Google is rolling out a new update to Android Auto and the cars powered by its built-in Google software. A series of changes and new features include a revamp of Google Maps, the addition of in-dash video playback and a full visual update rolling out to compatible vehicles and devices in 2026.
As cars get smarter and in-car screens get worse, preview changes should keep Google’s car ambitions competitive with Apple’s CarPlay.
A design that literally fits your car
Android Auto is getting a full visual update built on Google’s vibrant Material 3 design language, bringing new fonts, animations and wallpapers from the phone experience to the dashboard. The interface can now adapt to any screen orientation, including the standard portrait and landscape orientation, but also new ultrawide and non-rectangular displays. Google has shown how unusual Android Auto can get, complementing the circular OLED display of the latest generation Mini cars and the tilted hexagonal screen BMW’s Neue Klasse EV.
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Android Auto is now able to compress and stretch into non-standard screen shapes, including circles, parallelograms and everything in between.
Also new are home screen widgets, which allow drivers to keep visual information — such as favorite contacts, garage door controls and weather information — that appear next to active navigation.
Biggest maps update in ten years
The centerpiece of this update is Immersive Navigation, which Google describes as its biggest update in more than a decade. This feature brings 3D map views with rendered buildings, overpasses and terrain, and highlights lane markings, traffic lights and stop signs to aid complex navigation. The new look, to my eyes, is unlike what I’ve seen in Apple’s Maps and is a welcome improvement in aesthetics and functionality.
Cars that use Google built-in get even more new navigation capabilities that aren’t available in standard Android Auto. The biggest new feature is Live Lane Guidance, which uses the vehicle’s forward-facing camera to determine the driver’s position in the current lane and provide real-time guidance for lane changes and exits.
HD video is coming to Android Auto
Android Auto adds full HD video playback at 60 frames per second when the car is parked, which will be introduced later this year in cars from BMWFord, Genesis, At Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz again Volvo in the US. (Outside the States, that list grows to include Mahindra, Renault, Skoda and Tata cars.) Once your charging sesh is complete and the car goes from park to drive, Android Auto will also be able to easily switch the content to audio-only in apps that support background audio, so you can continue listening to that video podcast you just started.
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Android Auto now supports HD Video at 60 fps while parked. Switch to drive and the content switches to background audio automatically.
Dolby Atmos surround sound is also coming to Android Auto for supported apps and cars, starting with BMW, GenesisMercedes-Benz and Volvo. After hours I’m listening to Dolby Atmos in cars, this might be the feature I’m most excited about. Links to media apps, including YouTube Music and Spotify, also get visual updates, breaking from the standard and familiar Android Auto icon we’ve seen since the software’s launch.
Meanwhile, cars with Google Built-in will get the same video and audio enhancements, as well as support for meeting apps like Zoom.
Gemini hits the road
Gemini is now widely available on Android Auto for general driving assistance, having been rolled out to drivers over the past year. Devices with Gemini Intelligence — Google’s context-aware AI division — will get more capabilities later this year, including Magic Cue, which can pull up relevant information from Messages, email and your calendar to respond to incoming texts with a single tap. In the demo, Google shows a driver receiving a text message asking where they are going, then answering with a single tap.
Google is also enabling in-car food ordering through DoorDash via voice command. I’m sure someone will find that useful.
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In certain vehicles that use Google’s built-in software, Gemini will be able to answer questions based on information about the vehicle and its capabilities.
In cars with Google Built-in, Gemini integrates directly with the car’s hardware, allowing queries specific to the car itself. For example, a driver might ask Gemini to identify a dashboard warning light or estimate whether a large TV they’re buying will fit within a certain size of their vehicle.
This announcement comes as part of this year The Gemini-fueled Android Show: I/O Edition and hot on the heels of April Motors’ April announcement that Gemini performance on its Google-built infotainment stack. At GM alone, he’s talking about 4 million Cadillac, Chevrolet and Buick vehicles in the US that will benefit from today’s updates. Globally and across all supported car models, Google boasted that 250 million cars currently support Android Auto at last, with more than 50 models using Google Built-in natively — most of which will be receiving this upgrade in the coming months.
