Google is rolling out several exciting updates for Android Auto, the system that brings your phone’s features to your car’s screen. These changes, revealed around the recent Google I/O conference, promise to make your driving experience smarter, more entertaining, and more connected. From sharing music control with friends to accessing browsers and video apps while parked, here’s a breakdown of what’s arriving soon.
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Jamming Out Together with Spotify
Music is a huge part of driving, and Spotify is making it easier than ever to share control of the tunes. They’re adding their popular Spotify Jam feature to Android Auto.
Imagine you’re on a road trip with friends, and everyone wants to add their favorite songs to the playlist. With Spotify Jam in the car, someone just taps a new “Jam” icon on the car’s screen and shows a QR code. Anyone else in the car with the Spotify app can simply scan that code with their phone and instantly start adding upcoming tracks to the queue from their own device. This is a big win for group road trips and carpools, offering a more inclusive way to share music compared to features that might require specific phone brands. Spotify says this will be available in the coming months.
Smarter Connections and Easier Access
Beyond music, Google is also improving how your phone interacts with your car’s system. Soon, support for Quick Share is coming to cars with Google built-in (this is the version where the car’s system is Android-based, not just mirroring your phone). This will let you do handy things like quickly send a destination or add a stop to your Google Maps route already running on the car screen directly from your phone.
Plus, Google is adding passkey support to its car operating systems. Passkeys are a more secure and often simpler way to log into apps and services without needing to type in passwords. This could make accessing your connected car apps much smoother.
A Lighter Look?
While not officially announced in detail, a light mode theme for Android Auto was spotted in prototyping tools Google provides developers. For years, Android Auto has primarily used a dark theme, which is great for night driving but can sometimes be less ideal during bright daylight. A light mode could offer a much-requested alternative for better visibility depending on conditions. While we’ve seen glimpses of this before, its presence in recent developer kits suggests it’s still something Google is actively considering or working on.
Browsers, Video, and More While Parked
Perhaps the most notable additions are the expansion of available app categories. Google confirmed that browser and video apps are coming to Android Auto “soon.” This means that when your car is safely parked, you could potentially browse the web or catch up on videos directly on your car’s display.
They also noted that gaming apps are already available in beta for those who want to pass the time while waiting in a parking lot. And good news for anyone relying on their car screen for weather info: weather apps are officially out of beta and generally available.
It’s important to remember the safety aspect here: Google explicitly states that features like browsers, video, and gaming apps will only work while the car is in park. This is a crucial safety measure to prevent driver distraction.
These new app categories join the existing support for navigation, messaging, communication, and media apps, making Android Auto a much more versatile infotainment system for when you’re on the road and when you’re stopped.
Chart detailing availability status (available, beta, coming soon) of various app categories like media, gaming, and browsers on Android Auto after recent updates.
Wrapping Up
These upcoming updates for Android Auto promise to deliver a more connected, entertaining, and user-friendly experience in your car. From making group road trips more fun with shared music controls to adding utility like Quick Share and the convenience of browsers and video while parked, Google is clearly focused on making the time you spend in your vehicle more productive and enjoyable. Keep an eye out for these features rolling out to your Android Auto setup in the coming months.
