Posted by Noam Gefen – Product Supervisor, Android for Vehicles, Sole Alborno – Product Supervisor, Gemini, and Ben Sagmoe – Developer Relations Engineer, Android for Vehicles
The in-car expertise continues to evolve quickly, and Google stays dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is potential. At Google I/O 2025, we’re excited to unveil the most recent developments for drivers, automobile producers, and builders, furthering our objective of a secure, seamless, and useful linked driving expertise.
At the moment’s automobile cabins are more and more digital, providing builders thrilling new alternatives with bigger shows and extra highly effective computing. Android Auto is now supported in almost all new vehicles bought, with nearly 250 million suitable automobiles on the street.
We’re additionally seeing vital progress in vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS with Google built-in. Over 50 fashions are at the moment out there, with extra launching this yr. This progress is fueled by a thriving app ecosystem, together with over 300 apps already out there on the Play Retailer. These embody apps optimized for a secure and seamless expertise whereas driving in addition to leisure apps for when you’re parked and ready in your automobile—lots of that are adaptive cell apps which have been seamlessly dropped at vehicles via the Automotive Prepared Cellular Apps Program.
A vibrant developer group is crucial to delivering these revolutionary in-car experiences using the totally different screens throughout the automobile cabin. This previous yr, we have centered on key areas to assist empower builders to construct extra differentiated experiences in vehicles throughout each platforms, as we embark on the Gemini period in vehicles.
Gemini for Vehicles
Thrilling information for in-car experiences: Gemini, Google’s superior AI, is coming to automobiles! This unlocks a brand new period of secure and useful interactions on the go.
Gemini allows pure voice conversations and seamless multitasking, empowering drivers to get extra executed just by talking naturally. Think about effortlessly discovering charging stations or navigating to a location pulled straight from an electronic mail, all with simply your voice.
You possibly can discover ways to leverage Gemini’s potential to create partaking in-car experiences in your app.
Navigation apps can combine with Gemini utilizing three core intent codecs, permitting you to start out navigation, show related search outcomes, and execute customized actions, similar to enabling customers to report incidents like site visitors congestion utilizing their voice.
Gemini for vehicles can be rolling out within the coming months. Get able to construct the subsequent technology of in-car AI experiences!
New developer applications and instruments
Final yr, we launched automobile app high quality tiers to encourage builders to create prime quality in-car experiences. By growing your app in compliance with the Automotive prepared tier, you’ll be able to deliver video, gaming, or browser apps to run whereas parked in vehicles with Google built-in with nearly no extra effort. Be taught extra about Automotive Prepared Cellular Apps.
Your app can additional shine in vehicles throughout the Automotive optimized and Automotive differentiated tiers to unlock experiences whereas the automobile is in movement, and likewise when transitioning between parked and driving modes, whereas using the totally different screens throughout the fashionable automobile cabin. Verify the automobile app high quality tips for particulars.
To begin with, throughout each Android Auto and for vehicles with Google built-in, we have made some thrilling enhancements for Automotive App Library:
- The Climate app class has graduated from beta: any developer can now publish climate apps to manufacturing tracks on each Android Auto and vehicles with Google Constructed-in. Earlier than you publish your app, test that it meets the standard tips for climate apps.
- Two new templates, the SectionedItemTemplate and MediaPlaybackTemplateat the moment are out there within the Automotive App Library 1.8 alpha launch to be used on Android Auto. These templates are an awesome match for constructing templated media apps, permitting for elevated customization in format and searching construction.
On Android Auto, many new app classes and capabilities at the moment are in beta:
- We’re including assist for Constructing media apps with the Automotive App Library, enabling media app builders to construct each richer and extra full experiences that customers are used to on their telephones. Throughout beta, builders can construct and publish media apps constructed utilizing the Automotive App Library to inner testing and closed testing tracks. You may also specific curiosity in being an early entry associate to publish to manufacturing whereas the class is in beta. See Construct a templated media app to be taught extra and get began.
- The communications class is in beta. We have simplified calling integration for calling apps by using the CallsManager Jetpack API. Along with the templates offered by the Automotive App Library, this allows communications apps to construct options like full message historical past, upcoming conferences listing, wealthy in-call views, and extra. Throughout beta, builders can construct and publish communications apps to inner testing and closed testing tracks. You may also specific curiosity in being an early entry associate to publish to manufacturing whereas the class is in beta.
Lastly, now we have additional simplified constructing, testing and distribution expertise for builders constructing apps for Android Automotive OS vehicles with Google built-in:
- Distribution via Google Play is extra versatile than ever. It’s now potential for apps within the parked classes to distribute in the identical APK or App Bundle to vehicles with Google built-in as to telephones, together with via the cell launch observe. Be taught extra on Distribute to vehicles.
- Android Automotive OS on Pixel Pill is now usually out there, providing you with a bodily system possibility for testing Android Automotive OS apps with out shopping for or renting a automobile. Moreover, the newest system pictures embody assist for appearing as an Android Auto receiver, that means you need to use the identical system to check each your app’s expertise on Android Auto and Android Automotive OS. Apply for entry to those pictures.
The street forward
You possibly can look ahead to extra updates later this yr, together with:
- Video apps can be supported on Android Auto, beginning with telephones operating Android 16 on choose suitable vehicles. In case your app is already adaptive, enabling your app expertise whereas parked solely requires minimal steps to distribute to vehicles.
- For Android Automotive OS vehicles operating Android 14+ with Google built-in, we’re working with automobile producers so as to add extra app compatibility, to allow hundreds of adaptive cell apps within the subsequent section of the Automotive Prepared Cellular Apps Program.
- Up to date design documentation that visualizes automobile app high quality tips and integration paths to simplify designing your app for vehicles.
- Google Play Companies for vehicles with Google built-in are increasing to deliver them on-par with cell, together with:
- Pre-launch reviews for Android Automotive OS are coming quickly to the Play Console, serving to you guarantee app high quality earlier than distributing your app to vehicles.
a. Passkeys and Credential Supervisor APIs for a extra seamless consumer sign-in expertise.
b. Fast Sharewhich can allow straightforward cross-device sharing from cellphone to automobile.
You’ll want to maintain updated via goo.gle/cars-whats-new on these options and extra as we repeatedly put money into the way forward for Android within the automobile. Keep tuned for extra sources that will help you construct revolutionary and interesting experiences for drivers and passengers.
Able to publish your automobile app? Verify our steering for distributing to vehicles.
Discover this announcement and all Google I/O 2025 updates on io.google beginning Might 22.
