Earlier this year, Google announced a new media experience for both the in-car and mobile versions of Android Auto. Today, the company announced a series of new updates to the app, mainly improving media, search, and messaging capabilities.
Android Auto has modified its media interface, introducing large album art views so that you can select a song more quickly. Google states that the improved appearance is intended to make accessing content from your car's screen easier.
The update improves the way you search for media using your voice. With Google Assistant now available on Android Auto in the US, users will be able to listen to their favorite songs by saying “OK Google, play 80s music” or by asking for more specific titles and albums. This feature currently supports popular media apps like Google Play Books, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts and Spotify, with more to come in the coming months.
Android Auto also adds the option to display a brief preview of messages, provided that your vehicle is stationary. You can enable this feature from its menu and you can also disable it at any time. This messaging capability supports SMS, MMS, and RCS messages. This means it is compatible with messages, Hangouts, and WhatsApp, with further support expansion planned for the future.
Google reports that it will roll out these new improvements in the coming days. The updates will be available for download from the Google Play Store.
