Android Auto 10 Hides a Little Change You Might Not Even Notice

In other words, if you were hoping to see information on the changes included in Android Auto 10, this isn't available, so the only way to determine it is to install the new release.

According to a new report, the latest Android Auto 10 beta includes a change many people might not notice. Google Assistant gets a new visual facelift on Android Auto, as the parent company is introducing a new animation appearing on the screen when the assistant listens to your voice input.

While it's unclear if Google has tied the release of this new facelift with Android Auto 10's debut, the updated animation is only available in the latest version of the app. In theory, Google could bring the same update to any other Android Auto version – the Google app powers the Google Assistant integration in Android Auto, so, in theory, the company can enable the animation in previous releases too.

Beginning with Android Auto 10, triggering Google Assistant voice input launches the same floating bar as in older releases, but this time it uses a glow animation at the bottom. The animation includes Google's colors, making the interface look more modern.

As others have noticed, the animation looks similar to the one Google initially presented when announcing a revamped Assistant version aimed at Google Pixel phones. The glow effect was an essential part of the polished experience, and now it looks like the search giant is ready to bring it to Android Auto too.

Google seems to use a phased rollout model for this new feature, or the company is still experimenting. The new animation isn't enabled on my phone running Android Auto 10 beta and the latest Google Assistant version. I believe Google is still in the testing phase, so the company will likely begin rolling out the new design to users in the coming weeks if it doesn't detect a significant bug.

In the meantime, Android Auto 10 looks like a minor release with no new features. While the big version jump (from 9.9 to 10) could indicate a new development branch, Android Auto 10 looks more like a typical bug-fixing update with no significant changes under the hood. The update is still in beta, but Google should begin rolling it out to production devices in the coming weeks.

I expect the company to start the public rollout by the end of the month. You can download Android Auto 10 without waiting using the stand-alone APK installer, but keep in mind that beta builds come with an increased likelihood of bugs, as they are pre-release software in need of public testing.