Google would have planned a new Android Auto interface. The information is revealed by the source code of the latest version of the application available on the Play Store. According to the first feedback, it would be based on a design very inspired by CarPlay, developed by Apple. New functions are also present. Here are which ones.
For several months, we have been waiting for a cosmetic update to Android Auto. We indeed mentioned the subject in an article published in September 2021. Google had then published a beta in which a new interface was hidden. Thanks to this, we had discovered a window that was easier to use while driving and a more rounded iconography closer to the design language of Android 12.
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Five months later, the interface we discovered is still not available to the general public. However, it is still part of the hidden functions at the heart of Android Auto. In fact, Google published a new version of the application via the Play Store. It is numbered 7.3.1202. And our colleagues from AndroidWorld took the opportunity to dissect the APK file once again. They made a comparison between the source code of this version and the beta to identify the changes.
Google takes inspiration from CarPlay to modernize the Android Auto interface
First information reported from the APK, the interface is still present. It is not activated, but it has not been deleted. His codename remains coolwalk. And it replaces Cakewalk which was rolled out three years ago. The changes seen previously have almost all remained: a new button to return to the home page with all applications and rounder icons. The Android Auto interface is very inspired by Apple CarPlay.
On the other hand, Google remove status bar (where you could find the WiFi icon, GSM network and battery). This information is now stored in the taskbar, to the right of Google Assistant. Equally, the side panel call button has been eliminated. It is now necessary to make a long press to open the latter which could become permanent depending on the format of the screen of the car. Also note that music controls now stay permanently in the taskbar when an associated application is active.
Displaying your smartphone screen will soon be possible on Android Auto
In addition to this interface, our colleagues have discovered two functional innovations. First, you can soon make your smartphone screen appear on the car screen. This mirror function would, for example, display an application that is not yet compatible with Android Auto. Be careful though, certain securities prevent the function from activating with certain applications, such as Netflix. Second function: the possibility of reject a call with a message generated by Google Assistant, like on Android. This will be handy for keeping your eyes on the road.
Source: AndroidWorld
