Photo: Google
While Android Auto keeps getting fresh updates every month that bring both new features, bug fixes, and other improvements, Google is also working on something huge for the platform.
That would be support for third-party navigation, parking, and charging apps on Android Auto, something that Google announced last year.
The Android for Cars App Library was released in October to allow developers to create third-party Android Auto apps for these categories, and two months later, the first apps already made their way to the testing stage.
This week, Google officially announced that its Android for Cars App Library is offered in Jetpack as androidx.car.app 1.0.0-beta01, which means the library has become open source and can be used to publish apps for open testing the Google Play Store.
Google says it’ll discontinue the closed-source library later this year, and migrating to Jetpack is something that can be performed rather easily by Android Auto developers out there.
“On September 1, 2021, the closed source Android for Cars App Library (com.google.android.libraries.car.app) will no longer be available and the Google Play Store will not accept submissions that use com.google.android.libraries.car.app. Our development focus from now, including new features, is on androidx.car.app. We encourage you to migrate now and we’ve created a migration guide that makes it easy. Migration usually takes less than a day, in our experience with early access partners,” Google says.
In plain English, what everything mentioned above means is that third-party Android Auto apps for navigation, EV charging, and parking are getting a step closer to the public launch, and with a little luck, the debut would happen later this year.
Given the apps can now be listed for open testing in the Google Play Store, it has all become just a matter of time until the go-ahead is given for the public release. Hopefully, more developers will be interested in Android Auto and bring their apps to the car as well.
The Android for Cars App Library was released in October to allow developers to create third-party Android Auto apps for these categories, and two months later, the first apps already made their way to the testing stage.
This week, Google officially announced that its Android for Cars App Library is offered in Jetpack as androidx.car.app 1.0.0-beta01, which means the library has become open source and can be used to publish apps for open testing the Google Play Store.
Google says it’ll discontinue the closed-source library later this year, and migrating to Jetpack is something that can be performed rather easily by Android Auto developers out there.
“On September 1, 2021, the closed source Android for Cars App Library (com.google.android.libraries.car.app) will no longer be available and the Google Play Store will not accept submissions that use com.google.android.libraries.car.app. Our development focus from now, including new features, is on androidx.car.app. We encourage you to migrate now and we’ve created a migration guide that makes it easy. Migration usually takes less than a day, in our experience with early access partners,” Google says.
In plain English, what everything mentioned above means is that third-party Android Auto apps for navigation, EV charging, and parking are getting a step closer to the public launch, and with a little luck, the debut would happen later this year.
Given the apps can now be listed for open testing in the Google Play Store, it has all become just a matter of time until the go-ahead is given for the public release. Hopefully, more developers will be interested in Android Auto and bring their apps to the car as well.
Google News