Android Auto Gets Ready To Rev These Great New Features
Google is announcing a suite of significant Android Auto updates designed to make your time behind the wheel—especially while parked—more engaging, collaborative, and possibly safer. Among the most anticipated additions are an overhaul to the Spotify experience with "Jam" integration, the long-awaited arrival of web browsers and video application support, and possibly support for an audio-only video mode.
For music lovers, the upcoming Spotify Jam update promises an enhanced group listening experience. The new Spotify app for Android Auto will feature a dedicated "Jam" button on the "Now Playing" screen. Tapping this button will display a QR code, allowing passengers to quickly join a collaborative music session. This means no more fumbling with Bluetooth connections or passing phones around; everyone can contribute to the playlist in real-time, making road trips and carpooling more enjoyable, or potentially more annoying. Spotify Jam will roll out in the coming months, with similar enhancements coming to YouTube Music and Amazon Music.
Google is also adding to the collaborative featureset support for Quick Share to vehicles with Google backed-in. This would allow other riders to perform actions like add stops to an in-progress navigation route.
Android Auto will soon support video streaming apps and full web browsers, too. While this might sound like a recipe for distraction, Google has a clear safety protocol in place: these features will only be accessible when the vehicle is stationary and in park. This restriction ensures that drivers remain focused while on the move, yet provides ample entertainment during charging stops, waiting for passengers, or simply taking a break.
In a related bit, Google's Android Automotive, which is the dedicated version of the OS built into a vehicle (and thus not to be mistaken for Android Auto phone mirroring), will be gaining an audio-only mode for video applications, allowing users to switch from video to audio playback while driving. The functionality, already in an early access program for cars running Android 14 and above via Android Automotive OS, will enable continuous listening to content like live sports or podcasts on the go. Audio-only availability will depend on whether developers choose to integrate it into their apps. Still, this feature definitely suggests similar audio-only capabilities eventually extending to the Android Auto-based video apps.
