Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Android Auto might feel like a work-in-progress, but it's not only due to the number of bugs frequently hitting users' experience behind the wheel. Google keeps releasing update after update, also confirming its commitment to improving Android Auto in the long term.
The Android Auto beta program works like a charm, bringing more frequent updates, though the focus is almost exclusively on improvements under the hood.
This is the case with Android Auto 11.3, too, with the new version now rolling out without substantial changes. It's a welcome update, nonetheless, despite not including any new features. It focuses on fixing bugs and improving the general performance, which is good news, considering the number of glitches plaguing Android Auto lately.
Before heading to the Google Play Store to check for updates, you must know that Android Auto 11.3 to production devices kicked off only a few minutes ago. Google uses a controlled rollout approach that enables the update for production devices in stages, so the new version will only appear on the Google Play Store for certain phones. The availability will continue to improve in the coming weeks before Android Auto 11.3 goes live for everybody.
Meanwhile, Android users can install the latest Android Auto update by sideloading the APK file. You can find the installer on this page, so download the file and begin the update by tapping the file on your device. Depending on your Android configuration, installing applications for non-Google Play Store sources might require special permissions. By default, Android only allows apps from the Play Store, so you must enable support for manual installations to sideload the APK file.
Google is already testing several big improvements for Android Auto, though they're not tied to a specific version. As announced by the search giant earlier this year, Android Auto will soon get AI integration to summarize long messages and busy conversations in group chats. Using artificial intelligence, Google Assistant will read your messages and create a summary to provide you with the essential tidbits.
Additionally, the assistant will offer relevant smart replies, including actions. For example, if a contact asks for your ETA to a destination, Google Assistant can suggest an option to share the ETA using Google Maps. You can send the ETA to the contact by tapping the option on the screen or with a voice command.
The option to summarize messages appeared for some users a few weeks ago, but it doesn't seem fully implemented yet. The work on this feature is likely underway, with the rollout to begin later this year.
As always, if you notice something new in the latest Android Auto update, make sure you share it with us and our readers using the comment box below.
This is the case with Android Auto 11.3, too, with the new version now rolling out without substantial changes. It's a welcome update, nonetheless, despite not including any new features. It focuses on fixing bugs and improving the general performance, which is good news, considering the number of glitches plaguing Android Auto lately.
Before heading to the Google Play Store to check for updates, you must know that Android Auto 11.3 to production devices kicked off only a few minutes ago. Google uses a controlled rollout approach that enables the update for production devices in stages, so the new version will only appear on the Google Play Store for certain phones. The availability will continue to improve in the coming weeks before Android Auto 11.3 goes live for everybody.
Meanwhile, Android users can install the latest Android Auto update by sideloading the APK file. You can find the installer on this page, so download the file and begin the update by tapping the file on your device. Depending on your Android configuration, installing applications for non-Google Play Store sources might require special permissions. By default, Android only allows apps from the Play Store, so you must enable support for manual installations to sideload the APK file.
Google is already testing several big improvements for Android Auto, though they're not tied to a specific version. As announced by the search giant earlier this year, Android Auto will soon get AI integration to summarize long messages and busy conversations in group chats. Using artificial intelligence, Google Assistant will read your messages and create a summary to provide you with the essential tidbits.
Additionally, the assistant will offer relevant smart replies, including actions. For example, if a contact asks for your ETA to a destination, Google Assistant can suggest an option to share the ETA using Google Maps. You can send the ETA to the contact by tapping the option on the screen or with a voice command.
The option to summarize messages appeared for some users a few weeks ago, but it doesn't seem fully implemented yet. The work on this feature is likely underway, with the rollout to begin later this year.
As always, if you notice something new in the latest Android Auto update, make sure you share it with us and our readers using the comment box below.
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