Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Google has just shipped the first Android Auto 9.4 beta to users enrolled in the testing program. However, anyone can try out the new build by downloading the APK installers.
The Mountain View-based search giant has significantly accelerated the release pace of both beta and stable Android Auto builds. New versions roll out every seven to ten days, and updates are typically promoted to the stable channel in approximately two weeks.
The beta program also seems to serve its purpose very well. It helps Google ship more stable updates by giving users the opportunity to test new Android Auto builds before the public release. Therefore, bugs and performance issues are discovered and eventually fixed before they make their way to production devices.
Android Auto 9.4 beta rolls out with a similar purpose. Google hasn’t shared a changelog, but most likely, the company focused specifically on addressing bugs under the hood.
Google is working on returning the weather information to the “new” Android Auto, but it’s unclear if Android Auto 9.4 produces any improvements in this regard. I installed the new build on my phone and tried out the update in my car, but the weather card does not show up. I run Android Auto on a 7-inch portrait screen with a standard landscape orientation.
The weather information is currently one of the top feature requests. Before the Coolwalk update, Android Auto displayed the weather forecast in the status bar at the top of the screen. Once the new design started rolling out in January, the weather data was moved to a dedicated card on the split-screen view.
This special card, however, is available only on portrait displays. The current screen estate on landscape units does not allow Google to show weather information. The company has already confirmed it’s working on a way to bring back the weather data for everyone, but no further specifics are available.
In the meantime, the Coolwalk rollout is making progress. The parent firm did not share an ETA when it plans to reach the general availability. However, I expect the new interface to become available for all users this year. Most of them have already received Coolwalk anyway, presumably as the availability increased substantially in the last weeks.
Android Auto 9.4 should reach the stable channel by the end of the month if no major bugs are discovered. At that point, Google will kick off the rollout through the Google Play Store for all users. Those who don’t want to wait can always download the APK installers and update the app manually. If you do this for beta builds, keep in mind that an increased likelihood of bugs is likely because they are pre-release versions of the app.
The beta program also seems to serve its purpose very well. It helps Google ship more stable updates by giving users the opportunity to test new Android Auto builds before the public release. Therefore, bugs and performance issues are discovered and eventually fixed before they make their way to production devices.
Android Auto 9.4 beta rolls out with a similar purpose. Google hasn’t shared a changelog, but most likely, the company focused specifically on addressing bugs under the hood.
Google is working on returning the weather information to the “new” Android Auto, but it’s unclear if Android Auto 9.4 produces any improvements in this regard. I installed the new build on my phone and tried out the update in my car, but the weather card does not show up. I run Android Auto on a 7-inch portrait screen with a standard landscape orientation.
The weather information is currently one of the top feature requests. Before the Coolwalk update, Android Auto displayed the weather forecast in the status bar at the top of the screen. Once the new design started rolling out in January, the weather data was moved to a dedicated card on the split-screen view.
This special card, however, is available only on portrait displays. The current screen estate on landscape units does not allow Google to show weather information. The company has already confirmed it’s working on a way to bring back the weather data for everyone, but no further specifics are available.
In the meantime, the Coolwalk rollout is making progress. The parent firm did not share an ETA when it plans to reach the general availability. However, I expect the new interface to become available for all users this year. Most of them have already received Coolwalk anyway, presumably as the availability increased substantially in the last weeks.
Android Auto 9.4 should reach the stable channel by the end of the month if no major bugs are discovered. At that point, Google will kick off the rollout through the Google Play Store for all users. Those who don’t want to wait can always download the APK installers and update the app manually. If you do this for beta builds, keep in mind that an increased likelihood of bugs is likely because they are pre-release versions of the app.
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