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Google is rolling out a comprehensive update to Android Auto and the cars that support it Built-in Google software. The range of changes and new features includes a Google Maps overhaul, the addition of in-dash video playback, and a full visual update rolling out to compatible vehicles and devices throughout 2026.
As cars get smarter and in-car displays get weirder, the previewed changes should keep Google’s car ambitions competitive with Apple’s CarPlay.
Design that literally fits your car
Android Auto is getting a complete visual refresh built on Google’s Material 3 expressive design language, bringing new fonts, animations, and wallpapers from the phone experience to the dashboard. The interface can now adapt to any screen shape, including the familiar portrait and landscape orientations, but also new ultra-wide, non-rectangular displays. Google showed off how non-standard Android Auto could get, by filling the display with a circular OLED display The latest generation of small vehicles And the skewed hexagonal screen The new category of BMW electric cars.
Android Auto is now able to compress and stretch into non-traditional screen shapes, including circles, parallelograms, and everything in between.
Also new are home screen widgets, allowing drivers to keep quick information — such as favorite contacts, garage door controls and weather information — displayed alongside active navigation.
The biggest map update in a decade
The centerpiece of the update is comprehensive navigation, which Google describes as the biggest update to Maps in more than a decade. This feature provides a 3D map view with displayed buildings, bridges and terrain, and highlights lane markings, traffic lights and stop signs to assist with complex maneuvers. The new look, to my eyes, is no different than what I’ve seen on Apple Maps, and is a welcome aesthetic and functional upgrade.
Cars with native Google built-in have new navigation capabilities not available in standard Android Auto. The biggest new feature is Live Lane Guidance, which uses the car’s front-facing camera to determine the driver’s current position in the lane and provide real-time guidance through lane changes and exits.
HD video is coming to Android Auto
Android Auto adds high-resolution video playback at 60 frames per second when the car is parked, and will launch later this year on vehicles from BMWford Genesis, Hyundai, Come here, Mercedes Benz and Volvo In the United States. (Outside the US, this list expands to include Mahindra, Renault, Skoda, and Tata vehicles.) When your charging network is complete and the car transitions from park to drive, Android Auto will also be able to seamlessly shift content to audio-only in apps that support background audio, so you can keep listening to that video podcast you just started.
Android Auto now supports HD video at 60 fps while parking. Go to the drive and the content will automatically switch to background sound.
Dolby Atmos spatial audio is also coming to Android Auto in supported apps and vehicles, starting with BMW, GenesisMercedes-Benz and Volvo. Hours after Listen to Dolby Atmos In cars, this might be the feature I’m most excited about. Media app interfaces, including YouTube Music and Spotify, are also receiving visual updates, moving beyond the standard and familiar Android Auto model we’ve seen since the software launched.
Meanwhile, Google’s built-in cars will receive the same video and audio improvements, along with support for meeting apps like Zoom.
Gemini hits the road
The Gemini app is now widely available in Android Auto for general driving assistance, and was rolled out to drivers over the past year. Devices with Gemini intelligence Google’s context-aware AI layer will gain additional capabilities later this year, including Magic Cue, which can display relevant information from your messages, email, and calendar to respond to incoming texts with a single tap. In the demo, Google shows a driver receiving a text message asking where they’re going, which is then responded to with a single tap.
Google is also enabling in-car food ordering through DoorDash via voice commands. I’m sure someone will find this useful.
In some cars with Google’s built-in software, Gemini will be able to answer knowledge-based questions about the car and its capabilities.
In Google Embedded Cars, Gemini integrates directly with the car’s hardware, enabling queries specific to the car itself. For example, a driver can ask Gemini to identify a dashboard warning light or estimate whether the massive TV they’re purchasing will fit the specific payload dimensions of their vehicle.
This announcement comes as part of this year’s announcement Gemini-fueled Android demo: I/O release And hot on the heels of GM’s announcement in April that it is Gemini rolling function into Google’s built-in infotainment stack. For GM alone, you’re talking about nearly 4 million Cadillac, Chevrolet, and Buick vehicles in the U.S. that will benefit from today’s updates. Globally and across all supported car brands, Google boasted that 250 million cars currently support Android Auto at last count, with more than 50 models running Google’s system built in natively — most of which will get these upgrades over the coming months.