Google announces the public release of the Android Auto app at CES 2023

In May 2022 Google revealed that it will introduce a new design for Android Auto. This declaration by Google was made at the Google I/O. following this announcement, the company released the public beta version of the app in November 2022. As of now, at CES 2023, the company has mentioned that the new version of the Android Auto app is ready for public release.

The latest version of the app is accompanied by a card-based split-screen UI layout. This UI enables the users to view maps as well as media concurrently. The app cards are capable of displaying in various sizes. Given this perspective, the redesigned Android Auto works nearly on infotainment units of various shapes and sizes. It can display big cards, small cards, as well as portrait screens.

In addition to this, the taskbar on Android Auto design is similar to the one presented with Android 12L and Android 13 devices. The taskbar allows swapping between the apps. It even permits opening the apps in full-screen mode. Furthermore, it displays the number of unread notifications. The taskbar also features a button for the app drawer, as a shortcut for Google Assistant, as well as recent apps that appear at the bottom of the taskbar.

Besides these features, the apps showcase contextual cards. These contextual cards display missed calls and messages. It even allows the users to share their estimated time of arrival with their contacts. According to some reports, it is expected that an easy-to-access playback progress bar will soon be introduced. Since this is one of the most requested features.

If you are a user of Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Android Auto will let you make calls on WhatsApp. This is another example of the growing partnership between Google and Samsung. In addition to this, the Digital Car Key sharing feature is also displayed by the latest version of the Android Auto app. However, this feature is initially limited to Pixel, Samsung, and Xiaomi phones.