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Android Auto compatible head units have already begun shipping, but don’t expect to just plug in any old Android device and hope everything will just work. A new Android Auto app has been added into the Play Store enabling this functionality on Lollipop+ devices. The app brings a simple driver friendly UI, all powered by your Android device and mirrored onto the head unit.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Android Auto app:
- Navigation with Google Maps – Free turn-by-turn navigation with lane guidance, live traffic conditions, points of interest, and more
- Hands-free phone and messaging – Make calls and send messages without taking your hands off the wheel
- Info and assistance – Get weather, traffic, commute information and more organized into simple cards
- Bring your music – Listen to your music and playlists in the car with your built-in stereo system
Chances are, you don’t have a compatible automobile or head unit just yet, so you may want to bookmark the app for future use. We wonder how long it’ll be before Google begins preloading this onto devices with their current app suite. Check out Google’s promo video below.
This would be great for the 2013 Nexus 7 that I have a mount for in my car, but for some odd reason Android Auto isn’t compatible.
It’s compatible with my N4, not that it does me much good.
Can’t you root and change the type of device that the play store thinks your N7 is?
Probably, but that’s a lot of trouble to go through just to get the store to allow me to use an app. I’m more hoping that google sees fit to expand the supported device selection since there’s likely no real reason why the app wouldn’t run on all lollipop nexus devices at a minimum.
This doesn’t help you anyways, unless you have an Android Auto compatible head end.
Since the mirroring to a head unit is just mirroring of what’s on the device, I’d presume that this would work fine on a device that wasn’t mirroring. I could be wrong on this, but it’d be an odd requirement since the head unit doesn’t really add any functionality; it’s just an alternate display.
Based on the Play Store description and reviews, it sounds like the head unit is required to use it.
Edit: I just tried the app myself on my N5… it does absolutely nothing if not connected to a head unit.
I just hate the idea of a car manufacture going only one way or the other for this kind of car tech. Imagine finding the best car according to your own personal needs/wants but discover it’s either only Apple or Google inside?
Why they’d do such a thing and alienate millions of potential customers is beyond me.
Most automobile manufactures are going to load both Apple & Google so you can use which ever one you want.
Yep. The Pioneer units released yesterday also support both.
I’ve bookmarked those. Deff gonna keep en eye on them.
Hopefully us current users of last years NEX will get a firmware upgrade.
I’ve just heard whispers of some considering a single choice which has me a bit concerned.
is this of any use if I want to use my phone in a car without having an Android auto car?
no
no, but check this out
http://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/2y1c96/dev_android_auto_reimagined_for_phones_and_tablets/
Funny side note… Just for fun I installed it on my N5, (Well aware of the fact that it wouldn’t work, but, science.) Turns out that if you tap the splash graphic at the top of the app 7 times it’ll put you into developer mode. The significance of this to me is, I so haven’t re-rooted since the 5.1 update yesterday. Thanks Google!
“We wonder how long it’ll be before Google begins preloading this onto devices with their current app suite”
Please Google, don’t do that. There’s enough of crap you preload on my Nexus already, crap that I never use.