Android Automotive is very exciting, especially for those that are Android users. Imagine having your car running the same operating system as your smartphone and tablet. Now that is pretty cool. And Google is slowly getting car makers on-board with using it in their vehicles. Like with Android Auto, it’s going to take time to make it widespread.
What is Android Automotive?
Android Automotive is essentially the operating system that will run your car’s infotainment system. It runs directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source and highly customizable platform, that powers the infotainment system. And it supports apps built for Android, and those built for Android Auto. Like we’ve seen with early videos for GM’s new Hummer that uses Android Automotive, car makers can still heavily customize Android Automotive. Which means we could see some heavy skins on Android Automotive like we have seen on Android. It’s a way for car makers to differentiate their vehicles to the competitors, and also make it blend in better with the car’s interior. Like the Hummer EV in the video above, it looks way better with what you’d expect from a Hummer, versus the vanilla Android Automotive experience. And it also gives you bigger touch targets.
Android Auto vs Android Automotive
Android Auto has been around since 2015. Which makes Android Automotive even more confusing. But Google does actually do a good job of making it easier to decipher the difference between the two on its Developer website:
Android Auto is a platform running on the user’s phone, projecting the Android Auto user experience to a compatible in-vehicle infotainment system over a USB connection. Android Auto supports apps designed for in-vehicle use.Android Automotive is an operating system and platform running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. It is a full-stack, open source, highly customizable platform powering the infotainment experience. Android Automotive supports apps built for Android as well as those built for Android Auto.
Essentially, Android Auto is an experience that is powered by your smartphone, while Android Automotive runs natively on the hardware within your car – no smartphone required. Android Automotive gives users a better experience. As they can just get in the car and start using their streaming service of choice, Google Maps, and even make phone calls, without having to plug in their phone. That might sound like a minor thing, but it can make a big difference. Of course, you can do this with Wireless Android Auto, but Android Automotive will not use up your phone’s battery life. Which is really nice.
What is Google Automotive Services?
Even though Google doesn’t talk about it, you’ve likely heard about Google Mobile Services. This is basically the license that smartphone OEMs can apply for, to be able to run Google services on their phone. You’ve probably heard a lot more about GMS since the whole Huawei fiasco, and it losing access to GMS since President Trump banned them from working with US companies. Well, Google Automotive Services or GAS, is essentially the same thing. As Google puts it “is a collection of applications and services that automotive OEMs can choose to license and integrate into their in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. Basically, if a car is using Android Automotive, it is in their best interest to license GAS, which will make their user experience even better. As GAS does include every Google service out there. That includes Google Assistant, YouTube Music, Google Maps, and much more. Including the underlying Google Play Services.
Are apps available in the Google Play Store?
As mentioned before, Android Automotive works with Android and Android Auto apps, which means that apps for Android Automotive are available within the Google Play Store. Including apps to control the temperature of your car. In fact, Polestar’s app for climate control is available in the Play Store (though you’ll only see it if you have a Polestar 2 on your Google account). But, not all Android Auto apps are available for Android Automotive. Currently the list of Android Automotive apps is pretty short.
This opens up a lot of possibilities, as Polestar (and other car makers) could also opt to really change up the interface of the car. Or add additional modes. As all it takes is a simple app update. It’s pretty similar to what Motorola was doing almost a decade ago, where it pushed a lot of its system apps to the Play Store and updated them that way. Instead of through a system update. It’s a pretty interesting way to improve your infotainment experience, but this means that you could choose between different navigation apps like Google Maps or Waze, for example. Of course, this is just the early days of Android Automotive, so this could change vastly in the coming years.
What apps are available and what do they look like?
Like with Android Auto, apps on Android Automotive are forced to stick within strict design guidelines. And the point in this is so that you don’t spend a ton of time looking at the screen while you are driving. So the apps look similar to how they would in Android Auto, but perhaps in a different aspect ratio. That means bigger touch targets, which makes it easier to use while driving. However, with Android Automotive, app developers do get a bit more leeway in how they can design their apps. Spotify, for example, looks sort of like how it does on the desktop. But with a larger DPI, of course.
There are still design guidelines for Android Automotive, but they aren’t as strict. As we’ve seen with Polestar and Hummer so far, companies don’t need to stick with material design for Android Automotive. Though when it comes to media apps, the touch targets will mostly be in the same area, across different apps. So you can use muscle memory to change songs, and such. Without having to look at the display for long. Then there’s sign ins. That’s still something that Google, developers and car makers need to address. As signing in on the screen in your car isn’t particularly user friendly. Though, a screen like the Polestar 2 has, is a lot easier. As it is a larger portrait orientation screen. Car makers are also releasing their own apps to find chargers, particularly for electric and hybrid vehicles. Which is going to be a lot easier to use, then to pull out your phone and open the PlugShare app to find where you can charge your Polestar 2. These are apps that are needed for newer cars, which are also electric.
Video apps & Chromecast
Google announced at Google I/O 2022 that it was bringing video apps over to Android Automotive. This is after it had already announced that YouTube was coming. Some other names it threw out included EPIX NOW and Tubi TV. So you can watch videos while you’re stopped and charging. Additionally, Chromecast is coming, which will allow you to Cast basically any video to your screen in your vehicle. But only while you are parked, for obvious safety reasons.
Do I need to login to use my car?
Google is going to want you to sign in, and of course that will make it easier to download and use apps. But it is not required. But we would highly suggest you do, as the Android Automotive software can bring in cloud preferences and user customization from your account. Notably, offline Android Automotive should work pretty much the same as it does when you are logged in. All of the vehicle apps will work. Meaning you don’t need to sign into your Google account to change the temperature on your AC. So why is Google making Android Automotive usable without an account? China. Countries like China where Google services are not available, need to be able to use these cars too. And in China, it would be pretty much impossible to use. But they can still use apps like WeChat, QQ Music and Baidu Maps. Though it will be interesting to see how the Polestar 2 would look in China.
What vehicles support Android Automotive?
As of right now, there is only one car maker that has vehicles on the road powered by Android Automotive. And that is Volvo. The Volvo XC40, and the Polestar 2 – which is Volvo’s performance car brand. However, many other manufacturers have come on-board and are going to be bringing in Android Automotive to its vehicles int he future. In September 2018, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance announced that they would use Android Automotive in its upcoming vehicles – starting with 2021 models. Then in September 2019, GM announced that they will use Android Automotive in all of its future cars. And finally Stellantis announced in July 2020 that it would use it, and Ford announced in 2021. So Google does have most of the bigger car companies on-board for using Android Automotive. Though things do move pretty slowly in the automotive space. So even though we should start seeing Android Automotive vehicles in 2021, it might be a year or two later before they become more popular. These are the current cars that have Android Automotive built-in:
Volvo XC40 (electric and gas-powered models)Volvo XC60Volvo XC90Volvo C40GMC Hummer EVPolestarPolestar 2Polestar 3Chevrolet Silverado EVChevrolet Equinox EVChevrolet Blazer EVFord F-150 Lightning (2023 and later)Ford Mustang Mach-E (2023 and later)
Why would a car maker use Android Automotive over their own system?
A big question with Android Automotive is, why would a car maker like Toyota want to use it over its own system? As you might have noticed, Toyota has not jumped on board yet. Though they were pretty slow in adopting Android Auto too. And that’s what Google has been trying to talk car makers into doing. Allowing them, a software company, build the software for their vehicles. Which also means that they will get tighter integration into Google services like Google Maps, Google Assistant, and others. Which is much better than say, Ford’s built-in navigation and voice commands. Which is why vehicle makers are starting to jump on board with Google pretty quickly.
How does Android Automotive benefit the user?
The biggest benefit is, this is going to be software you are already familiar with. Particularly if you use Android. Instead of some cumbersome software that the manufacturer threw together, which is typically pretty terrible. It’s also going to bring all of your favorite apps to your vehicle, without having to plug in your phone to use them. Like Spotify, Google Maps, Waze, Google Assistant and much more. Imagine being able to ask the Google Assistant to turn down the AC in your Hummer EV. That will be possible thanks to Android Automotive, which is huge. But the biggest benefit is definitely the usable software. We’ve all used the software from companies like Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota and others, and know just how bad it really is. And Google will change that with Android Automotive here.
Android Automotive OS 12L update
On June 2, 2022, Google announced the Android Automotive OS 12L update is now available. So car OEMs will need to update their vehicles with this update. There’s not a lot of changes here. Some visual changes for notification grouping, better Bluetooth repairing. And we are also getting Quick Controls. So OEMs can choose to have quick settings for things on the home screen for Android Automotive. Here’s the full developer changelog for this version:
System UI and core apps improvements
Quick Controls feature. Enables OEMs to add selected settings (for example, Bluetooth toggles) to SysUI (for example, the Status bar) to enable users to change key settings safely while driving, without opening the Settings app.Rotary support. Improvements and bug fixes.UI Customization. Enabled plugin architecture for custom classes. See Car UI Plugins for details.Notification visual overhaul. UX overhaul and grouped notifications improvements.
Bluetooth
Improved Bluetooth reconnection performance. Automatically connect to devices more often and under the right circumstances. To learn more, see Bluetooth connection management.Messaging database. Support for using a messaging database through the Message Access Profile (MAP) to provide more flexibility to messaging apps that rely on Bluetooth.
Connectivity
Per-Application Network Selection (PANS). Enable the creation and enforcement of a dynamic network policy that determines which applications can use OEM_PAID networks.Dual STA. Enable the IVI to connect to an OEM restricted Wi-Fi network, concurrently with a primary connection to a Wi-Fi network.
Audio
Audio ducking signal. Provides HAL with audio focus state and information on what output devices to duck.Volume improvements. Enable for finer control of volume, including providing and API to get active volume groups.Muting per volume group. Enable per volume group muting and enhance HAL and UI communication about the mute states.AIDL migration for the AudioControl HAL. Migrated the AudioControl HAL from HIDL to AIDL to fully use AIDL functionality.Power policy handling for Audio. Enabled power handling functionality for the car audio service, including disable and enable focus requests, and mute and unmute volume groups on power policy changes for audio.
Camera
CarEvsManager. Enables OEMs to implement Android Activity that shows the preview from automotive camera services.
System reliability and stability
Car watchdog flash memory management. Manages system flash memory by limiting the amount of data written to storage. Enables OEMs to define the write thresholds (for OEM, media, and maps packages) and collect statistics for OEM applications. Disables and terminates non-critical applications and services that exceed defined thresholds.
Security
Vehicle bound encryption. Android storage encryption can now be configured to store some key encryption parameters on an external ECU. This prevents the harvesting of data by removing the head unit from the car (for example, due to theft or relegated to a junkyard).Secure developer options. Android developer options and ADB can be remotely enabled exclusively by an OEM. Reference implementation provides crypto token access mechanisms and remote web service.
Location
Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) location switch. Access to device location for apps used for ADAS can now be controlled with a separate location switch in the Settings app.
Telemetry
Edge-based analytics capability. Enables the ability to perform more edge-based metrics processing on Android Automotive devices. Android infotainment and vehicle property metrics can be configured in scripts written in the Lua language and processed on-device to be sent to the backend of OEM choosing.
Compliance
Compliance fixes. A number of patches ensure compliance with the Android certification test suites. The Android 12L AAOS Release is 100% compliant on CTS, CTS-Verifier, and STS test suites on our internal reference platform with no additional fixes needed in the AOSP software.
Will my next vehicle have Android Automotive?
Most likely. Even though the automotive space does move pretty slowly, your next car will most likely have Android Automotive. Unless you are buying a new car this month. Where Google has Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Volvo all on-board already for Android Automotive. It’s very likely that your next vehicle is going to sport it. And as an Android user, that’s going to make for an exciting drive.
