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Tag: Android Auto

  • Google Assistant Driving Mode Now Replacing Android Auto

    Google Assistant Driving Mode Now Replacing Android Auto

    Google is killing Android Auto, replacing it with its Google Assistant Driving Mode.

    According to XDA, Users on Pixel phones running Android 12 have started receiving a message that Android Auto is no longer available on their devices.

    Android Auto is now only available for car screens. On your phone, try Google Assistant driving mode instead.

    Android Auto on phones was never meant to be a long-term solution, and only served as a stopgap measure until Google could finish rolling out Google Assistant Driving Mode. 

    Google confirmed to 9to5Google that the warning is not Android-version-specific, but is part of a larger plan to end support for the app on phones.

    Google Assistant driving mode is our next evolution of the mobile driving experience. For the people who use Android Auto in supported vehicles, that experience isn’t going away. For those who use the on phone experience (Android Auto mobile app), they will be transitioned to Google Assistant driving mode. Starting with Android 12, Google Assistant driving mode will be the built-in mobile driving experience. We have no further details to share at this time.

  • Report: Car Integration To Be Focus Of Next Android

    Google is reportedly working to make its next version of Android (the “M” version) more compatible with cars, so that automakers can build it into their models. Google is not commenting on the matter, but Reuters is reporting on the company’s plans, and frankly it would make a great deal of sense anyway.

    Android in the car isn’t exactly a new concept. Google already offers Android Auto, which enables drivers to connect their Android devices to their car screens, and access apps that way. The difference between that and what the company reportedly has planned, is that with the next version of Android, users won’t have to connect a smartphone. It will just be Android built right into the car’s offering.

    That will mean users won’t have to worry about battery life of their phone to use Android in the car, and it will give Google a significant leg up on Apple, which also offers an Android Auto counterpart in CarPlay (though it’s unlikely that Apple won’t follow a similar strategy).

    In the not too distant future, car buyers might be choosing between operating systems just like smartphone buyers. Google could still have a significant advantage over Apple in that department based on the fact that it has a lot of experience with smart cars. The company does, after all, have self-driving cars.

    Reuters reports:

    Direct integration into cars ensures that drivers will use Google’s services every time they turn on the ignition, without having to plug in the phone. It could allow Google to make more use of a car’s camera, sensors, fuel gauge, and Internet connections that come with some newer car models.

    The new Android version is expected in “a year or so,” according to Reuters. Google’s car plan, would of course, depend on actual adoption by the automakers themselves. With new Android Auto-enabled vehicles coming in 2015, all eyes will be on how well that works (not to mention CarPlay).

    Image via Android Auto

  • Google Releases Android Auto APIs To Developers

    Google first introduced Android Auto, its vehicle-based Android platform, at Google I/O in June. The company has now released its APIs to developers to build Auto-enabled apps for audio and messaging.

    “For users, this means they simply connect their Android handheld to a compatible vehicle and begin utilizing a car-optimized Android experience that works with the car’s head unit display, steering wheel buttons, and more,” says product manager Daniel Holle. “For developers, the APIs and UX guidelines make it easy to provide a simple way for users to get the information they need while on the road. As an added bonus, the Android Auto APIs let developers easily extend their existing apps targeting Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher to work in the car without having to worry about vehicle-specific hardware differences. This gives developers wide reach across manufacturers, model and regions, by just developing with one set of APIs and UX standards.”

    For now, developers can only build audio and messaging apps. Audio apps should expose content for users to browse and allow audio playback from the car. This is for content like music, news, and podcasts. Messaging apps can receive incoming notifications, read messages aloud, and send replies via voice.

    “It’s important to note that while the APIs are available today, apps extended with Android Auto cannot be published quite yet,” says Holle. “More app categories will be supported in the future, providing more opportunities for developers and drivers of Android Auto.”

    There’s a starter guide here.

    Image via YouTube