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Google Starts Android Auto 9.5 Rollout, You Can Already Download It Without Waiting

Google is fully committed to improving the experience with Android Auto, and while big bug fixes are nowhere to be seen, the company has significantly accelerated the release cadence of smaller updates.
Android Auto 9.5 is now available for download 15 photos
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
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Living proof is the arrival of Android Auto 9.5, the app's most recent version that users can download right now in the production channel.

In other words, Android Auto 9.5 is no longer available exclusively for testers, as the search giant has started the gradual release to stable devices too.

As always, the rollout happens in waves. Google only ships the latest Android Auto version through the Google Play Store to a small set of devices before accelerating the process to more users. The reason is as simple as it could be: the company uses this approach to determine every update's reliability. By shipping a new version to a limited number of devices, Google can collect reliability data and determine the likelihood of hitting major bugs.

Once the processed data indicates a smooth rollout, Google can push the same update to more devices, ensuring a flawless experience for all devices.

As such, users receive new Android Auto updates gradually, meaning that some must wait longer than others to try out the latest improvements.

Luckily, those who don't want to wait can download the new versions manually using the APK installers. For Android Auto 9.5, you can find the stable build on this page. After downloading the file to the local storage, you must browse to its location and tap the APK installer. The update process doesn’t take more than a few seconds, though you might be required to grant certain permissions.

Google configured Android to only allow app installation from the Google Play Store, so sideloading via APK installers must be enabled by users themselves. As a result, you must approve the manual installation by accepting the prompt showing up on the screen.

One of the biggest questions regarding Android Auto 9.5 is what's new in this update. Google didn’t release a changelog, so such information is not available just yet. Most likely, the company focused specifically on fixing bugs and addressing performance problems, with no other big features seemingly introduced.

Google started the Coolwalk rollout in January, and the process also occurs in waves. Since then, the search giant has been particularly focused on addressing bugs in the new experience and refining the dashboard view, especially as more apps add support for the multi-view screen. Google did not provide an ETA as to when it plans to complete the Coolwalk rollout for all Android devices, but the company wants to enable the new experience using its phased model on all devices by the end of the summer.
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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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