In addition to all the news that Google has revealed about Android 17, Gemini Intelligence and Google Bookthe company has also taken the opportunity to tell us all the details about the new and great Android Auto update. And the company has revealed which would be the most ambitious renewal of vehicle software since the platform hit the market eleven years ago.
The update features a complete redesign of the interface, new navigation features, the arrival of YouTube and everything wrapped in AI. Gemini. Under these lines we tell you all the new features of the system.
An interface that no longer leaves dead spaces on the screen
The most visible change is the design. And now the interface adapts to any shape of screen, no matter how irregular it may be. This is especially useful, since we will stop seeing empty spaces with unused margins.
“You have the new BMW Neue Klasse with a screen that is like an irregular trapezoid. I don’t even know what to call it. It’s something like a parallelogram. And I was like… I have to go back to teaching geometry classes,” counted to The Verge Patrick Brady, vice president of Android Automotive at Google. Brady defined the new design as “full bleed,” meaning that applications like Google Maps occupy the entire surface of the screen, regardless of its geometry.
Google demonstrated the system’s ability to adapt to screens in three very different cases: the circular screen of the Mini, the irregular one of the Lucid Air and the trapezoidal BMW iX3. In all of them, the map covered the space from edge to edge.
The design language Material 3 Expressiveuntil now exclusive to mobile phones, also comes to the car with its own fonts, more fluid animations and customizable wallpapers that can even transfer the colors and themes of the user’s mobile phone.
Dashboard widgets and 3D navigation
The new version incorporates widget supportsomething that had been rumored for a while. These widgets can be pinned onto the navigation map without interruption. For example: quick access to your favorite contacts, a button to open the garage door, weather information or options to control the home automation of our home.
At the center of this experience is what Google calls Immersive Navigation, defined by the company as “the largest update to Google Maps in more than a decade.” The map view becomes completely three-dimensionalshowing buildings, overpasses and the relief of the terrain. In addition, it highlights elements such as available lanes, traffic lights and stop signs in real time. According to Google, the function is designed to help with complicated maneuvers such as changing lanes or entering highways.
Finally, video in the car: YouTube at 60 fps and in high definition
Android Auto incorporates video playback for the first time. Applications such as YouTube will be available while the vehicle is parked, with Full HD quality and at 60 frames per second. According to Brady, users have been asking for this function for some time when they charge their electric car, wait in a parking lot or are standing at the school door.
The system has intelligent behavior when starting: if the user was watching a video and starts the car, the image disappears but the audio continues automatically in the apps that support background playback (a great idea to check out with the YouTube Premium).
As confirmed by the company, the first manufacturers that will have this function are BMW, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo.
In parallel, Android Auto will add compatibility with Dolby Atmos to deliver spatial and immersive sound. This function will initially reach a somewhat smaller group of brands: BMW, Genesis, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo. According to Google, music apps, including YouTube Music and Spotify, will also receive a visual update to improve their usability while driving.
Gemini Intelligence comes to the car
Google’s artificial intelligence assistant, Gemini, was already available on Android Auto, although its arrival has been much more timid than on mobile devices. According to the company, those who have Gemini Intelligence On their phone they will be able to access this more advanced version also from the car.
The main difference is that Gemini Intelligence understands user context and promises to act autonomously. The Magic Cue function is the clearest example: if someone receives a message asking for an address, the system analyzes the content, searches for the response among the user’s emails, messages or calendar and offers to send the response with a single touch. Brady affirms that this function seeks to reduce phone use while driving: “We do distraction studies while driving in simulators. We test everything thoroughly.”
The company ensures that Gemini will also be able to execute actions in other applications on the phone without the need for special integrations. The example that Google offers It’s the classic way of ordering food, describing to Gemini what you want to order and having it ready for pickup.
An extra layer for the coches with integrated Google
Vehicles that already have Google incorporated as standard (those with Android Automotivea base integrated system in the car itself) will receive all these new features and, in addition, some exclusive ones from its more integrated architecture.
The most notable is lane guidance in real time within Immersive Navigation. Unlike conventional Android Auto, these cars can take advantage of the vehicle’s front camera to analyze the road and know which lane the driver is in, advising them in real time during lane changes or exits. All processing happens inside the car itself.
Gemini in these vehicles will also have additional capabilities. According to Google, will be able to answer specific questions about the car: identify what a warning light on the dashboard means or calculate whether an object that the driver is going to pick up fits in the trunk. Zoom and other meeting apps will also arrive in these cars throughout the year.
Availability: throughout 2026
Google has not given a specific date for any of these updates. The company indicates that They will be deployed throughout 2026 both in Android Auto and in cars with integrated Google.
Images | Google
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