AutoAndroid Auto gets a free update Apple CarPlay users have enjoyed for yearsThis update could make daily use easierWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoAndroid Auto gets a free update Apple CarPlay users have enjoyed for yearsThis update could make daily use easierWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
This update could make daily use easier
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Reddit: u/RegionRat91)
(Image credit: Reddit: u/RegionRat91)
Quick SummaryA change to Android Auto could move Google Assistant’s waiting interface off the bottom of the screen.It’s yet not clear how wide the rollout is or who will get this new interaction.
A change to Android Auto could move Google Assistant’s waiting interface off the bottom of the screen.It’s yet not clear how wide the rollout is or who will get this new interaction.
A change to Android Auto could move Google Assistant’s waiting interface off the bottom of the screen.It’s yet not clear how wide the rollout is or who will get this new interaction.
A change to Android Auto could move Google Assistant’s waiting interface off the bottom of the screen.
It’s yet not clear how wide the rollout is or who will get this new interaction.
If you own anAndroid phonethen there’s a good chance that when you get into your car,Android Autoinstantly fires up.
If so, you’ll also know thatAndroid Autoisn’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 fromAppleCarPlay.
One of the advantages of Android Auto is that it usesGoogleAssistant 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.
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 onApple 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.
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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.
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.
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