It's hard to tell therefore when we might get these functions working for real – but it's clear that Google is working on improving app access while driving.

Android Auto is the subject to almost constant tweaking from Google. Rather than major redesigns or changes, the in-car system seems to be forever subject to small changes – often for the better, but sometimes for the worse too. The latest change definitely seems to be for the better, thankfully.

Over the past week, users have spotted that the "Report" function now appears on smaller displays (via 9to5Google). The option to report incidents on the road is something that migrated from Waze to Google Maps, a process that started in late 2024.

However, the problem was that vehicles with smaller screens couldn't show this button when using Android Auto – it only appeared on larger in-car displays. That's what seems to have changed, with users reporting that they now have the function on smaller screens too.

Incident reports allow drivers to mark a crash, congestion or police presence, for example, something which was the very foundation of Waze's proposition. Waze describes itself as offering crowd-sourced data, harvesting information from users who can report all sorts of occurances on the road.

Rather than just relying on public information, Waze users have long been able to report a flood or bad weather – or a whole range of other things – so that other drivers can benefit. There's verification too, with additional users asked to confirm if something is "still there" when driving through the area that the report was given.

There's long been the question of whether Waze and Google Maps would merge, but that doesn't seem to have happened, despite the migration of elements like reporting into Google Maps. For now, the two services continue to run independently, albeit sharing information.

Google Maps suggested locations remain hidden

Users of Android Auto are also sharing that Google Map's "suggested locations" isn't opening when starting up in the car. This irritating feature dominated the maps display by opening with locations that it thought you might want to drive to. In some instances, this would get stuck open and refuse to close, so it's good news that this isn't now opening by default.

This option doesn't seem to have landed with all users yet and it might just be for those with smaller displays. As is often the case with Android Auto, not all users get the same updates at the same time, so it's often hard to pin down exactly what has changed and who it has changed for.

Other recent changes to Android Auto include the removal of GameSnacks for some drivers, but the big change that we're all still waiting for is Gemini – which could drastically change the in-car voice experience for good.

In the modern car world, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are everywhere you look. The systems – which mirror either your Android phone or your iPhone onto the in-car displays – have been incredibly popular in recent years as a way to get a wealth of functionality that looks instantly familiar.

Still, that hasn't stopped some brands from removing the functionality. Way back in 2023, General Motors announced its decision to remove compatibility with the systems from its EVs. In a later response, it said that the systems just weren't good enough.

Now, it's going even further, with a new announcement taking the compatibility away from fossil-fuelled vehicles, too. That comes from an interview with The Verge, where the brand's CEO, Mary Barra, suggested that new fossil-fuelled vehicles would not support smartphone projection.

That's a major step for the brand, particularly after the backlash which surrounded the last such move. Many users were frustrated with the decision to remove compatibility, which has become something of a standard for most people.

So, why is GM doing this? Well, it all comes down to them wanting to offer their own platform for in-car displays. Cynics suggest that could be a bid to lock certain features behind a paywall, which would likely be an even bigger issue for most drivers.

Still, it's not all bad news. The brand has also announced a new feature emerging next year, which makes use of Google Gemini to offer conversational AI within your car. That's something we've been hearing about more broadly for a long time, and it's great to see the functionality finally hitting the market.

Whether or not an AI-powered in-car assistant will be able to replace CarPlay and Android Auto remains to be seen. It's certainly going to be an interesting year for GM.

Android Auto users have been reporting that one of the popular apps in their car interface has gone missing, but it might not be as simple as it first appears. The app that's vanished is GameSnacks.

Just the notion of GameSnacks being removed from Android Auto is enough to send shockwaves through the community of users. The collection of HTML 5 mini-games has been available since 2021 and is a stable of the in-car system, letting users while away their time while sitting in the car waiting.

But 9to5Google reports that some users have found GameSnacks missing. The app was absent from the launcher in Android Auto 15.2 beta, but was still lurking in the settings, so something is definitely amiss there.

What's not clear at the moment is whether the removal of GameSnacks is a deliberate move or some quirk of the beta software, because the users reporting it don't always state whether they are on the beta or not.

A removal of GameSnacks would certainly be a blow, but it would also be uncharacteristic for Android Auto when the message recently has been about increasing the entertainment options on offer. There have been plans to better compete with the likes of Tesla, and to acknowledge that more people are now sitting in vehicles waiting for them to charge than ever before.

It could be that Google is about to make a bigger push into entertainment apps and removing GameSnacks is a precursor to allowing more games specifically designed for Android Auto.

Real change in Android Auto hasn't been seen for some time and it feels like the feature that we're all waiting for is Gemini. Google Assistant has hung in there on the car app for some time, despite Gemini now being the dominant voice assistant on smartphones and tablets.

Gemini will provide a more natural approach to language, meaning that you can speak more openly with Google and get the result you want. That's what's promised, anyway.

The AI's ability to interpret what you've said and go off at a tangent shouldn't be under estimated – and that might get in the way when driving if you just want to navigate to McDonald's, rather than have a conversation about the fast food chain.

We wait with bated breath to see that comes next – and whether GameSnacks is still on the menu or not.

Android Auto is in the process of rolling-out a range of new features for drivers, so the confirmation that Android Auto 15.0 has gone live has been met with excitement. But before you race off to hit update, take a breath and calm yourself.

Android Auto 15 is live on my Pixel 10 Pro, having been through the beta cycle, and considering the among of findings we reported during the beta phase, I was as keen to see the final version as anyone.

After all, the expansion to allow more columns of apps, options to support Material You themes, and the arrival of Gemini in Android Auto have either been spotted in the early software versions, or have been expected for some time.

Unfortunately, none of these elements are included with Android Auto 15.0 and having fired up my car and taken a look, I can't find anything at the surface levels that's changed either. Sadly, it looks like Android Auto 15.0 is another move that simply squashes a few bugs in the background.

The layout, the features and the supported apps all appear to be the same as they were before.

The lack of Gemini integration is still an oddity considering that Gemini is so dominant in the rest of the Android experience. Some Gemini code was added to the 15.1 beta, but we're not quite at that stage yet. I'm expecting Google to make a big song and dance about its AI service moving into the Android Auto space in the coming months.

What else are we expecting from Android Auto

For a long time it's been expected that Android Auto would bring support for video streaming apps, allowing those who are parked to enjoy content on their car. That's going to be useful to those in electric cars who are charging while on the road, or for those who just want to do something while waiting around in the car.

It does have downsides, however. My car will complain if I'm still using the entertainment system with the engine off, so settling down to watch Top Gun: Maverick while waiting in the car park outside a shopping mall will probably never work for me.

Android Auto has also been linked to deep controls for the car's climate control system and support for the car's other entertainment hardware, like USB drives and the radio tuner. But this would need a bigger buy-in from car manufacturers, so might need a new generation of cars to support it.

The roll-out of Android Auto 15.0 seems to be limited at the moment – my Pixel 10 Pro has it, but my Pixel 9 Pro doesn't – although you can expect the update to appear soon. It's just that when it does, there's not a whole lot to be excited about right now.

We've known for a while that Android Auto is getting the Gemini treatment. It was announced back in May during The Android Show, where Google not only revealed Android 16 but Gemini on a host of new devices, including its in-car platform.

The idea was that the update would be the "safest way to stay productive and safe while driving", Google said during the announcement. It added that it would allow users to "speak as if its someone sat next to you".

But while Gemini for Android Auto has been fully revealed already, there's talk that an extra feature might appear with the rollout which could come in handy.

What else can we expect from Gemini on Android Auto?

A report from 9to5Google claims that the Android Auto v15.1 update (which is rolling out in beta this week) contains code to suggest Gemini may be able to get access to your car's "precise location". This would no doubt help offer better navigation when you're trying to get from one place to the next, but it's also likely it could help with things like finding a nearby coffee shop or petrol station.

Both of these are of course possible through Google Maps already, but if you're using voice control, then the AI assistant knowing exactly where you are could be helpful. That's so it doesn't send you to get a flat white 300 miles in the wrong direction.

The report says that the feature appears to be an optional setting, though – perhaps negating fears from some drivers who don't want to be tracked.

It also specified that the new lines of code that were spotted in the APK were "newly added rather than being updated from any prior Assistant support".

There's also a summary in the code suggesting what the feature will be used for, with it reading "share with digital assistants for improved navigation".

At the moment, the feature isn't live in Android Auto 15.1, though nor is Gemini itself. After a couple of hints at the Pixel 10 launch event however, it's possible at least that Gemini could arrive on Android Auto before the end of the year.

Google has been pushing through a number of changes to Android Auto recently, but all without making significant changes to how Android Auto actually works. There could be a change coming that makes a slightly bigger change, allowing access to more apps.

Currently, Android Auto will display up to five columns of apps when in the apps tray, depending on the size of the screen in your car. Remember that Android Auto only shows you compatible apps, but for those with a larger collection, accessing all those apps could be a challenge, leading to lots of scrolling.

Digging into the Android Auto app, Android Authority has discovered support for up to seven columns of apps, meaning you can fit more onto the screen. This isn't a feature that's available for drivers, but it was lurking in the depths of the code and able to be switched on.

The result was that a display that previously showed five columns of apps was able to show six or seven columns instead.

Just looking at the images shows that these are just being crammed in with less space around them, so while you could have more apps on the screen, your taps would have to be more precise to launch that app.

As this has come from the bowels of the Android Auto app, there's no guarantee that Google will enable this feature - it could just be something that Google was testing that hasn't been removed.

Just how many Android Auto apps do you need?

One of the things that in-car apps like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have to balance is providing the services that people need while avoiding being a distraction when driving.

The number of Android Auto apps is slightly limited and that's no bad thing. When driving, the focus is really on navigation, communication and entertainment. Google also bundles in weather because – hey – everyone always needs weather information.

When parked, there's also access to browsers, games and video apps, but it's here that things get cluttered and distracting. While you can't use these sorts of apps while driving, they're still in the apps list, getting in the way of the apps you might actually need.

In reality, I suspect that most drivers have one preferred navigation app, a preferred music app and a preferred messaging format, rather than needing loads of apps all the time.

Android Auto offers a better way of opening apps too and it's called Google Assistant - soon to be replaced by Gemini. With compatibility with the voice button on the steering wheel (and supporting Hey Google) it's not hard to open an app and get it to do what you want while driving - all without having to tap anything on the screen.

It's likely that the move to more columns of apps is a reflection of growing in-car displays. While 8 inches was typical in recent years, we're now seeing 15 inch displays, more portrait displays and a general expansion of screens in cars.

Whether this feature will come to light, remains to be seen.

Android Auto is the choice for many drivers, providing that seamless bridge between car and phone. It looks like there's going to be more personalisation coming to Android Auto that's going to make a material difference.

That's because Android Auto 14.9 (which is still in beta) supports Material You colours. Uncovered by 9to5Google, Android Auto will pick up those Material You colour themes that come from your wallpaper. That means that things like shades in switches will match your phone.

This doesn't apply to all themes you might apply to your phone, only those that come from wallpapers, giving a little lift to the visuals you'll see in the car, but mostly around the settings menu and notifications.

One of the biggest changes to personalisation came with the adoption of your phone's wallpaper, which landed at the end of 2023. That adds another level of personalisation (something that Apple CarPlay doesn't match), but it can be a little weird when a segment of your vertical wallpaper is applied to your horizontal car screen (which most are).

Sadly, the ability to independently customise Android Auto isn't an option.

The roll-out of this new feature isn't completely straightforward, with some Android users reporting that they've seen it, while others can only access it through the beta. When I checked my own car, there was no sign of it.

It's a minor detail for now, while we wait for some of the bigger changes that are expected, such as the Gemini experience in place of Google Assistant, the expansion of games and other entertainment when cars are parked, as well as deeper integration into the car as a whole.

While Apple took a big step into gaining more control over a car's screens with CarPlay Ultra, there have been signs within Android Auto that it's going to be seeking out deeper integration with a car's existing systems.

That is likely to include things like radio hardware and USB drives - for more music options from within Android Auto - while we could also see climate control support on some vehicles too.

While Android Auto seems to be pushing out a number of small changes, there's clearly some big stuff that's in the pipeline that hopefully we'll get to see soon.

Spotify has updated its Android Auto app, taking advantage of the wider freedoms that media apps now enjoy on Google's in-car platform. Those plans were announced at Google I/O, and the big addition to Spotify is support for Spotify Jam.

Jam allows real-time collaboration in playlists, so that one person doesn't dominate the music. It's a fun way for more people to get involved and ideal when you're driving, because it's not just down to the driver or passenger to control the music.

Passengers will be able to scan the QR code on the screen to join the Jam and start putting tracks into the queue. That means, for example, the kids don't have to get stuck with Dad's music, or a bunch of friends can mix it up and keep the music fresh.

Alongside the addition of Spotify Jam, the app has been tweaked, according to 9to5Google, including dedicated searching within Spotify – previously, you'd just have to search by voice using Google Assistant.

The downloads are now easier to find, so if you're roaming or in an area where the signal is bad, you can switch to offline music, while there are other UI changes to make the Spotify experience better.

These apps will come from the Spotify app, so you'll have to update your phone to make sure you're running the latest version, before opening up Android Auto in your car.

Google has been looking at a number of changes to Android Auto, with the media app experiences now rolling out. However, evidence of other changes has also been found, with the suggestion that Android Auto might be able to take advantage of other media hardware in your car.

That could see Android Auto controlling the radio, or accessing a USB stick with downloaded audio too. There are also hints at integrated climate control functions too.

While Google is making these changes in Android Auto, there's no sign that Google is attempting to make a move like Apple CarPlay Ultra to take over all screens in the car. Google does, however, have Android Automotive, so in many ways it's already a step ahead of Apple in in-car interfaces.

Google will soon add a new ability to Android Auto that Apple continues to ban.

As confirmed by an official Google blog, as well as Gemini support, the future Android 16 update will introduce the ability to watch videos in your car.

That means video streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Google's own YouTube, will be accessible via the in-car entertainment system. But only if you're running Android Auto.

It is also claimed that web browsing will be possible too – while the car is stationary, of course.

This is something that has recently been removed from a CarPlay app, with Apple requesting Sidecar to prevent drivers from accessing video and the web. The app had only just added the capability when it was pointed out that it breached Apple's policies.

Apple does not let users watch video or browse through CarPlay, even when stationary. That could change, of course, especially on the newly-launched CarPlay Ultra, but it still stands today.

When will video and web browsing come to my car?

Google has announced that it will be introducing the capability for video apps to work with Android Auto "later this year". However, cars that have Google intrinsically built into their infotainment systems, through Android Automotive, can already benefit from the service.

They also have browser access through a beta version of the software.

Both Android Auto and Android Automotive can also now run games on the in-car system. Again, in beta mode.

Volvo is one of the manufacturers that is being used as a hardware launch partner. That means its cars – such as the Volvo EX90 – will receive OS innovations ahead of others, including Gemini support.

Android Auto is in the middle of a phased update, moving users to Android Auto 14.4.

But before you panic that this is going to introduce the whacky media controls I recently told you about, it isn’t. There’s no sign of the rearranged buttons to control your music.

So while you breathe a sigh of relief, you’re probably wondering what this new update does actually add. Well, the bad news is that there’s nothing that’s user facing at the moment.

That’s not uncommon in Android Auto, where we’ve seen a number of features being developed in the background that are yet to go live. That appears to be exactly what Android Auto 14.4 is doing – laying the groundwork for the next big push into in-car functionality.

Android Auto 14.4 – according to Auto Evolution – appears to carry with it all the features that were discovered in the beta versions. It looks like the focus is going to be surfacing climate controls into Android Auto that otherwise would sit on the display. This is something that we’ve been following for a couple of months and makes perfect sense.

Android Auto climate controls

The idea is that you can change the temperature or perhaps turn on your heated seat without having to leave Android Auto. Currently, if functions are controlled by the car’s own system you have to spend your time switching back and forth.

It looks like the aim is to reduce that, so you can access more through the Android Auto interface.

However, many manufacturers keep climate controls off the display, or keep them to a separate part of the screen. That will mean that even if you have Android Auto open giving you directions or controlling your music, you’ll still have access to temperature settings.

Many still offer physical controls, because these are the sort of functions where people like a button to press.

While these features aren’t live, I’m expecting Google to make a little more of a show about them – and that could happen at Google I/O tomorrow (20 May) or just be led by a blog post at some point.

As this is a phased roll-out, you might not yet have Android Auto on your phone. I checked my Pixel 9 and found that it was still on Android Auto 14.2, but this sort of rollout is normal. At any rate, it doesn’t really matter as the new features aren’t enabled yet.

The other feature we’re expecting to arrive soon is Gemini. This has already been confirmed for Android Auto, but the question is when it will actually step in to replace the older Google Assistant.

There’s a change coming to Android Auto and we’re almost there – but it seems we’ll all have to wait a little longer to get access to new features.

Android Auto is in line for a big update, with Google recently confirming that Gemini is coming to the in-car version of Android. But while we wait for that update to arrive, another tweak has been spotted that might cause more confusion than anything else.

We’re all used to fairly conventional media controls. That sees the play button sitting between the forward and rewind buttons. It forms a logical progressive timeline for your music control, meaning you instinctively know where to tap to go forward and where to tap to go back, as seen in the image above.

However, as uncovered by Android Authority, Google appears to be experimenting with switching around the buttons, so that the play/pause button sits to the left, with the skip buttons placed together.

This breaks that logical progressive timeline and doesn’t match the layout you're probably used to. Looking at media apps on my phone, they all have the play button in the centre.

So what could be driving this change? Placing the play/pause button to the left might mean that it’s easier to tap as it’s at the edge. It might mean you’re more likely to see, especially when there are other icons on the screen.

This is one of the principals of Material 3 Expressive, which has been created using things like eye tracking to find the best locations for icons. That could be the intention here, perhaps because people aren’t regularly skipping tracks when driving.

When driving there’s a bigger complication compared to using apps on your phone. Buttons need to be larger so they are easier to hit without taking your eyes off the road. There’s also the issue of tapping the right point on the display when you’re on a bumpy surface, as your hand moves around a lot.

Placing the icon near the edge makes it more prominent and could mean that it’s closer to a hard edge, so easier to tap when moving. But breaking the logical layout that people are familiar with raises its own concerns, because it becomes unfamiliar.

Android Authority points out that this change of button order only applies in the card (as seen here) and when you open the full app, you’ll get the regular layout, which makes no sense at all.

However, it’s worth noting that this change looks like Google is testing something, rather than a change that’s planned to roll-out to all users. At the moment there’s no need to panic, because we’re not seeing this layout on our cars, so let's hope it's just a brief test before Google comes to its senses.

With The Android Show now in full swing, there is plenty to love for users of almost every device. We've seen the launch of Android 16 and the expansion of Google Gemini to a whole host of new devices.

It's the latter which has really caught my eye, as the brand looks set to bring the popular AI-powered assistant to cars in the near future. Gemini will arrive as part of Android Auto, and to cars with Google built-in.

The former will arrive in the coming months, according to executives from the company, while vehicles with Google built-in will enjoy the update later in the year. In a private briefing ahead of the launch event, the brand described the update as being the "safest way to stay productive and safe while driving," adding that users can "speak as if its someone sat next to you."

Personally, this is my favourite update from the show. I've been vocal about my love of Gemini, which feels like the perfect embodiment of the voice assistant I've always wanted.

Adding it to Android Auto is simply genius. The current use of Google Assistant is fairly flawed, with users needing to use specific keywords in order to get the desired action. That's frustrating on a phone, but when you're driving, it has the power to be incredibly dangerous.

The more natural, conversational flow Gemini should smooth that out considerably, and make it much safer for users. I'm constantly struggling with Spotify, for example, where I can't remember the name of an album, but I can remember the name of a song on that album. The current Google Assistant has a total meltdown over this, but Gemini should be well-equipped.

There has never been a better time to get this implemented, either. With a growing number of new cars offering some kind of built-in infotainment system, the potential impact is truly massive.

While there is no date set in stone for the launch, I'll be waiting with baited breath for it to arrive in my car.

Android Auto is the in-car infotainment software of choice for many drivers. Powered by your Android phone, it makes a seamless transition from your phone to the car, making it to easy to perform everyday tasks when driving. Boosting the offering, it appears that there’s a redesign coming.

The Android Auto app has been through a number of changes recently, the biggest being the move to the Coolwalk design in late 2022, the design that’s currently offered. But turn the clock back a little further and Android Auto used to have a light mode too.

You’ll remember a period of darkmodeification that took place, where basically every app switched from having light backgrounds to dark. In 2019, Android Auto lost its light mode and went dark only.

But, according to Android Authority, light mode might be poised to make a comeback. Uncovered in the latest Android Auto app, the Android site has shared plenty of screens, giving us a good look at how Android Auto looks when the light theme is applied.

It’s worth noting that although the app furniture went dark only in 2019, mapping apps in Android Auto have always been adaptive, switching from light to dark depending on the ambient conditions. That means that while a light theme could change the appearance of the Android Auto, if you usually drive with full maps open, you might not notice a huge change.

Consider too, that Android Auto takes its wallpaper from your phone, so if you have a light wallpaper, the app might look pretty light too – but all the navigation elements will have remained dark.

Diving into the details, we see that the tool bar is light, the shades around elements within the app are light, and backgrounds across apps are light. That could be a boon for those driving in sunny conditions, because black shows up reflections much more readily than lighter themes, so this should look better in the right conditions.

Exactly how the app's behaviour will be managed remains to be seen. It could switch based on the ambient conditions (like the maps do), it could be locked one way or the other, or it might be linked to the system theme on your phone.

It would seem likely that Google will give drivers the option to have the theme in Android Auto independently managed, so that you can select your preference.

One thing does strike me though: most car interiors are dark and so the dark theme gives a more seamless integration. Switching to a light theme against the Alcantara interior of your fancy Audi might just look a little odd.

The Android Auto light mode is sitting in the background of the app – it's not yet available, but its presence suggests that it could be launched soon.

There’s been a flurry of activity around Android Auto recently, but very little has actually resulted in new features. One of the recent elements spotted in Android Auto was the mention of “Glasses”. However, with the latest update, this has now been removed.

That has dashed hopes that we were about to get some sort of Terminator-esque enhanced vision for driving.

The references to smart glasses were found in a couple of versions of the app, not connected to any front-facing feature, but loitering in the code. While bringing you the news of this finding, I speculated that there aren’t really any smart glasses available that would safely do the job, but that it might instead be a link to the car’s own AR systems instead.

Some cars are using augmented reality via a heads-up display system to provide the driver with more information in their eyeline. For some, this is on a separate screen within the car, but it’s now becoming more common to project this information into the interior of the windscreen.

While things like speed restrictions are useful, it’s the ability to overlay directions onto the view of the road ahead that are most beneficial. I’ve done a lot of test driving on European roads and having a big floating arrow in your eyeline that shows which turning to come off a roundabout is really useful.

With the latest version of Android Auto 14.2, all mention of glasses have been removed, according to 9to5Google, so that might be the end of the matter.

Was this a simple mistake from Google?

The mention of “glasses” in Android Auto was discovered in two versions of the app, the English and the Hindi. Those strings didn’t match either, suggesting something was off, but the question is why there was a reference to glasses in the first place.

There’s the suggestion that this is a mistranslation of some sort, but it’s hard to fathom how the word “glasses” found its way into the code.

This isn’t the first time details have been found lurking in Android Auto that don’t relate to a feature you can actually use. References to temperature control and media control have been found in the past, suggesting that Google is working to have Android Auto offer wider control over a car’s systems.

That would allow Android Auto to potentially rival some of the ambitious plans of Apple CarPlay 2, where that becomes the user interface for the car, rather than flipping back and forth between Google’s system and the manufacturer’s system, which is currently the case.

So "Glasses" might have been removed, but this might not be the end of the story. In the future, perhaps Android Auto will aim to work with a wider range of car visual systems, like heads-up display and AR capabilities.

As Arnie says in Terminator 2: “I see everything!”

It’s easy to criticise Android Auto for its slow pace of development as Google focuses on driving essentials, making its in-car solution pedestrian in its evolution. But what if Android Auto made the jump to your face by supporting smart glasses?

That might not be as fantastical as you think, after code was found lurking in the latest version of Android Auto by Android Authority. The code makes reference to “Glasses”, with the Hindi version saying “To view navigation on smart glasses, start navigation.”

There are a couple of things to dive into here. First of all, Android Auto is designed to bring the Google experience from your phone into your car. It does that via your smartphone, with most now getting access to this service wirelessly. It allows voice controls – Google Assistant, but shifting towards Gemini – Google Maps and other apps for navigation, entertainment from compatible apps like Spotify, as well as messaging and calling.

That’s all designed to remove distractions and make driving safer, so you don’t need to touch your phone. Instead you can control those functions via voice, buttons on your steering wheel or through the touchscreen on your car. Adding glasses to the mix can only add one element – visuals.

What Google wouldn’t be able to do is create a driving accessory that was a distraction, but it could replicate some form of heads-up display (HUD) or augmented reality (AR) experience. That might sound a little far-fetched, but many premium cars already offer one or both of these options.

Heads-up displays will put road sign recognition, speed and basic navigation instructions into your eyeline. Augmented reality will take this further, using cameras on the car to recognise turnings and have AR arrows point to exactly where you need to turn. You can find this in cars such as the VW ID.7 that I reviewed recently and we know that BMW is planning to go big on AR in its Neue Klasse models in the future.

That’s the sort of thing that smart glasses could bring to the driving experience, but what I find more interesting is the lack of suitable glasses that would give you an augmented reality experience right now. The Xrea1 Air 2 could do this, but could we be looking at a hint of future projects that Google is involved with, like Samsung’s Project Haean – or even a Google Glass replacement?

We've already seen BMW showcase an AR smartglasses experience using the Xreal Air 2 glasses, so it's a possibility, but it begs the question - who wants this on their face when driving?

Taking this a step further, the most recent hints we’ve found in Android Auto have pointed to a deeper integration between Google’s driving app and the car’s hardware. We’ve seen talk of controlling the heating and controlling a car’s radio – but what if this extension into visual systems is about integration with HUD and AR systems in the car too?

This is currently one area where Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are not well served – in many cases, if you want navigation in the HUD you’ll have to use the car’s own navigation system. That also applies to AR systems. While Volkswagen supports input from Android Auto and Apple CarPlay into these systems, many do not.

Perhaps Google is laying the groundwork for deeper integration into these visual systems too, because I'd much rather than the in-car system giving me Android Auto AR than a separate pair of glasses.

Watch this space.

Google has grand plans for Android Auto, with a flurry of new features getting uncovered in the latest version of the software. But the most recent discovery has left a lot of people scratching their heads, because no one knows what it’s for.

A new app was unearthed in Android Auto 14.1 which is currently in beta, so this isn’t something that a large number of people have encountered as yet. Shared by 9to5Google, one of its readers discovered a Google app sitting in their latest build of Android Auto.

The Google app is no stranger to Android users – it’s on all phones. However, no one really knows what it does.

It’s a portal into a range of Google functions on your phone, opening up to a Discover screen, but it mostly seems to power various search-related functions. On Google Play there’s reference to Discover, the Google search bar widget, as well as some of the search functions from Google Lens.

The Google app was also previously linked to Google Now, which was linked to Google Assistant, which might be part of its legacy – and that could be what it’s doing appearing in Android Auto.

We know that Google is planning to move everyone from Google Assistant over to Gemini – that’s happening across all devices.

For instance, Google Assistant has been pulled from Waze on Apple CarPlay too and Google itself has confirmed that Assistant is eventually retiring. Gemini is rising to replace it, but the switch just hasn’t quite happened yet.

The reader who discovered the Google app in Android Auto was able to open it, landing on a screen that just said that there were no new messages during this drive. That’s a familiar expression that we see from the likes of WhatsApp when driving, but it makes no sense in this context – the Google app isn’t a messaging service.

This is most likely some sort of beta mistake. This is software that’s not finalised after all, which is why it’s in beta, so it’s probably not supposed to be there. But it did bring to mind something that’s happening on Apple CarPlay.

Apple CarPlay was updated as part of the iOS 18.4 public release, and one of the new features is an API to support sports scores on the screen. We’ve not seen this in action yet, we’re waiting for developers to take advantage of it with their apps, but there’s one that gives me sports scores on my Android phone – yes, it’s the Google app.

Diving into the Google app on your phone, you’ll find a notifications area, which is where things like live sports results come from for teams that you follow (or that Google knows you’re interested in because you search for them).

Perhaps Google has taken note of Apple CarPlay getting live sports results and thinks there’s an easy way to do that through the Google app on Android Auto too?

For this one, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

There’s been a fair amount of activity around Android Auto recently, but there hasn’t been a lot for drivers to get their teeth into. That could be about to change with one of the updates coming in Android Auto 14.1.

Currently, Android Auto 14.1 is in beta, but those on the programme will find that there’s a significant new addition – something that Tesla has offered for some time.

Indeed, games are coming to your car.

Before you get too excited, these appear to be a selection of compatible games installed on the phone you’re running Android Auto from – and according to 9to5Google, which brings us the details, that includes a relatively truncated list for now:

• Farm Heroes Saga
• Candy Crush Soda Saga
• Angry Birds 2
• Beach Buggy Racing

According to the source, it doesn’t appear as though much is done to optimise these games, they just appear. They also run full screen in the Android Auto window, so to exit you’ll have to swipe down and tap the exit button.

You might think that games are the last thing you need on your car display when driving and you’d be right. When you’re actually driving, you can’t access games. Instead, the vehicle will have to be parked for you to open and play a game.

This is something that Tesla has implemented well, with a full selection of entertainment options on the screen in the car.

The advantage Tesla has is that it runs its own system, and there’s some control over the screen sizes, whereas Android Auto will be beamed to whatever size display the manufacturer put in that model of the car. That means the experience is likely to vary from model to model.

However, providing games on the car’s screen could keep you entertained when charging – although arguably, you’d be better to just pick up your phone and play the game there instead.

Games in Android Auto now better reflects the experience that’s been rolling-out to Android Automotive cars (that’s where you have a Google-powered system built in, like in Polestar and Volvo). There’s a full list of compatible apps for Android Automotive here and it’s likely that this is the direction that Android Auto will move too.

If you don’t have a big screen in your car, you might find things are a little cramped, but with the trend moving to larger and larger screens, this shouldn't be a problem in the future.

What we don’t know is when or if this will get a public release. It’s currently available for beta users, but that doesn’t guarantee that it will get a full roll-out. For now, we just have to wait and watch.

The latest version of Android Auto is now available, laying the foundation for what could be a monumental shift in how the app behaves. One of the core tenets of Android Auto could be about to be replaced and that's something that will impact all users.

This is a phased roll-out, so not all regions will yet have access to the new version (in the UK I found I was still on Android Auto V13.9 at the time of writing), but thanks to some digging by 9to5Google we have a better insight into what’s happening under the skin.

At the surface level, there doesn’t appear to be any change in Android Auto, but diving into the code, there’s more significant groundwork being laid for the arrival of Gemini. That could see Google Assistant retired from Android Auto, with Google’s new AI swinging in to replace it.

The details uncovered by 9to5Google point to various feedback options that Gemini will offer, including the likes of "How satisfied were you with Gemini in Android Auto today?” and “What was your primary goal for using voice interaction in Android Auto today? Select the task that had the biggest impact on your satisfaction”.

There are also logos for Gemini and Gemini Live lurking in Android Auto. Just to be clear though, Gemini isn’t currently being used, it’s just being prepared for the big change.

What will Gemini bring the Android Auto?

For those who haven’t been keeping up with the news, Google is retiring Google Assistant.

Its faithful voice AI was launched in 2016 with a great hurrah and went on to add intelligence to all flavours of Android devices, from phones and tablets, to televisions and Nest speakers (what happened to those, eh?).

But with the rise of more conversational AI bots, Google changed tack, deciding to drop the Google Assistant brand in favour of Gemini. Gemini has been available in Android devices since late 2023, when the Pixel 8 Pro offered access to the new AI. It then rolled-out to more devices through 2024.

The important functions in a car are navigation, messaging, calling, and controlling media playback. These are the focus of voice assistants in cars and Google Assistant handled those fairly well. However, it was always a hit-and-miss experience, not because Google didn’t understand, but because it was sometimes a little slow to respond, or just gave up entirely.

Gemini sometimes shows some of the same behaviour, but has got progressively better over the months that it has been available, so it’s now much more reliable than it was.

Gemini’s increased understanding of the contextual world around it will probably be put forward as one of the big benefits. Instead of needing precise instructions, Gemini will able to work with more natural language, like you’re asking a friend to do something, rather than asking a bot in your car.

With Google’s obvious interest in controlling the media in your car and controlling the temperature, it’s likely that Gemini being positioned for these things too. There’s nothing new here: voice assistants in cars will already respond to phrases like “I’m too cold” and make the appropriate adjustments. I suspect that Gemini will want to offer the same experience.

There’s one big downside to Gemini, though: when it doesn’t understand, sometimes it'll just start yapping, reeling off all sorts of information that might be entirely irrelevant. You’ll chastise it, at which point you’ll get a grovelling apology, where Gemini accepts that it made an error and how right you were to call it out.

It’s potentially going to be a very different experience for car drivers, once Gemini gets behind the wheel of Android Auto. But it could also be an exciting one.

There’s a new version of Android Auto rolling out in beta, ushering in a number of changes. But if you were hoping for new features, you might be disappointed.

Android Auto has seen increased interest over the last couple of months, as there are clues to Google wanting the smartphone-based software to control more of what happens in your car.

The new Android Auto 14 beta continues this, but not with public-facing changes. Details pointing to controls for defrosting the front and rear windows of your car are lurking within the code for the new app, but don’t connect to any actual feature that’s yet available. The details were uncovered by 9to5Google.

We’ve seen similar moves recently from Google, with reference to temperature controls spotted in a previous version of the software. This suggests Google is about to make a bigger move to offer control over a car’s systems.

Currently, Android Auto focuses on four major pillars – navigation, calling, entertainment and messaging. The beauty of using a smartphone-based system in your car is that everything is there, signed in, with an experience that’s familiar like your phone.

But, it’s long been known that Android Auto (and Apple CarPlay) have bigger ambitions to control more of your car. That’s offered in Android Automotive (effectively the built-in version of Android Auto that you’ll find in the likes of Volvo and Polestar), but these hints suggest that there’s more coming.

What else could Android Auto control in a car?

The climate control system is the obvious place that Google could turn, as it’s one of the major systems that a car offers.

Moving those controls into the screen on the display that’s dominated by Android Auto could mean that they are easier to reach, although most cars still have a separate section for these elements.

Beyond that, there’s the car’s own entertainment hardware. Most come with a radio tuner and this could give Android Auto access to more options beyond streaming – without the user having to worry about switching between interfaces.

That’s something that has popped up before, with USB media also uncovered. All this points to an Android Auto experience that could do a lot more than is currently offered. Of course, car manufacturers would need to be onboard with these changes to support anything from a hardware side – and that suggests that current cars might not be supported.

However, it’s hard not to see this as Google lining its ducks up to offer a more involved Android Auto system on future cars. Exactly when that might happen remains to be seen.

If you’re an Android phone owner then there’s a good chance that you’re driving using Android Auto. Whether plugged into your car – or wirelessly on more recent models – many are choosing Android Auto’s connected experience over the car manufacturer’s default offering. Now we've seen another hint that Android Auto could be looking to take over more of your car’s systems.

Thanks to some digging into the latest version of Android Auto, 9to5Google has uncovered some interesting details that point at the potential to control a car’s climate system. Uncovered in the app's code was a reference to “control temperature”, with “hi”, “lo” and “off” settings, but that’s about all.

We’ve known for some time that Android Auto is interested in playing a greater role in the control of your car. Hints at media controls have been spotted in Android Auto before, but the move to control a car’s climate control system takes things in an interesting new direction.

If Android Auto is going to take over a car’s climate controls, then it suggests that it could be moving down a path where the software controls everything on the screen, not just providing a window-within-a-window which is the situation at the moment.

It’s interesting because most cars keep temperature control separate from other systems. Many have hardware controls on a separate panel, so you can change the temperature without touching the screen.

There are some models that have the temperature controls on the display, but in an area that’s separate to other changeable elements. That means that if you’re using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, you can still access the temperature controls without having to exit the system to change screens – often it’s just there in a corner.

If Android Auto was to offer these controls, then it could be that in some models, Android was then running everything on the screen, not just within the confines of Android Auto’s window.

In most cases, analogue dials or sliders have been replaced with digital equivalents, giving car manufacturers more control options. It means that you can have touch controls on the screen, you can control the temperature by voice, you can have pre-heating options activated by an app, or you can have modes that integrate temperature into the theme.

Exactly how Google might move to offer these controls and which cars that might be an option for, is not currently clear. But if Android Auto can offer one user interface, rather than flipping between two different sets of design, then that could be a great option for drivers.

Android Auto offers drivers a great way to get their smartphone onto the head unit of their car, often making for a more familiar and connected driving experience. But if your phone reboots when you use Android Auto, it’s no help at all.

That’s something that has been reported by a number of users on Reddit (via 9to5Google), who found that Android Auto was rebooting their phone as soon as they started using the driving app. That would mean, for example, that you’d go to listen to a message and your phone would reboot.

This problem was reported on a range of different handsets across different cars, but left users befuddled, as it seems that it wasn’t related to updates to the app or the version of Android on the phone. Instead, it seems that the cause of the problem was a developer setting.

It seems that the solution to the rebooting problem was to disable the “Force Desktop Mode” that lurks within the developer settings. The recent update to Android Auto 13.8 was highlighted as both the cause of the problem and the solution, but neither was the case. It seems it was just this developer setting.

It’s likely that there will be an Android Auto update that includes a more permanent fix in the near future.

What else is expected from Android Auto in 2025?

This isn’t the first time in 2025 that Android Auto has found itself in a bit of bother. Earlier in the year, Google pushed an update to some users that saw the route covered by some of the in-app UI. It was quickly rolled-back, giving drivers a clear view once again.

But aside from the mishaps, we could see Android Auto expanding its skillset, offering new options for users when on the road.

There’s long been talk of Android Auto widening its skills to accommodate the car’s entertainment hardware. Through 2024 we saw a number of background updates that hinted at Android Auto being able to use the car’s radio tuner, for example, as well as being able to access things like USB media that might be plugged in.

These changes may require some level of software integration on the car manufacturer’s part, but it would mean that you’re not limited to streaming, which could make for a much better experience for those driving in more remote areas.

You wait all year for an Android Auto update and then two come along at once. Well, not quite.

After reports of an update to Android Auto that was raising problems with some drivers, Google has pushed a fix, which should address the complaint.

This all started with an update that rolled out for some Android Auto users. It didn’t ever arrive on any of the devices I have here in the UK, but there was plenty of furore over on Reddit with users complaining about the chaos that the update had wrought.

Downloading the software changed the centring of Google Maps, so that the route you were driving on was in the middle of the display. That’s not a problem when navigating, but if you didn’t have a route set, the Search box would cover the route ahead, rendering it useless. That meant that if you were casually looking for a street name, cross-referencing with Android Auto, you wouldn’t be able to see anything.

Google now appears to be rolling this back, so the route you’re driving on is towards the right-hand side of the display, meaning that the user interface elements on the left don’t obscure it. As pointed out by 9to5Google, this roll-back has appeared for some users, but some are still waiting for the correction.

What’s in store for Android Auto in the future?

Despite the irritating tinkering to the UI, Google has bigger plans for Android Auto.

For some time, we’ve been tracking background changes which appear to be readying Android Auto to better interface with the hardware in your car.

The big drive (pardon the pun) is to give Android Auto control over local media. The idea is that you can control your car’s radio – or media on a USB device – from within Android Auto, without having to return to the car’s own operating system, which is currently necessary.

Many users will have become accustomed to streaming all their entertainment from their phone, but this move could be a boon for those who prefer to use the car’s radio, either because of patchy cellular connectivity or because of data usage concerns.

On the other side of the aisle, Apple’s plans for a renaissance in CarPlay hasn’t yet surfaced. The redesign was originally slated for 2024, but didn’t happen. Instead, Apple has confirmed that it “continue[s] to work closely with several automakers, enabling them to showcase their unique brand and visual design philosophies in the next generation of CarPlay”.

What Apple might be discovering is that car brands are fiercely protective of their brands and evolution in the automotive world happens at a slower pace than it does in tech.

For the time being at least, it looks like change in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay remains a very slow evolution.

If you have an Android phone and a recent car, then there’s a good chance you use Android Auto, either by plugging your phone in, or on recent models, via Bluetooth. But, Google does like to tinker with it, and this recent update is causing some disquiet.

According to reports on Reddit (via Android Authority), a recent update has changed the alignment in Google Maps, meaning that the search box obstructs the view of the road that you’re driving along. When you’re navigating, this doesn’t happen, but if you don’t input a destination, then it obstructs your view.

Previously, the road you were driving on was over to the right of the display, so the search box didn’t obscure it, but it seems like Android Auto version 13.6 might have introduced this little quirk. Anyone who drives without a destination entered will now find that they can’t actually see the road they are on.

While this might suggest you know where you’re going, anyone glancing at the map looking for a road name because they can’t remember exactly where it is, looking to get a preview of an approaching junction, or looking for a POI on the map probably won’t be able to see it.

While Android Auto doesn’t get huge updates, Google seems to like these small UI tweaks. In recent times we’ve seen the introduction of incident reports for example, but significant updates seem few and far between.

For much of the last year, Android users were looking forward to changes to Android Auto that would allow the system to use a car’s hardware for its music, rather than streaming everything.

Access to a car’s FM radio in the Android Auto interface, or to a USB device plugged into the car, would make it much easier to control those devices without constantly switching from Android Auto back to the car’s own software.

While we wait for bigger changes to come to Android Auto, we’ll have to make do with these troublesome tweaks to the user interface. Fortunately, that update hasn’t yet arrived on my Pixel in the UK, so perhaps this is a limited roll-out.

There’s quite a lot happening in the world of Android Auto at the moment, with behind-the-scenes work to boost the audio experience, new lane guidance and, it seems, some improvements to the mapping that’s offered through Google Maps.

We recently reported that Google Maps users had started seeing incident reporting from Waze, but it seems that integration is going further – those Waze reports are also appearing in Android Auto. That means when you’re driving, you’ll also have access to those incident reports, boosting the experience over the raw Google Maps experience.

The change has been reported by 9to5Google, with users sharing the experience on Threads. It shows reports – tagged as coming “from Waze drivers” – right there in the corner of the Android Auto screen when navigating with Google Maps.

This is quite the change: while Waze has been available on Android Auto for some time, we’re now seeing the two mapping services getting closer in their offering.

For those who don’t know, Google bought Waze in 2013 and it’s long been a topic of conversation why the firm has two mapping apps offering driver navigation.

Waze works on community-sourced reporting, allowing users to report incidents, with other drivers subsequently confirming or denying that the problem is still there. Waze is also fun, offering different avatars, while Google Maps has always been a little more serious.

Of course, Google Maps Navigation has carried the beta tag for many many years, something that Google likes to do.

This change will make navigation with Google Maps in Android Auto a little more engaging, with Google taking advantage of the information that it has access to.

Which is the best navigation app on Android Auto?

Android Auto allows you to mirror compatible apps on your car’s head unit, meaning that you can access things like Spotify, WhatsApp and of course mapping services like Waze and Google Maps. The apps run on your phone, meaning that there’s no need to install those apps on the car itself. Android Auto works in the same way as Apple CarPlay.

When it comes to driving, Google Maps is the default, but Waze has been available for many years. The actual navigation experience is much the same, but visually, Waze looks a little more interesting. You can set your own avatar, as well as being able to see other avatars on the road.

Waze has always prided itself on accurate arrival times, but in recent years, there has been a lot of parity between the two services. Google Maps, perhaps, will tend to stick to major routes, while Waze tends to be quicker to find a back route to try and skirt round a problem on the roads. Both have pros and cons.

Waze’s strength has always been the reporting of incidents, as well as the ability to report errors on the map. While these things have been added to Google Maps, Waze was there first. Interestingly, Waze’s best feature – sharing your route – is only available via the app, it doesn’t work in Android Auto or Android Automotive, which is a bit of a downside.

Ultimately, both apps now provide quick searching of routes, clear guidance on the road and plenty of controls. It just remains to be seen if both continue to run separately, or if Google will at some point merge these services together.

Android Auto is hugely popular, with millions using their Android phone to power their car’s infotainment system, rather than the system from the manufacturer. There’s been a change coming for some time, with the latest version of the Android Auto app taking us closer than ever to a new set of features.

The new feature we’re interested in is the integration of your car’s radio into the Android Auto interface. Currently, if you want to control music through Android Auto it’s all streamed. That could be a problem if you don’t have a huge data contract or if you’re in an area with bad reception.

Thanks to 9to5Google, we now have some more detail on the latest move to have Android Auto control your car’s hardware. It’s thought that there are two aspects to this – firstly getting access to your car’s radio and secondly being able to access media stored locally, perhaps on a USB stick connected to your car.

In the latest Android Auto 13.3 beta, there are now extensive listings for music genres, most likely to aid in searching for radio stations. These will probably interface with the car’s radio data to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.

That’s the good news – over the past few releases of Android Auto, more and more information has been uncovered that points to this “Car Media” interaction. The bad news is that we don’t actually know when or if it’s actually going to happen. There’s always the chance that this will only work with manufacturers who enable this interaction – and that could be limited to new cars only.

You can already use Android Auto and your car radio together

All is not lost though: if you want to use your existing car radio and Android Auto at the same time, you already can. The problem is often that Android Auto will start playing audio from its own sources, perhaps Spotify, when connected.

But if you are connected to Android Auto and you exit back to your car’s system via the icon in the menu, you’ll be able to tune the radio to whatever you want and then return to the Android Auto environment for navigation.

Integrating these two systems will make it all easier, because you should be able to trigger those car media sources without leaving the Android Auto environment. Of course there’s the potential for confusion if you use voice for this task – how is Google Assistant going to know whether you’re asking for streamed radio or FM radio?

It feels like there’s a lot more to learn about Google’s plan to take over your car’s audio.

There's a new update rolling-out for Android Auto that could make some fundamental changes to the way that the phone-based car system operates. The foundations laid by the update could make Android Auto much more usable in the future.

According to the latest stats from Google, Android Auto is available in over 200 million cars. While that pales in comparison to the 3 billion active Android users, it's still an important element for many drivers. Indeed, a recent survey (via iMore) revealed that 30%of buyers would consider no Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to be a deal breaker.

The latest iteration of Android Auto is version 13 and while it doesn't arrive with any surface-level enhancements for you to immediately get to grips with, it contains a lot more code relating to an highly-anticipated feature – car media. The details were discovered by 9to5Google.

Currently, when using Android Auto, any audio that you play is streamed via your device. That means you need to have a data tariff and connection to listen to music, for example. But, your car already has a tuner in it that powers its own radio, and this is what Google is looking to tap into.

This would mean that from within the Android Auto interface you could control your car's radio, using the FM tuner for example, and removing the need for streaming via your phone. There's also been reference to local media, for example stored on a USB connected to the car. The big change for users would be that you wouldn't need to return to the car's interface to change the radio.

This could be especially useful for cars that don't offer radio controls via the driver display or steering wheel buttons, which some do.

The bad news is that there's no indicator when this might happen and what is means for your car. It could be that manufacturers need to support the new function in some way, or that it only works with particular types of local car media.

However, there's clearly a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make this a possibility.

Many drivers are now choosing to use a smartphone-based system in their car, rather than the car's own system. There are two systems going head-to-head here: Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Google has just pushed a new feature to help close the gap with Apple CarPlay.

Ironically, this feature has been available in Google Maps on Apple CarPlay for some months, but has only just made its appearance on its own offering, Android Auto. The feature in question is the ability to report incidents in Maps.

According to 9to5Google, Google is now pushing this feature to users of the Android-based navigation system, meaning you'll be able to contribute to information about the state of the roads. It will let you report things like crashes, traffic, lane closures and so on.

In another twist to this tale, it's strange that it's taken so long for Google to offer this to drivers using Google Maps on Android Auto, seeing as it has been a core feature of Waze for many years. Waze is widely used by drivers, but Google also owns it.

How does incident reporting work on Google Maps?

Within the Google Maps view you'll find a yellow warning triangle. When you come across something to report, you can just tap on this icon and a menu will pop-up offering you relevant things – crash, construction, slow traffic and so on.

All you have to do is tap on what's happening and that's it, you've reported that incident. As more drivers report incidents, Google gets a better picture of what's actually happening on the road, so it can alert other drivers and use that information to better estimate driving times and re-route if necessary.

Of course, you're under no obligation to make those reports, but if you're just sitting in traffic, then it's only a couple of seconds to add to the picture on the roads and that benefits all drivers.

A similar feature has been in Waze for many years, with Waze pitching itself as a community-based navigation app, based largely on this ability to contribute to information about the situation on the roads.

The new feature is rolling out for Google Maps in Android Auto now.

With the majority of drivers now choosing to use either Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, changes to these smartphone-powered navigation systems matter. And a little tweak has come to Android Auto that could boost your driving experience further.

This particular update comes in the form of a difference to how navigation instructions are shown when using Android Auto. Spotted by 9to5Google, the redesigned interface makes it much easier to pick out the lane you'll need when exiting a road, which is particularly useful when navigating motorways you don't know so well.

According to the details, the new visuals space the lanes out more when navigating using Google Maps, so you can clearly see the direction you're heading and the lane that you need to be in.

Previously the information was too close together so it wasn't always clear exactly which lane you should be in and which direction you might be headed. Now it should be easy to position yourself in the correct lane to make the turning.

Google hasn't gone as far as some manufacturers, who use a completely different view when approaching a junction to make lane guidance clear, while some car systems will also use augmented reality to show you where you need to be via a heads-up display.

Most manufacturers restrict the most advanced systems to their own navigation, but I recently drove the VW ID.7 GTX Tourer which is one of the few cars where the heads-up display will also give you directions from Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, making it a best of both worlds.

What else does Android Auto do?

Android Auto is designed to give you quick access to all the services you might need when driving your car. It runs on your phone, but is displayed on your car's display. That means you get access to compatible apps – like Spotify – with the focus being on music, navigation, calling and reading out your messages.

With Google Assistant baked into the experience, you can use your voice to control things like navigation, ask questions, control music and place calls or reply to messages. In the future this could move over to Gemini to offer a wider set of features.

In recent months we've seen more details about features coming to Android Auto, including support for the car's own radio hardware. That means you could control the radio without having to switch back to the car's native interface.

Over the past couple of years, the trend has moved away from using a car’s native infotainment system, with many simply choosing to use a smartphone-based system instead. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are overwhelmingly what drivers are choosing – and Android Auto could be about to get a boost.

The beauty of using a smartphone-based system is that everything is familiar and many of the apps that you have on your phone will just work on your car, making it really easy to stream your music, for example.

Over the past couple of years we’ve seen Android Auto offer a more dynamic display layout, splitting the content so you can have mapping and music up at the same time, as well as tweaking various other aspects.

But, there’s always been an omission when it comes to playback. What if you don’t want to stream? What if you want to play music or even video from a USB drive connected to your head unit? According to details from 9to5Google, Google could be about to fix this problem and give you another option for your entertainment.

Found lurking in the code for the Android App, references to “local car media” have been discovered, as well as new icons, suggesting that you’ll be able to access your downloaded music that you have plugged into the car via USB – as well as giving you control over your car radio.

That would mean that if you were driving in an area with no data, you’d be able to use the car’s systems to provide those services.

Gemini Live could turns your car into Kitt

While adding support for local media is very 2005, the potential for adding Gemini Live is very 2024. Gemini Live is Google’s conversational AI. It launched recently as an extension of Gemini’s services available to Gemini Advanced subscribers and allows ongoing conversations with the Google AI.

It’s a feature that I explored in the Pixel 9 and it’s true that if you wanted an experience like Kitt from Knight Rider, then Gemini Live might offer that. Certainly, you can talk to Gemini and get human-like responses, with a great depth of knowledge, but I’m not sure why you would want to do that in your car.

Google Assistant has offered access to those essentials when driving, adept at controlling music, searching and navigating, reading messages and placing calls. The Google Assistant experience has been a little hit-and-miss on Android Auto for some time – and it might be that Gemini is seen as the simple solution to that.

However, my experience of Gemini is that it feels like a work in progress, while I struggle to see how Gemini Live would boost the driving experience. Google thinks you’ll use it to form ideas and plan things, but I found Gemini Live to mostly just summarise generic information and never really tell me what I needed to know.

Put that into a car, and you could spend your time behind the wheel chatting to AI, but I think I’d rather listen to all that music I downloaded onto a USB in 2005.

If you own an Android phone then there's a good chance that when you get into your car, Android Auto instantly fires up.

If so, you'll also know that Android Auto isn't known for getting regular updates. In fact, it's been pretty slow to evolve over the past few years – but there is one software upgrade coming that might remind you of something from Apple CarPlay.

One of the advantages of Android Auto is that it uses Google Assistant to respond to voice commands. That allows you to control Android Auto, as well as ask all the questions that Assistant is good at answering. Often, this means that Google Assistant will replace (or be available alongside) the stock voice assistant in your car.

A new user interface has appeared for some Google Assistant interactions on Android Auto (as spotted by 9to5Google). When you talk to Google Assistant, the familiar four-coloured line appears on the display, but it's here that the change seems to be coming.

While the coloured line appears when you first talk to Google Assistant, there's now a round animation at the bottom of the screen for continued conversation – and this looks a lot like what appears when you're using Siri on Apple CarPlay. It appears when Google Assistant is waiting for a response from you.

It's not clear if this is just a UI change or part of something bigger. It looks like the new interface is part of Android Auto v12.5 – I tried it on a couple of devices but it wasn't there, even on one with Android Auto v12.5 – so it's not clear who will get it and when.

What does the Android Auto change do?

The change in the user interface looks to lift Google Assistant's "waiting" notification off the bottom of the display.

Under the current/old setup, if Assistant is waiting for a response from you, the bottom bar is occupied. That means you can't tap on the icons that reside there normally, such as the apps menu or the shortcuts.

If could be that the change in UI is to open this area up and have it less dominated by Google Assistant. If you don't get the response that you want, but Google is waiting for you to say something, then that would lead to a situation where you can't immediately hit the button you want.

There remains the question of whether Gemini will move into Android Auto and take over too.

Google seems to be in a bit of a muddle, with Gemini on some devices and Google Assistant on others. Gemini can do things that Google Assistant can't, but at the same time, Gemini lacks some of the basic app-access functions at Google Assistant has offered for years.

We'll have to wait to see what the company plans to do with Android Auto in future, and if it will finally shake-up the experience.

If you're using one of the best Android phones on the market, chances are you'll also be using Android Auto when you drive. That's the native solution for users of those devices, offering a mirror of your device on your in-car infotainment system.

If you use Google Maps on an Android Auto system then there's great news for you. The brand has just announced a range of updates for the system, adding a host of neat new functionality for drivers.

First up, there's a couple of new AI-powered features in the system. That includes a new model which is designed to search for narrow roads. The idea is that users will be alerted to places on their journey which may be inaccessible for their vehicle, to plan another route if needed.

They've also added support for flyovers. These systems are prevalent in major cities around the world, with space at a premium. However, they can also present a massive challenge for two-dimensional mapping software.

It can be really tricky to decipher whether you're meant to be driving on the flyover or the underpass, though. Google has made steps to address this, with a new feature which will callout when flyovers are intended to be used.

Elsewhere, there's also an update which should make it simpler to report incidents on your journey. That's a big help, as users can identify issues to alert other users of the platform, with fewer clicks required.

So, what's the catch? Well – for now, at least – these features are only rolling out in India. All of the features mentioned were designed with the specific requirements of that country in mind.

Still, we can't imagine it will be too long before they reach further afield. While they're certainly useful there, they could also have a real impact on the usability of the platform for users in other parts of the world. For now, though, we'll just have to sit and wait.

According to a recent Google blog, the Northern Hemisphere is now entering the season of darker days, rubbish weather and irritating school drop-offs. So, why not make those inevitable extra hours in the car more productive?

Riffing on that mantra, the tech giant has rolled out an update for Android Auto and cars with Google built-in that sees Webex by Cisco and Zoom now available on compatible infotainment systems.

This allows users to join scheduled meetings in audio-only format (safety first, people), without fumbling for a phone, locating a link and praying that it all works. 

Those in the Google ecosystem will find it all now runs smoothly, with the ability to join conference calls and meetings on the fly.

Moving away from the boring work stuff for a minute, Google is also continuing to expand its video apps in cars with Google built-in.

Prime Video is now available on Google Play for select Renault, Polestar and Volvo Cars, with other brands to follow, allowing users to binge on their favourite shows or enjoy movies when parked waiting for the kids to pile out of school.

In addition to this, Google has also rolled out Vivaldi, a Chromium-based internet browser, that allows car drivers and passengers to browse the web while parked.

New driving features have also been made available, such as the addition of the The Weather Channel app. This will now keep drivers up-to-date with the latest weather conditions and even warn of adverse weather on-route, giving an answer as to why the traffic has inevitably ground to a halt... again. 

Finally, and perhaps coolest for those that like to use a smartphone for absolutely everything, is increasing support for digital car key. It’s already widely available in Europe, where owners can unlock their vehicle with just a phone and even share unlock codes with family and friends.

But it is now rolling out on select Hyundai, Genesis and Kia models in the US, Canada and Korea, for drivers with compatible Pixel and Samsung devices like the Pixel 7 Pro and Samsung S23+.

Some manufacturers of the best EVs on the market have opted to make use of their own in-car infotainment systems. However, others have stuck with phone mirroring systems, which are more commonplace across a wide range of vehicles.

Ford are one manufacturer who opt for the latter. Their vehicles allow users to make use of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay – dependent on whether you use an Android phone or an iPhone.

Now, one model in the range is set for a big boost. According to a report from CarsDirect, the Ford F-150 Lightning will gain support for Apple Maps EV Routing from Q4. That report cites a bulletin which was sent out to Ford dealers last week.

It's not the first car to take on the functionality. The Ford Mustang Mach-E came first, followed by the Porsche Taycan a few months ago.

Apple Maps EV Routing offers a host of features which are perfect for EV drivers. The system will track the charge level of the car, and provide directions for longer journeys which take into account the need to charge on the way. It will even tell you how long you need to charge for at each stop, providing accurate timing information for your journey.

It does that based on a series of factors which can affect the performance and efficiency of an electric vehicle. That includes things like elevation levels, driving speed and the speed of chargers available. All of that information is digested to provide you with the best option for your journey.

What's more, if the system notices that the charge is too depleted to continue on the journey, it will also redirect you to the nearest available charging point. That's really crucial, and could save you from running out of juice right at the wrong moment.

Plus, when iOS 17 hits devices soon, it should get even better. One of the features of the new operating system brings information about charging availability to users in real-time. That means drivers will be able to see how many bays are available at a particular charging spot, and how many are currently being used.

That's a big deal. I love EVs but one of my biggest gripes right now is the imbalance between public charging stations and the number of EV users looking for a place to charge. Queues can quickly stack up, and it makes the whole experience incredibly frustrating.

With this feature built in, users would be able to see how busy a charging point was ahead of arriving. That would give them the power to check for a quieter alternative, should they wish.

If you're driving an electric vehicle, there's a lot of information which will be really useful to you. Estimated range, charging speed – both of those are handy to ensure you don't get stranded somewhere without charge.

One thing that isn't particularly useful is knowing where the nearest petrol station is. And yet, that's still the default option served to drivers on the Google Maps app. It doesn't have to be that way, though. Users have had the option of configuring their settings to promote charging stations instead since last year.

Now, Google has reportedly demoted the appearance of petrol stations when it senses that users are driving an EV. That happens when users are employing Android Auto to mirror their Android phone display on the in car infotainment system.

It's not the only EV-centric feature which can be found, either. For example, when charging points show up on the map, users can also see real-time data about the availability of them. 

That's a fantastic feature. One of my biggest gripes with EV charging is that there just isn't enough about. If a spot is especially popular, you can quickly become part of a long queue of cars waiting for a top up.

There are also charging speed filters. That means you can quickly pick out a spot that has superfast charging if you're in a hurry. You can even configure the system to only identify chargers that use the right type of connection for your vehicle. That's probably more useful if you aren't using the standard type 2 connector, as those are most common.

You'll also get stop suggestions on longer trips, which takes data from the car's computer to give insight on the best place to top up along your route. And, if you're searching for something else – say a supermarket – the app will highlight ones with charging spots available. That's perfect for adding a little more juice as you go about your day, without having to pull over and wait for a full charge to complete.

It's a great set of features. Each one will make a real difference to the lives of users, and help to fix potential issues that arise from EV ownership. 

If you've ever hooked your Android phone up to your car, you'll know about Android Auto. The system mirrors your phone apps on the in-car infotainment system, providing a familiar interface for users.

Now, it's getting a decent upgrade. Google Maps is the go-to navigation app for Android devices, and – by extension – Android Auto users. And it's getting a redesigned interface, which should make it even easier to use.

That's part of the latest updates to the Google Maps system. It brings a sidebar to the design of the panel, for easier navigation. Users will have access to zoom controls, as well as settings and a mute switch.

That's a really neat upgrade. When you're driving, it's crucial that any adjustments are as easy as possible. You don't want to have to faff around with diving through menus to find the right button, when you just want to get on with your journey. This should help out a lot, offering a selection of the most commonly used tools in a quick-access menu. 

There does appear to be one caveat, though. The sidebar will only appear when the app is set to full screen mode. You wont have the same layout when you use a split-screen view. That makes sense – when you're looking at a smaller canvas anyway, you'll want to see as much of the map as you can.

Users can expect to find the updated design on version 10 of Android Auto. You'll also need version 11.90 of Google Maps. However, a smattering of users online have spotted it in Android Auto version 9.9, too.

It's not the only upgrades to the system which are expected. We recently found out about a host of upgrades for EV users, thanks to some source code in the latest version. That allowed users to personalise the experience for their EV, tailoring some of the functionality to match up with their vehicle.

Unlike this update, that one was fairly speculative. The source code revealed the bones of the functionality, but it has yet to reach the front end as a user-facing feature.