Android Auto 12.0: New features and apps promise enhanced driving experience

Android Auto 12.0 theoretically could be the first release that becomes open for developers wanting to advance the system in new directions. Google recently cited an Uber driver app as an example of something new that extends Android Auto's capabilities. However, that's not all. As noted by autoevolution.com, other applications, including web browsers, new games, and video-related apps like YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming platforms, are also expected to come to Android Auto.

Android Auto 12.0 is no exception to Google's somewhat questionable transparency regarding new features. After installing the update, drivers are left to figure out what new features have been added to their cars. As usual, user experiences can vary significantly due to the multitude of smartphone-car combinations and the phased rollout of new features on the server side.

Implementing video-supporting applications in Android Auto is a concept that allows for broader use of cars when parked or camping. The increasingly larger screens built into vehicles enable convenient content browsing, and watching a YouTube or Netflix movie can help pass the time more enjoyably in the car, of course, when it is not in motion.

We expect bypassing Android Auto's safeguards won't be easy due to the variety of sensors that may be used to analyze whether the vehicle is in motion. Thanks to the connection of the infotainment unit with the car and the phone, Android Auto "knows," among other things, about the parking brake, selected automatic gear shift, and movement based on GPS and sensors in the smartphone.

The exact mechanism is already used in the GameSnacks application, which has been available since 2021. The Android Auto screen turns off when the vehicle starts moving during gameplay.