AutoMajor Android Auto redesign has finally arrived, but there’s a catchDue to land in the summer, the ‘Coolwalk’ update is now availableWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoMajor Android Auto redesign has finally arrived, but there’s a catchDue to land in the summer, the ‘Coolwalk’ update is now availableWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Due to land in the summer, the ‘Coolwalk’ update is now available
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Android Police)
(Image credit: Android Police)
Almost a year after it was first leaked, six months after it was officially revealed, and weeks after its intended summer release,Googlehas finally begun rolling out a major redesign forAndroid Auto.
Codenamed ‘Coolwalk’, theupdateincludes a complete revamp of how the smartphone-powered car infotainment system looks on dashboard displays. The new interface features an application dock similar to that onAndroidphones and Chrome laptops, and the whole interface scales to neatly fit on displays of any size and aspect ratio.
Renders of the updated interface show how the newAndroid Autocan display a map with navigation instructions, an incoming message, and what music is currently playing, all at once. Each of these applications has its own ‘card’, with the number and size of cards depending on the dimensions and shape of the vehicle’s infotainment display.
(Image credit: Google)
(Image credit: Google)
The interface also has space for a tool bar with the time, phone signal strength and an icon for the number of unread notifications, plus the aforementioned application dock and buttons for quickly accessing the app library and Google Assistant for voice control.
How these elements are arranged depends on the size and shape of your car’s dashboard display. Smaller screens will show less information at once, while different aspect ratios will alter the layout of the interface.
Although themonths-long delaywithout updates from Google wasn’t ideal, it looks like the company has done a good job of polishing the new Android Auto interface. It’s a similar look to that ofApple’s CarPlaysystem, which is also undergoing amajor update of its own, due towards the end of 2023. For now, it looks like Google is back in the game with its new Android Auto UI, and we’re keen to try it out for ourselves.
On that note, the new Android Auto is currently onlyavailable in beta form. This is available for anyone with a compatible phone to download and install, but as ever it’s worth remembering that beta software is unfinished and can contain bugs that affect how well it works.
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