Google started the rollout of Coolwalk back in January, and the company keeps working on polishing the redesign with further updates.
Android Auto 9.0 includes a new option that allows users to slightly change the layout of Coolwalk.
The Android Auto redesign is based on a user interface somewhat inspired by the CarPlay Dashboard. The layout uses cards to allow multiple apps to run side-by-side on the same screen, regardless of display size.
Each app receives its own card. The navigation software uses half of the available screen estate, while media apps, phone calls, and others stick with smaller cards.
The original version of Coolwalk didn’t provide any configuration options for the layout, but Google is working on polishing the new UI on this front.
Android Auto 9.0 includes an option to change the layout by moving either the media or the navigation card closer to the driver. By default, the navigation card is on the driver's side, as the route guidance is the most likely to require user attention when running.
Photo: reddit user Gianfcal
Similar options have already been available for some time, but they only allowed users to configure whether they’re driving a right- or left-hand car. Switching between these two profiles indeed changed the layout of Android Auto, but the transition also moved the buttons to the other side of the screen.
With the new options, only the media and the navigation cards move closer to the driver.
The feature is part of Android Auto 9.0 only for users who have already received the Coolwalk update. It’s available on the mobile device and on the head unit in the Android Auto settings screen.
In the meantime, Google continues the rollout of Android Auto. Started in January, the server-controlled release isn’t tied to a software update. This is because Google uses reliability data to determine the likelihood of Coolwalk causing bugs on Android Auto head units. Based on the analyzed information, Google can then accelerate the rollout.
That said, users can’t manually enable Android Auto Coolwalk on their devices. Google will do this for them with a server-side switch only when a high level of reliability is guaranteed.
The search giant hasn’t provided an ETA regarding the general availability of Coolwalk. The rollout is projected to complete in 2023, but it’s impossible to tell how much progress it made in the first two months of the year.
Google hasn’t publicly announced the new Android Auto Coolwalk features, but most likely, the company will continue to refine the experience with the redesign. Additional options are expected to be included in the beta builds (and then in the stable releases) as the Coolwalk interface makes its way to more devices across the world.
Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones. Full profile
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