Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
If you still needed proof that Google has significantly accelerated the Android Auto update release pace, here's the sixth version that received the go-ahead in June alone.
Android Auto 9.9 beta is now available for download, allowing users to try out the latest improvements before they become available for everybody on the Google Play Store.
The first release of the month was Android Auto 9.5 (the stable version), with Google then coming up with several subsequent builds, including two new betas for version 9.8 and now 9.9. The stable channel has also been promoted to 9.8.
At the time of writing, the most recent versions of Android Auto are 9.9.1325 in the beta channel and 9.8.6324 in the stable ring.
Google did not provide a changelog for Android Auto 9.9 beta, but this is no longer a surprise. The company rarely shares information on the improvements in its app updates, so the only way to find out if this version comes with something worthy is to install it. Sure enough, this isn't necessarily the most convenient option, but given Google typically remains tight-lipped on Android Auto updates, users must do the hard work and decipher the company's inexistent changelogs.
On the other hand, Android Auto 9.9 is still in the beta stage, so users shouldn’t install it unless they are willing to send feedback to Google. Testing builds help the company further polish new releases before the production launch.
At the same time, beta builds also come with an increased likelihood of issues. Using such a version as a daily driver is not recommended, as you could end up struggling with bugs that wouldn’t normally be there in a stable build. Sure enough, Android Auto is still suffering from major stability and reliability issues in all channels, but even so, running a beta build produces an even bigger chance of problems.
If you're not part of the Android Auto beta program, your only option when it comes to downloading this latest release is to get it manually. You can find the new build on this page.
After you save the APK file on the device, you must browse to its location and begin the installation by just tapping the installer. By default, Android does not allow manual app installation, so it blocks third-party app sources, such as standalone APK installer. Special permission requests will appear during the update, so make sure you allow the process to complete.
At this point, it's unclear when Google will ship the stable version of Android Auto 9.9, but given the fast release cadence, I believe it wouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks for this build to promote from the beta channel to the production ring.
The first release of the month was Android Auto 9.5 (the stable version), with Google then coming up with several subsequent builds, including two new betas for version 9.8 and now 9.9. The stable channel has also been promoted to 9.8.
At the time of writing, the most recent versions of Android Auto are 9.9.1325 in the beta channel and 9.8.6324 in the stable ring.
Google did not provide a changelog for Android Auto 9.9 beta, but this is no longer a surprise. The company rarely shares information on the improvements in its app updates, so the only way to find out if this version comes with something worthy is to install it. Sure enough, this isn't necessarily the most convenient option, but given Google typically remains tight-lipped on Android Auto updates, users must do the hard work and decipher the company's inexistent changelogs.
On the other hand, Android Auto 9.9 is still in the beta stage, so users shouldn’t install it unless they are willing to send feedback to Google. Testing builds help the company further polish new releases before the production launch.
At the same time, beta builds also come with an increased likelihood of issues. Using such a version as a daily driver is not recommended, as you could end up struggling with bugs that wouldn’t normally be there in a stable build. Sure enough, Android Auto is still suffering from major stability and reliability issues in all channels, but even so, running a beta build produces an even bigger chance of problems.
If you're not part of the Android Auto beta program, your only option when it comes to downloading this latest release is to get it manually. You can find the new build on this page.
After you save the APK file on the device, you must browse to its location and begin the installation by just tapping the installer. By default, Android does not allow manual app installation, so it blocks third-party app sources, such as standalone APK installer. Special permission requests will appear during the update, so make sure you allow the process to complete.
At this point, it's unclear when Google will ship the stable version of Android Auto 9.9, but given the fast release cadence, I believe it wouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks for this build to promote from the beta channel to the production ring.
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