Guide: All About Apple Car Play & Android Auto


Thread Starter #1

Nairrk

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What is Apple car play?

It’s Apple’s factory-developed operating system for the infotainment screens that have become central to motoring life these days. Increasingly installed in new cars by a wide range of manufacturers, with CarPlay Apple aims to give iPhone users the best possible features and performance when connecting their smartphones to their car for driving. It does this by ‘mirroring’ key iPhone apps and features on the car’s own dashboard display and allowing you to control those features using the car’s touchscreen, steering wheel controls or voice recognition. On some models, wireless Apple CarPlay functionality is also now available so you can connect your phone to your car without a cable.

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As well as making phone calls, messaging and looking up contacts, CarPlay means you can access your Apple Music playlists and other music providers like Spotify, or navigate via Apple’s mapping system or using third-party services like Waze. Interestingly, and perhaps predictably given the big touchscreens and fantastic graphic capability of screens now fitted to many cars, lots of users search for CarPlay games… there aren’t any, due to equally predictable safety concerns!

The latest CarPlay upgrade

The biggest and most obvious change to CarPlay in iOS 13 is a new dashboard screen that’s configurable with your favourite apps. While previously you had to flip between apps on different screens to operate them, you can now see an apps menu alongside a navigation window on the left side of the screen, while the right side gives you audio controls and Siri suggestions based on navigation choices or apps you typically use while driving. This improved access to core features allows you to focus more on the road and less on the screen.

CarPlay also works with Apple’s AI assistant Siri, but while Siri operations used to take over the whole CarPlay screen, the latest update allows Siri to work while other features are still displayed – for instance you needn’t lose sight of your navigation screen when ‘asking Siri’.

The Apple Music CarPlay screen has also been overhauled, with the intention of making it easier to find your playlists and new music recommendations, as well as providing more emphasis on album cover imagery.

The latest CarPlay calendar feature now allows you to see dates in your diary and scroll through entries on screen, and there’s a new Light Mode screen theme that makes the CarPlay interface look less moody, and work better in bright ambient light.

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One other big advantage of the latest CarPlay upgrade is that it no longer freezes your phone when it’s hooked up to the car. You – or a passenger – can now scroll through iPhone features on the handset without interrupting the CarPlay interface and what’s displayed on the dashboard screen.

Very easy to connect Apple CarPlay

Using CarPlay is pretty effortless and it connects your iPhone (or iPad/iPod)to your car in an instant - simply plug it into the USB socket (although some car makers are now starting to offer wireless CarPlay connections), follow the brief on-screen instructions asking you to unlock your phone to permit CarPlay to access it, and you're ready to roll. And you only need to do this once - your iPhone will log the connection you've made to CarPlay on your car, so that the next time you connect, it will start working automatically.

When you connect CarPlay, the car's infotainment screen shows a menu of CarPlay-compatible apps on your iPhone. This includes pre-installed iPhone apps such as the Phone, Music, Maps, Messaging, Audiobooks and Podcasts, while third-party apps such as WhatsApp and radio players can also be accessed via the touchscreen, a car's multifunction steering wheel or via voice control.

This is far easier to do than trying to use your iPhone while driving, which of course is an offence that's punishable by a fine and points on your licence, because it's a major safety risk.

Apple Maps

One of the main highlights of CarPlay is its use of Apple Maps. Apple installs the Map app as standard on all iPhone and iPad devices, and as it's fully CarPlay compatible, it means you can have sat-nav in your car for the fraction of the cost of factory-fitted nav systems. It displays turn-by-turn directions on your car’s infotainment screen, and offers the full range of location search and destination functions that a conventional nav system offers. In fact, some carmakers are already dropping the option of sat-nav on some CarPlay-equipped cars, and it's likely that built-in sat-nav could become obsolete in a few years.

Apple Maps is able to suggest landmarks along a route, show predicted traffic levels and live traffic information when network coverage allows, and can also reroute you if necessary. The only downside to Apple Maps is that it relies on your iPhone's network coverage and data allowance or a wi-fi connection to update the map data when you're on the move. That means if you lose your signal for any length of time, you could be left with a dot on the screen representing you and your car, and a blank grid instead of a map of your surroundings.

Apple Siri

Not all cars come with voice control, but iPhones are fitted with the Siri voice assistant as standard, and this adds user-friendly touches when used with CarPlay. It works in conjunction with messaging apps and can read out text messages over the car's speakers. What's more, you can dictate messages to Siri to send to contacts. The effectiveness of this depends on how refined your car is, because background noise can hamper Siri's ability to transcribe what you say.

The other downside to messaging is that Siri cannot handle abbreviations, emojis and picture messages. Often it will read everything literally and describe emojis, which can sound a bit odd. You can also use Siri to navigate through your Music library, by selecting playlists, podcast and radio apps.

(with Inputs from Autoexpress)
 
Thread Starter #2

Nairrk

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What is Android Auto?

For Apple users, the system is called CarPlay, while Google’s interpretation of in-car infotainment is Android Auto. It’s a piece of tech which connects your phone to the head unit in your car, so you will see a simplified version of your phone screen on the infotainment screen. You don’t have all of the functions to make it easier and safer to use while driving a car, but it still allows quick access to some apps and features such as navigation, music streaming, messages and phone calls.

Android Auto is not available on all new cars and some makers have made it a pricey option or are asking for a subscription fee – it’s the same with Apple CarPlay. But the number of cars that have it is growing all the time as customers are insisting on it. Some makers, such as Mitsubishi, are relying on the tech and have actually deleted the built-in navigation on some models knowing that customers prefer to use their connected smartphones instead.

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The biggest advantage of Android Auto is that the apps (and navigation maps) are updated regularly to embrace new developments and data. Even brand new roads are included in mapping and apps such as Waze can even warn of speed traps and potholes. The sat-nav systems also benefit from more accurate real time traffic updates.

As car manufacturers work on much slower product timelines than the personal electronics world, using your phone to power maps or music should mean drivers spend less time becoming infuriated with out-of-date infotainment systems.

Android Auto itself has also had an update, with a simplified layout featuring a navigation bar for turn-by-turn directions and a notification centre.

To use Android Auto, you need a smartphone which is running the Android operating system upgraded to Lollipop or above, which if you do, you will be able to use the streamlined user interface and collection of compatible apps.

The biggest difference is that the system has been developed with car use in mind, and as a result it is easier to use Android Auto while driving than faffing about with a phone that is in a cradle or stuck to the dash.

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Also, to help reduce frustration with missing buttons, Google’s speech recognition software allows you to take command of the majority of Android Auto features, again helping drivers use the software on the move. You can also use the car’s buttons to access features such as voice activation and track selection.

How much does Android Auto cost?
For the basic connection, nothing; it’s a free download from the Google Play store. But you need to remember that Android Auto is a data-heavy service; pretty much everything it does relies on some form of data connection, so it can be affected by dropouts in signal and will eat into the data allowance on your mobile phone contract.

In addition, while there are several excellent free apps that support Android Auto, you may find that some other services, including music streaming, are better if you pay for a subscription.

Android Auto is primarily designed for manufacturers’ built-in infotainment systems, but aftermarket head units from various companies including Pioneer, Sony and Kenwood support the technology.

Android Auto - how to connect
Connecting your phone to Android Auto is a similar process to hooking up through Bluetooth. Firstly, you should do it with the car stationary and in an area of phone coverage; the Android Auto app blocks configuration if you’re moving, and it needs to connect to Google to finalise the set-up.

That aside, it’s pretty easy. You load up the Android Auto app on your phone (a free download from the Google Play Store); then, with it running, you plug in the phone via USB, and go to your car’s Android Auto screen.

It’ll offer you the chance to connect a new device - again, similar to how Bluetooth set-up works - and when you select your smartphone, you’ll need to approve the ‘handshake’ in the Android Auto app on your device’s screen.

If this sounds complex, don’t worry; it’s something you should only have to do once, because the connection can happen automatically thereafter.

If your device is running Android Auto but you get a blank screen on your car’s infotainment system, it may need a software upgrade or not be compatible at all. Android Auto needs at least Android version 5.0 (‘Lollipop’) to run.

There’s an ever-increasing range of approved apps for Android Auto - and some of the early offerings already work particularly well.

Perhaps the most impressive is Google Maps, which brings detailed navigation and real-time traffic information to your car. The display is quick to respond, it constantly looks for quicker route options and best of all, you can just click a microphone button and say, ‘Navigate to’ any given destination and it’ll take you there. The recognition can be fooled by background tyre roar if you’re travelling along a particularly noisy stretch of road - but that aside, it’s uncannily accurate.

Because the system uses Google’s own data, it’s great at understanding commercial destinations instead of just streets and postcodes. And being Google, it also has access to your recent browsing and search history - so it’s possible to look for a future destination at your office desk or home laptop, jump into the car, hook up your phone and find it suggested as a possible route to you without even asking for it.

The real-time traffic information is based on Google’s other navigation users, so it’s considerably more reliable than manufacturers’ radio- and camera-based data. A two-hour route is usually accurate to within a couple of minutes, whereas a less connected nav system may predict as little as 45 minutes for the same journey.

The other main service of Android Auto is music streaming - including offerings by the three main subscription-based services: Google Play Music, Amazon Music and Spotify. We’ve tried Spotify with a premium account and it’s reasonably slick, showing album art and using Google’s cloud-based speech recognition to allow you to demand any track from the archive - regardless of whether it’s in your collection or not.

One negative point is that Google has been quite restrictive on the amount of ‘browsing’ you’re able to do - presumably for safety reasons. So even though your Spotify library may have 100 albums or artists, you’re only ever able to scroll through eight or 10 of them before you get a pop-up telling you to stop the car before you continue to browse. Apple’s CarPlay system - which offers many of Android Auto’s features on iOS devices - isn’t so strict.

Other apps are being launched on an almost weekly basis. WhatsApp and Skype are already compatible, allowing you to potentially use those services to make VOIP calls instead of Android Auto’s conventional smartphone system. And there are already at least a dozen eBooks and Podcast apps on offer - although you may need to use trial and error to find one with the right mix of content and a user-friendly interface.

Bizarrely, phone access is one of Android Auto’s weaker points. It’s basically sound, and it will read out texts and Google Hangouts messages to you and allow you to dictate replies - but it’s not much more comprehensive than a decent car-smartphone interface. At least the fact that it’s contained within Android Auto’s on-screen environment means that you don’t have to hop back out to the car’s own system to make a phone call; you do have to do this to switch radio stations or media if you’re not listening to music through an Android Auto streaming app.

(With inputs from Autoexpress)
 
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Android Auto gains updated Material Theme icons when navigating in Google Maps

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The rollout of the newer Material Theme icons for Android Auto has been long overdue but is now here when using Google Maps navigation in your motor vehicle.

You might be wondering what the heck we are talking about, but as originally spotted by the guys over at Android Police, when navigating using Google Maps, you’ll now see the slightly newer wireframe style icons rather than the filled icons for menu items.

It’s hardly the biggest UI change, but it will make your entire experience that bit more cohesive, which is what the Material Theme design guidelines were introduced to help enhance. As noted by Android Police, when you get directions to a location and start your journey, you’ll see the newer Material Theme icons in the Google Maps shortcut bar.

These shortcut options allow you to dive directly into Settings, Route Overview, Search Along Route, and view Destinations without having to really think about it. There is also an added overflow menu that gives you the option to share your journey with a contact should they want to know your ETA.

FireShot Capture 023 - Android Auto gets updated Material Theme icons in Maps - 9to5Google_ - ...png

We believe that avid Android Auto users should already be seeing the updated wireframe Material Theme icons already, as this appears to have had a relatively silent rollout across the board. It’s also worth noting that this doesn’t require a software update or an app upgrade, it looks as though this has come server-side, so you shouldn’t have to do anything to get the very minor visual improvement.

Credit: Google
 
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Apple CarPlay Receives Minor Updates & New EV Routing Feature


The 2020 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was held on Monday and saw the company announce some major updates for its devices and operating systems. In addition to iOS 14, macOS Big Sur and watch OS7, the tech giant has announced updates for Apple CarPlay as well. Now, for those who were looking forward to a more dramatic update on the in-car infotainment system, you will have to wait a little longer. The latest update brings some minor, yet usable new features to CarPlay that users will appreciate.


Apple CarPlay now comes with custom wallpapers as a part of the update, while navigation now gets three new categories - parking, food ordering and EV Routing. The last feature is certainly a big plus for electric car users and is part of the update to Apple Maps under iOS 14. The new EV Routing feature for electric car owners will take into consideration your vehicle's range and will calculate the route taking into account the compatible charging points. Apple Maps also gets cycling as a new transport choice

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Google Maps Now Supports CarPlay Dashboard


Google has announced a slew of updates for its maps services on Apple's platforms - including support for CarPlay Dashboard and the Apple Watch. For the Apple Watch, this represents an about-turn for Google, while it doubles down on the ubiquity of Google Maps' cross-platform appeal. CarPlay Dashboard will enable users to have the turn-by-turn navigation interface appear alongside controls for music, podcasts, audiobooks amongst others. This is a more convenient interface as it allows users to have a map view in a large box on the left and the top right for turn-by-turn directions.

"In the CarPlay Dashboard, you can now switch or pause songs from your favourite media app, rewind or fast forward podcasts or audiobooks, or quickly check calendar appointments without ever leaving turn-by-turn navigation in Google Maps. The information is displayed in a split-screen view so you can get the information you need while keeping your focus on the road," said the Google Blog post penned by Alan Rogers and Ruben Lozano-Aguilera.

This was one of the top features of iOS 13 but was restricted to first-party applications like Apple Maps. With iOS 13.4, Apple opened up the feature to third-party apps which is why now we have it on even Google Maps. This also reinforces Google's commitment towards Apple's platforms - be it the iPhone, iPad, or Maps or Search on these platforms.

This feature is now available on all CarPlay supported vehicles globally.

Source:
 
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Google To Add Calendar And Other Driver-Focused Apps In Android Auto


Google is adding a bunch of driver-focussed apps to its Android Auto, in-car infotainment platform. This also includes its popular calendar application. Google also says that it will add support for third-party apps. As of now, Google states that there are over 3,000 applications in the Play store that are meant for car-infotainment systems running Android Auto. Most of these apps are basic audio playback apps like music streaming services or podcasting apps.

In the US, Google is working with a number of partners to bring other kinds of apps to the platform. As per a CNET report, it is working with SpotHero for parking, Chargepoint for charging EVs, and Sygic for navigation. Google is also integrating a user interface for electric vehicle charging points with availability reports as well on its mapping solution preloaded on Android Auto.

In the case of the calendar interface, instead of the grid on the standard Android app, the Android Auto one will just show the agenda of the day's events. It is a low distraction approach focusing on glanceable information. Events that have addresses that Google Maps can integrate with or contacts that are saved on the phone will also get shortcuts for turn-by-turn navigation.

The big addition is that of a dedicated setting button and interface which wasn't there. All these updates will be coming in at the fag-end of the month to all devices that are on Android 6.0 and above.

Source:
https://www.carandbike.com/news/google-to-add-calendar-and-other-driver-focused-apps-in-android-auto-2277935
 
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Ambitious project aims to bring Android Auto Wireless to your current car w/ a dongle


Android Auto makes it easier —though not necessarily safer — to use navigation apps and control media while driving. However, there’s one bit of friction is setting up the system when it comes to the actual connection. The vast majority of cars use a cable to run Android Auto, but an ambitious project plans to bring the wireless version of Google’s platform to your current car using just a dongle.

Developer Emil Borconi (via XDA) previously developed an app called “AAGateway” which could use a second Android smartphone to create a wireless version of Android Auto in your car. It was clever idea, but obviously limiting given it required a second smartphone entirely. With this new gadget, Borconi is attempting to make that idea work without a second smartphone, just a custom-developed piece of hardware that connects to your car’s USB port.

When used, this dongle would apparently take about 10 seconds to boot up itself, and about 30-40 seconds in total to connect to your phone and start running on your car’s display.

Working prototypes already exist and testing has been going on some vehicles already, too. We’ve seen products like this for Apple’s CarPlay, but nothing for Android Auto. At $55 (plus the cost of shipping), too, it’s quite a reasonable cost as well.

The simply named “AAWireless” dongle is a clever little device which plugs into the USB port of your car which has Android Auto already and enables a wireless connection with your smartphone. How?

Of course, this doesn’t come without some caveats. For one, this dongle may not work on every single car just because each one is a little bit different. The bigger potential roadblock, though, comes from the inherent risk of an Indiegogo campaign where “AAWireless” is currently funding. The fixed goal for this campaign is set at $220,000 over the next 44 days.

If everything goes well, dongles should start shipping to backers in December of this year.

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Android Auto latest versionn available for download

File Information:
Last updated:
September 4, 2020
Developer: Google, Inc.
Version: 5.6.6034 (56603433)
Requirement: Android 5.0 and up
File size: 29.6 MB
Uploaded: September 4, 2020 at 10:02AM GMT+07
MD5: 0d2459a9bdc7d71ec6b25d299fbf15e7
SHA1: d2e5f90639a42cf40276503c9d8d30407dddc0e9
Available on Google Play: Install from Google Play

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Android Auto 5.7 causing some issues where Google Assistant won’t respond

The latest Android Auto 5.7 release has already caused a few problems for people out there, the latest being with Google Assistant responses — or lack thereof.

It looks like the standard “Okay, Google” wake-up phrase and steering wheel activation keys (in supported vehicles) are working just fine. However, the Google Assistant seems to get stuck and the standard loading animation fails — meaning no back and forth responses can be made.

Plenty of reports over on the official Android Auto support forums (via autoevolution) are complaining of the issues, which have seemingly been exacerbated as a result of the recent 5.7 updates. This is something that can occur with Google and Nest smart speakers, but is less annoying when you’re trying to avoid distractions on the road.

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Apple CarPlay Support Comes To ChargePoint EV Chargers


Now Apple CarPlay will display ChargePoint's charging network in its built-in Apple Maps interface. Additionally, users can also cue up for the ChargePoint EV stations directly from the CarPlay interface. The ChargePoint EV network is available to users all over the world and the new update adds support for Apple CarPlay which is available to every iPhone user. Since the iPhone is the single best selling phone in the world, this is a huge update.

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Thanks @Nairrk for this thread. Very informative and detailed. But I am not sure if this is a right place to post about any issues / bugs with these 2 interfaces. If not, please feel free to move to an appropraite thread.

Started using Android Auto recently and I already started to face some bugs or incompatibility with MIUI based phones. Here are few -
1. Music doesn't start / resume automatically upon connection. I am guessing perhaps it's due to having multiple music apps and not a default one. But not sure.
2. Music playback goes back to phone after every call. Disconnect / reconnect gets it back to HU. Appears to be a bug to me.

Otherwise, using Google Assistant for commands etc. are seamless and awesome to just focus on road and have someone else do your job [cheers]
 
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Google rolls out big updates to Android Auto

Google is updating both Android Auto and Google Assistant driving mode to make them safer and more convenient.

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Android Auto has been around since 2015 and since its inception it's gotten progressively more functional and aesthetically pleasing. According to a blog post published on Thursday by Google outlining the future of its automotive products, that trend looks to continue.

The changes to Android Auto aren't groundbreaking, but they should make for a much more elegant, e
asy and safe way to mirror your phone to your vehicle. The most significant change comes in the form of a new and configurable launch screen that will show music, news and podcast recommendations. Users will also be able to set which app launches when Android Auto starts up. (Google did not provide images or video of the new system at the time of publication.)

Taking a page out of Tesla's book, Android Auto will now allow users to play games via their vehicle's screen when parked. This feature will work with any phone running Android 9 or later. We don't know yet which games will work well on this setup, but we very much look forward to finding out.

The other big news is that Android Auto will now support dual-SIM users and allow you to select which SIM card you're using to make a call or send a message. Along similar lines, Android Auto will now allow you to choose either your personal profile or your work profile, so you can more easily handle business while you're motoring.

Android Auto isn't the only Google automotive product getting new functionality. Google Assistant's driving mode gets an overhaul, too, which should be a boon for people with older, screenless cars. Driving mode can now be enabled by using the voice command, "Hey, Google, let's drive." The driving mode also now has a different screen with large, tappable cards featuring your most-used-while-driving apps -- Maps, Audible, Spotify, etc.

Google also partnered with Exxon, Mobil, Conoco, Phillips 66 and 76 to enable Google Pay compatibility at over 32,000 gas stations across the US. This allows users to simply say, "Hey, Google, pay for gas," and presto-chango, you don't need to put a card into a pump or go into the cashier. Unfortunately, we still live in the present and not the future, so Google won't select a fuel grade or robotically pump your gas for you, ensuring that you should probably still keep some sanitizer handy for nasty post-pump hands.

The best part is that all this functionality should be available reasonably soon to Android users. Google estimates that it will be a few weeks, so keep an eye out for updates.

The last piece of news from Mountain View has to do with cars running Android Automotive OS. The Polestar 2 was the first vehicle to utilize the system, but Google has been hard at work partnering with other manufacturers like Nissan, Ford and GM for future iterations of their infotainment platforms, and now Honda is getting in on the fun. Google says that we can expect Honda infotainment powered by Android Automotive OS to come in the next few years.

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Yet Another Device Turns Wired Android Auto Into Wireless

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Both Android Auto and CarPlay project the smartphone interface on the larger screen inside the car, as long as the head unit has the necessary hardware for this feature.

Most cars come with support for wired Android Auto and CarPlay, which means a cable is required to connect the mobile device to the head unit. Lately, however, the adoption of the wireless mode is on the rise, with Google itself explaining more than 100 million cars out there already allow users to run Android Auto without a cable.
If a car is equipped with wired Android Auto, owners can get the wireless mode in two different ways: they can either buy an aftermarket head unit that supports it or just go for an adapter capable of converting wired to wireless.

AAWireless is one of the most popular adapters currently on the market, but some drivers decided to go for Carsifi because they wanted to be able to pair multiple Android devices.

Now another company is ready to step into this market and launch a similar solution. It’s called Ottocast, and its adapter makes it possible to turn wired Android Auto and CarPlay into wireless in a matter of seconds.

Very little has been shared about it at this point, but the project has recently been published on Indiegogo, though the crowdfunding campaign isn’t live just yet. The funding will likely begin in a few days, as Ottocast says it plans to start shipping the device to customers next month.

The design of the adapter is as simple as it could be, and from some angles, it certainly reminds of Carsifi. It’s not yet clear what makes it more special than its competitors, though, at first glance, the main selling point would be support for both Android Auto and CarPlay.

Ottocast is already producing several other similar adapters, so it’s probably just a matter of time until this new model goes on sale too.

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Apple bringing car crash detection tool to iPhone

Tech giant Apple is reportedly working on a new iPhone and Apple Watch feature that detects if you are in a car crash and dials 911 automatically, media reports ..

According to The Wall Street Journal, the current plan is to roll out such a feature next year.

Google's Personal Safety app on Pixel phones already includes a feature to call for help when it detects car crashes, just like connected car services in modern vehicles do, including GM's OnStar, Subaru's Starlink and Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect.

News source: ET Auto
 
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Android Auto Update to Bring Smart Replies Feature, Digital Car Key, Always-On Music Button, More

Android Auto will soon be getting a bunch of new features in a future update. Post the update, users will get an option to send quick replies to messages using the touchscreen in their vehicles. Android Auto users earlier only had the option to reply to messages using their voice. In addition, Google also announced that Android Auto can now be set to launch automatically and users can lock, unlock, and even switch on their compatible BMW cars using their Android smartphones. The changes were announced on Wednesday alongside other new features for the Android platform as a whole.

In the latest post on Android-based updates on the Keyword blog, Google announced that it will add a few features to Android Auto to improve its in-car app. One of them includes the ability to reply to text messages through message prompts on the screen or by creating a custom response. This smart reply feature will be rolling out soon and will employ Google Assistant to make responses better.

Furthermore, Android Auto will also be getting an always-on play button for music. This will always be visible and will be placed on the home screen. Another feature that Google will soon be adding to its in-car app is the ability to search for music with a user's voice from any of the media apps in Android Auto. "Just tap the new search icon and say your favorite artist or song for easy listening," mentions the blog post.

Another feature that Android Auto users in some countries will appreciate is the ability to lock, unlock, and start their compatible BMW cars. Called digital car key, it is currently only available on Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21. Notably, Apple also introduced the digital car keys feature for iPhone last year and it started rolling out for newer iPhone models earlier this year. At the moment, Apple's digital car key is also limited to certain luxury cars.

Source: Google360
 

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