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Unexpected Android Auto Version Released to Users, Coolwalk ETA Still a Mystery

Android Auto home screen 6 photos
Photo: Google
The new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UIThe new Android Auto UI
Google is working around the clock on improving Android Auto, with the company now shipping beta builds at a faster pace than before.
In other words, the Android Auto beta program is now playing a much more important role in the development of new app features, and fresh builds go live for the registered testers every few weeks.

But earlier this week, however, users ended up being offered a totally unexpected Android Auto update through the Google Play Store.

While some people noticed a lot of changes, including a new “Engineering settings” menu within the app, this isn’t by any means a major overhaul of Android Auto. What users actually received was a “dogfood” daily build accidentally released by Google through the Google Play Store.

These builds are only supposed to be used by the Mountain View-based search giant internally, so they are compiled for testing even before the beta updates go live for public testers. This means they shouldn’t be published on the Google Play Store anyway, so someone at Google clearly pressed the go-ahead button too early.

Most likely, the company will resolve the blunder with a new update in the coming days.

To answer the question on everybody’s lips, no, Coolwalk isn’t included in the internal build. The Mountain View-based search giant is still tight-lipped on the ETA of this highly anticipated feature, so for the time being, nobody knows for sure when it is supposed to go live.

Google originally planned to release the Coolwalk update in the summer of this year, but this deadline has clearly been missed, so now Android Auto users are eagerly waiting for a new ETA from the company.

A new Android Auto update should go live later this month, but as said before, the Coolwalk debut isn’t tied to a specific app version, as it all comes down to a server-side switch to enable the feature.
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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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