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Android Automotive 12 Launches with Big Improvements

Android Automotive is Google’s big long-term bet in the automotive industry, as it allows the company to offer deeper integration of its services behind the wheel.
Android Automotive 12 8 photos
Photo: Mishaal Rahman
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As compared to Android Auto, which requires a mobile phone to power the Android experience in a car, Android Automotive is the operating system installed on the head unit and therefore loading as soon as the engine starts.

Android Automotive comes with the added benefit of direct integration with more advanced vehicle functions, including the heated seats, air conditioning, and battery information.

And thanks to the debut of Android 12, the car-focused operating system is getting a bunch of new goodies, including better UI navigation offering full support for knobs and four-way nudges.

As revealed on Twitter by Mishaal Rahman, Android Automotive 12 now includes a reference SMS app and sports a new launcher that makes the system overall feel fresh and more modern.

There’s also a mic indicator, so you’ll know when the microphone is being used by your apps (such as when making a phone call or sending a voice command via Google Assistant).

Android Automotive 12 also comes with a two-column Settings app on wide displays, which means the operating system is now using the available screen estate more effectively. Heads-up notifications can also be prioritized, and the Bluetooth experience has also been refined thanks to Android 12.

Overall, Android Automotive 12 is the expected facelift of the operating system, whose adoption is slowly but surely improving. Google is working with automakers across the world on bringing the software on more of their cars, yet until now, only a handful of them ended up launching models powered by Android Automotive.

More should follow in 2022 and 2023, especially as Google gives them the options to fully customize the operating system in order to personalize the experience offered to drivers behind the wheel.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

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.
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