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PSA: Waze Doesn’t Currently Support Android Auto Coolwalk

Coolwalk is finally available for Android Auto beta testers, with the rollout to production devices expected to begin at some point in 2023.
Android Auto Coolwalk UI 6 photos
Photo: Google
Android Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interfaceAndroid Auto Coolwalk interface
As it happens with pre-release software, Coolwalk is still a work-in-progress, so the final version is very likely to come with additional polishing and improvements. But even so, it’s still substantially more refined than the original version announced by Google at I/O earlier this year.

One of the essential tidbits that Android Auto users must be aware of is that the only navigation app currently supporting Coolwalk is Google Maps.

Waze, for instance, can’t use the dedicated navigation card on Coolwalk, so there’s currently no way to change the default navigation app on the split-screen interface. In other words, whenever you close Android Auto and re-launch it, the navigation card will be reset to Google Maps.

Running Waze on Android Auto is only possible in the full-screen UI. Obviously, this may be a little surprising for some users given Waze is a Google-owned application, but this is precisely the purpose of beta software in the first place. Developers are given enough time to prepare their apps for major overhauls, so there’s no doubt Waze will fully support Coolwalk when the feature is ready for all users worldwide.

If you’re interested in giving a try to Coolwalk right now, the only way to do it is to become an Android Auto beta tester.

For the time being, however, the program is already full, and Google says it’s not accepting new registrations. At this point, it doesn’t seem like sideloading the most recent Android Auto beta build helps enable Coolwalk, as the whole thing is still linked with a registration in the testing program and a server-side update for each user.

Most likely, new seats in the beta program would be unlocked soon, especially as the interest in trying out Coolwalk seems to go through the roof these days.
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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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