Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/reddit user Glasofruix
Waze has silently started the rollout of Coolwalk support on Android Auto, with the new experience apparently activated in waves for eligible devices.
Google announced the Coolwalk redesign for Android Auto in January. Since then, the company has been enabling the interface in stages, therefore buying more time to detect bugs in early phases.
In other words, if a major issue is discovered, Google has more time to address it before production devices are impacted.
The main Coolwalk highlight is the multi-app view that allows users to have navigation apps, audio software, and phone calls side by side on the same screen. Previously, split-screen support was exclusive to displays with wide resolutions.
The Coolwalk interface is split into multiple cards, giving one card to a specific app category. The navigation app, such as Google Maps, uses the largest card, while the likes of Spotify and phone calls can use the remaining ones.
Before using the card-based UI, apps must be updated to support Coolwalk. Enter Waze.
Google Maps was, until recently, the only navigation app that supported Coolwalk. Now that the new interface is becoming more widely available, developers have also accelerated efforts to update their apps for the new Android Auto interface.
Coolwalk support in Waze landed in beta several weeks ago, and since then, the Google-owned company has been working around the clock on finalizing the update. While no official announcement has been offered, it looks like the feature is now in the production channel and is gradually rolling out to users.
The server-controlled rollout enables Coolwalk support for Waze users in stages. In other words, even if you run the latest version of the app, Waze won’t load in the navigation card on CarPlay unless the parent company specifically allows it.
The release seems to take place rather slowly right now, possibly as Waze still tries to determine the reliability of the new feature. I’ve been using Waze on Coolwalk for at least a couple of weeks, and today’s experience seems significantly more refined than it was in the first days after launch.
Some users claim Waze doesn’t work properly on Coolwalk, with the GPS connection occasionally lost in the card-based UI. Switching Waze to the full-screen mode typically restores the app, with the location immediately determined correctly.
The most recent version of Waze for Android is 4.93.5.11, and it was released in late March. On the other hand, a new beta went live earlier this week with a series of additional refinements, including what’s likely a more polished experience on Coolwalk. For the time being, the best you can do is to install the most recent Waze update and wait for the company to enable the support for Coolwalk in your car.
In other words, if a major issue is discovered, Google has more time to address it before production devices are impacted.
The main Coolwalk highlight is the multi-app view that allows users to have navigation apps, audio software, and phone calls side by side on the same screen. Previously, split-screen support was exclusive to displays with wide resolutions.
The Coolwalk interface is split into multiple cards, giving one card to a specific app category. The navigation app, such as Google Maps, uses the largest card, while the likes of Spotify and phone calls can use the remaining ones.
Before using the card-based UI, apps must be updated to support Coolwalk. Enter Waze.
Google Maps was, until recently, the only navigation app that supported Coolwalk. Now that the new interface is becoming more widely available, developers have also accelerated efforts to update their apps for the new Android Auto interface.
Coolwalk support in Waze landed in beta several weeks ago, and since then, the Google-owned company has been working around the clock on finalizing the update. While no official announcement has been offered, it looks like the feature is now in the production channel and is gradually rolling out to users.
The server-controlled rollout enables Coolwalk support for Waze users in stages. In other words, even if you run the latest version of the app, Waze won’t load in the navigation card on CarPlay unless the parent company specifically allows it.
The release seems to take place rather slowly right now, possibly as Waze still tries to determine the reliability of the new feature. I’ve been using Waze on Coolwalk for at least a couple of weeks, and today’s experience seems significantly more refined than it was in the first days after launch.
Some users claim Waze doesn’t work properly on Coolwalk, with the GPS connection occasionally lost in the card-based UI. Switching Waze to the full-screen mode typically restores the app, with the location immediately determined correctly.
The most recent version of Waze for Android is 4.93.5.11, and it was released in late March. On the other hand, a new beta went live earlier this week with a series of additional refinements, including what’s likely a more polished experience on Coolwalk. For the time being, the best you can do is to install the most recent Waze update and wait for the company to enable the support for Coolwalk in your car.
Google News