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New Android Auto Update to Bring Subtle Changes Users Could Easily Miss

Android Auto is an application that’s constantly evolving, and more often than not, it just seems to be sticking with baby steps rather than going for massive improvements released every few updates.
Background blur on Android Auto 6 photos
Photo: reddit user flcinusa
The new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UI
The most recent confirmation that this is the approach Google is using for its app is Android Auto 7.9 beta, which includes a pair of very subtle tweaks that many users could actually miss when installing the latest build.

While Google hasn’t provided a changelog to let us know what’s new in the latest testing build, Android Auto 7.9 beta actually comes with a new background blur effect that now takes over the entire screen when a media app is being used.

In other words, when you’re listening to music on Android Auto and the media app is in focus, the background blur now uses the full width of the screen, therefore making the experience overall feel a little bit more modern.

Furthermore, Android Auto has dropped the progress bar that used a circle around the play button in media apps. This was an indication of the song’s progress, but with Android Auto 7.9, Google is going for a traditional bar that fills up from the left side of the screen to the right.

As someone observed on reddit, the new progress bar is specifically used as an indicator and can’t be used to jump to a specific part of the song by tapping the screen.

At this point, however, it’s important to keep in mind these changes are only part of the latest beta build, so it’s just a matter of time until they go live for everybody. Android Auto 7.9 should be released to production devices later this month, but don’t forget that the rollout takes place in stages through the Google Play Store.

If you want to try out Android Auto 7.9 today, you can find the APK installer on this page.
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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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