Google Still Working on the Forgotten Side of Android Auto

Redesigning Android Auto was integral to Google's long-term automotive strategy, especially because CarPlay was gaining ground. CarPlay and Android Auto go hand in hand with the mobile operating systems powering them, so more drivers using CarPlay means more users sticking with Apple's platform and getting an iPhone.

Android Auto is now at least as modern and fresh as CarPlay, but there's one little side that Google has been ignoring for years.

At least in production form, that is, as otherwise, the search giant has already prepared a new design that's nowhere to be seen.

The Android Auto mobile settings interface is old and outdated, lacking the modern capabilities of every piece of software running on Android. It doesn't have dynamic colors or a dark mode, so it can't align with the visual settings of the operating system. It means you'll still see the standard daytime mode when you launch Android Auto's settings menu on your Android device, even if you have enabled apps to follow the system theme.

However, we've known for a while that a new settings screen for Android Auto was in the works, albeit the search company never shared an ETA regarding its launch date. The latest update – Android Auto 11.7 reportedly includes this settings redesign but isn't enabled by default. Google apparently needs more time to complete the work on this facelift, so we'll have to wait for more versions until the rollout begins.

It's unclear why Google doesn't enable the new Settings interface by default, as the new menu already looks complete and aligns with the other apps released on Android by the search giant. It's a long overdue update that Google keeps holding back.

With Google's I/O developer event already on the radar, I believe the release of this redesigned settings experience is just around the corner.

Meanwhile, the good news is that Google has recently resolved the odd Google Assistant behavior that enforced Google Maps with voice commands. Users discovered that after updating to Android 11.7, instructing Google Assistant to set up navigation to a certain destination ignored the app running on the screen, switching to Google Maps automatically. The new behavior included Google-owned Waze, so touch input was the only way to use navigation with a non-Google Maps application.

The issue resided in the Google app, which is responsible for voice commands on Android Auto. The latest Google app update published on the Play Store resolves the problem, with everything back to normal and Android Auto no longer enforcing Google Maps when the user turns to voice commands for hands-free navigation.