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 doable. 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 related 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 practically all new vehicles bought, with virtually 250 million appropriate automobiles on the highway.

We’re additionally seeing important development in vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS with Google built-in. Over 50 fashions are presently accessible, with extra launching this yr. This development is fueled by a thriving app ecosystem, together with over 300 apps already accessible on the Play Retailer. These embrace 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—a lot of that are adaptive cell apps which have been seamlessly delivered to vehicles via the Automobile 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 Automobiles

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 performed 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 begin navigation, show related search outcomes, and execute customized actions, reminiscent of 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 era of in-car AI experiences!

New developer packages and instruments

Final yr, we launched automobile app high quality tiers to encourage builders to create top quality in-car experiences. By growing your app in compliance with the Automobile prepared tier, you possibly can carry 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 automobile is in movement, and likewise when transitioning between parked and driving modes, whereas using the totally different screens throughout the trendy automobile cabin. Test the automobile app high quality pointers for particulars.

To start out 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, test that it meets the high quality pointers for climate apps.
• Two new templates, the SectionedItemTemplate and MediaPlaybackTemplate, are actually accessible within the Automobile 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 structure and shopping 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 may as well specific curiosity in being an early entry companion 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 may as well specific curiosity in being an early entry companion 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 doable 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. Study extra on learn how to Distribute to vehicles.
• Android Automotive OS on Pixel Pill is now typically accessible, 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 photos embrace assist for performing as an Android Auto receiver, which 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 photos.

The highway 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 appropriate 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 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 automobile app high quality pointers and integration paths to simplify designing your app for vehicles.
• Google Play Companies for vehicles with Google built-in are increasing to carry them on-par with cell, together with:
a. Passkeys and Credential Supervisor APIs for a extra seamless person sign-in expertise.
b. Fast Share, which can allow simple cross-device sharing from cellphone to automobile.
• Pre-launch stories 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.

You should definitely hold 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 can assist you construct revolutionary and fascinating experiences for drivers and passengers.

Able to publish your automobile app? Test our steering for distributing to vehicles.

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