2024 Android Auto Update: What's New?

Google's smartphone-mirroring function gets some new features and interface improvements.

David Gluckman | 

May 23, 2024 | 3 min read

Ford

One of the major advantages in-vehicle phone-mirroring software has over built-in infotainment systems is the fast pace of updates. Android Auto has been available in cars for about nine years, and Google is already on version 11, which came out in late 2023.

Google periodically puts out Android Auto point releases — tech-speak for minor updates, denoted by a number after the decimal point. These updates generally happen quietly in the background, and you may not notice the changes immediately or at all, so here are some details on Android Auto 11.0 through 11.4.

New Features Help Reduce Distraction

Android Auto can help make using the phone in your car safer. For Android Auto 11, Google has added artificial-intelligence-generated summaries of long text messages. If the message is longer than 40 words, the system creates a brief and reads that aloud instead of giving the full — and likely more distracting — message. You can look at the original text later on your phone to confirm whether anything was lost in the summary.

Google has also adjusted how it displays apps that won't work while the vehicle is in gear. This applies to the highly distracting stuff, such as video-streaming apps and games. Previously, the only way for a driver to know if an app was inaccessible while driving was to tap on it and read the error message. In the latest versions, these kinds of apps show a letter P on their icon to indicate that they're for in-park use only.

Map Updates Make Navigating More Convenient

Google Maps is a centerpiece of the Android Auto experience, and it will now automatically display 3D buildings where available. By contrast, displaying them on a phone requires flipping a toggle. This can be helpful when trying to navigate by landmarks, especially in a new city.

Google Maps will also prompt you to save the location of your parked car once you arrive at your destination. You can then use the app to find where you left your vehicle.

Drivers of certain electric vehicles will also likely benefit from Google Maps keeping track of their EV's battery charge level. Available for the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, this feature takes the state of charge into account when generating a route, suggesting charging stops as necessary and showing the projected juice you'll have remaining at the end of your journey.

Android Auto may add support for more EVs later, but that will depend on the manufacturer providing access to this data. Apple CarPlay offers a similar feature through Apple Maps on the Ford Mustang Mach-E as well as Porsche's Taycan.

Minor Interface Tweaks Continue

Google is always striving to improve the look and feel of Android Auto, and version 11 has a few changes. The Google Assistant user interface takes up less of the screen, for example, appearing along the bottom or side of the display instead of blocking important content such as a map. Users can now set Android Auto to show their phone's wallpaper on the car display, and the icons will match those on the phone's home screen.