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Google Releases Unexpected Android Auto Update, Important Fix Possibly Included

Google rolled out Android Auto 5.5 a few days ago, but it turns out that the company has already published a small revision that’s likely to include an important fix.
The latest build of Android Auto 1 photo
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The search giant doesn’t typically update Android Auto so fast, and users on reddit speculate that the second release lands with a must-have fix for those running the app.

More specifically, the original version that Google published last week was 5.5.602934, and the new build lands as version 5.5.602944, so there’s only a small revision in this new update.

Software developers typically ship such minor version updates for quick bug fixes that are included in their applications, and there’s a chance this is the case with Android Auto too. This approach is signaled by a small build increase in the version number.

And for what’s new in this update, this is hard to guess, albeit judging from posts coming from users who already installed the latest version, there’s a chance this is related to the experience with the Google Assistant.

As many Android Auto unfortunately figured out the hard way, interacting with the Assistant using only voice commands doesn’t always work exactly as expected. The OK, Google command has long been broken, and someone on reddit says that the feature is now restored, so they can wake up the assistant without having to turn to touch input or the steering wheel controls.

Worth knowing, however, is that the Google Assistant experience, along with updates and new features, is powered by the Google app running on Android devices. So if anything, this new Android Auto includes new optimizations for the app to work correctly with the Google client that bundles the assistant.

At the end of the day, this is clearly a mysterious revision to the Android Auto version released last week, but needless to say, running the latest build is always a good idea. The next major update for Android Auto, which should technically bring the app to version 5.6, is expected in late August or early September.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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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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