Photo: Google
The highly anticipated Coolwalk redesign is finally available for users enrolled in the Android Auto beta program, with Google planning to release it to everybody out there at some point next year.
Needless to say, Coolwalk still offered as a beta feature means additional polishing is required, and this is the reason Google isn’t yet shipping to all users.
Some of the problems that beta testers come across, however, aren’t necessarily caused by Android Auto and Coolwalk, but by the head unit itself. And the best example is how Coolwalk uses the available screen estate.
The card-based interface in Coolwalk should theoretically adapt to the specifications of the screen, regardless of its aspect ratio. But in some cases, it looks like Coolwalk isn’t running in full screen, letting a part of the display unused.
If this happens, it’s not Android Auto the one that needs an update but the head unit itself.
As some users observed on reddit, firmware updates for the head units installed in some cars, as it’s the case with Kia models, allow Coolwalk to run in full screen without any update on the app side.
In other words, if you, too, encounter the same problem and Coolwalk isn’t using the entire screen estate, just make sure that your head unit is up-to-date.
The bigger problem is what happens when a newer software update for the head unit isn’t available. In this case, your best option is to reach out to the manufacturer for support, as updating the car’s multimedia system is pretty much the only way to go.
Of course, there’s a good chance this would lead to all kinds of problems when Coolwalk starts rolling out to users out there. Fortunately, most of the cars with larger screens where Coolwalk might have a hard time running properly are new-generation models, so in theory, the software support should be top-notch as well.
Some of the problems that beta testers come across, however, aren’t necessarily caused by Android Auto and Coolwalk, but by the head unit itself. And the best example is how Coolwalk uses the available screen estate.
The card-based interface in Coolwalk should theoretically adapt to the specifications of the screen, regardless of its aspect ratio. But in some cases, it looks like Coolwalk isn’t running in full screen, letting a part of the display unused.
If this happens, it’s not Android Auto the one that needs an update but the head unit itself.
As some users observed on reddit, firmware updates for the head units installed in some cars, as it’s the case with Kia models, allow Coolwalk to run in full screen without any update on the app side.
In other words, if you, too, encounter the same problem and Coolwalk isn’t using the entire screen estate, just make sure that your head unit is up-to-date.
The bigger problem is what happens when a newer software update for the head unit isn’t available. In this case, your best option is to reach out to the manufacturer for support, as updating the car’s multimedia system is pretty much the only way to go.
Of course, there’s a good chance this would lead to all kinds of problems when Coolwalk starts rolling out to users out there. Fortunately, most of the cars with larger screens where Coolwalk might have a hard time running properly are new-generation models, so in theory, the software support should be top-notch as well.
Google News