Android Builders Weblog: New in-car app experiences

Posted by Noam Gefen – Product Supervisor, Android for Automobiles, Sole Alborno – Product Supervisor, Gemini, and Ben Sagmoe – Developer Relations Engineer, Android for Automobiles

The in-car expertise continues to evolve quickly, and Google stays dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is attainable. At Google I/O 2025, we’re excited to unveil the newest developments for drivers, automotive producers, and builders, furthering our objective of a protected, seamless, and useful linked driving expertise.

At this time’s automotive 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 offered, with virtually 250 million suitable autos on the street.

We’re additionally seeing vital development in vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS with Google built-in. Over 50 fashions are at present obtainable, with extra launching this yr. This development is fueled by a thriving app ecosystem, together with over 300 apps already obtainable on the Play Retailer. These embrace apps optimized for a protected and seamless expertise whereas driving in addition to leisure apps for when you’re parked and ready in your automotive—lots of that are adaptive cell apps which were seamlessly dropped at vehicles via the Automobile Prepared Cellular Apps Program.

A vibrant developer group is crucial to delivering these progressive in-car experiences using the completely different screens throughout the automotive 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 Automobiles

Thrilling information for in-car experiences: Gemini, Google’s superior AI, is coming to autos! This unlocks a brand new period of protected and useful interactions on the go.

Gemini allows pure voice conversations and seamless multitasking, empowering drivers to get extra completed 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 learn to leverage Gemini’s potential to create participating 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, resembling enabling customers to report incidents like visitors congestion utilizing their voice.

Gemini for vehicles can be rolling out within the coming months. Get able to construct the following technology of in-car AI experiences!

New developer applications and instruments

Final yr, we launched automotive app high quality tiers to encourage builders to create top quality in-car experiences. By creating your app in compliance with the Automobile prepared tier, you’ll be able to convey video, gaming, or browser apps to run whereas parked in vehicles with Google built-in with virtually no further effort. Study extra about Automobile Prepared Cellular Apps.

Your app can additional shine in vehicles throughout the Automobile optimized and Automobile differentiated tiers to unlock experiences whereas the automotive is in movement, and in addition when transitioning between parked and driving modes, whereas using the completely different screens throughout the trendy automotive cabin. Examine the automotive 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 Automobile 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, verify that it meets the high quality tips for climate apps.
• Two new templates, the SectionedItemTemplate and MediaPlaybackTemplate, are actually obtainable within the Automobile App Library 1.8 alpha launch to be used on Android Auto. These templates are a fantastic match for constructing templated media apps, permitting for elevated customization in structure and searching construction.

On Android Auto, many new app classes and capabilities are actually in beta:

• We’re including assist for Constructing media apps with the Automobile 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 Automobile App Library to inner testing and closed testing tracks. You too can categorical curiosity in being an early entry accomplice to publish to manufacturing whereas the class is in beta. See Construct a templated media app to study 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 supplied by the Automobile App Library, this permits communications apps to construct options like full message historical past, upcoming conferences checklist, wealthy in-call views, and extra. Throughout beta, builders can construct and publish communications apps to inner testing and closed testing tracks. You too can categorical curiosity in being an early entry accomplice 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 attainable 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 monitor. Study extra on tips on how to Distribute to vehicles.
• Android Automotive OS on Pixel Pill is now usually obtainable, providing you with a bodily machine choice for testing Android Automotive OS apps with out shopping for or renting a automotive. Moreover, the newest system photos embrace assist for performing as an Android Auto receiver, that means you should utilize the identical machine to check each your app’s expertise on Android Auto and Android Automotive OS. Apply for entry to those photos.

The street forward

You possibly can stay up for 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 automotive producers so as to add further app compatibility, to allow hundreds of adaptive cell apps within the subsequent section of the Automobile Prepared Cellular Apps Program.
• Up to date design documentation that visualizes automotive app high quality tips and integration paths to simplify designing your app for vehicles.
• Google Play Providers for vehicles with Google built-in are increasing to convey them on-par with cell, together with:
a. Passkeys and Credential Supervisor APIs for a extra seamless consumer sign-in expertise.
b. Fast Share, which is able to allow simple cross-device sharing from cellphone to automotive.
• Pre-launch studies 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.

Make sure to preserve 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 automotive. Keep tuned for extra sources that can assist you construct progressive and interesting experiences for drivers and passengers.

Able to publish your automotive app? Examine our steerage for distributing to vehicles.

Discover this announcement and all Google I/O 2025 updates on io.google beginning Might 22.