Cars with screens aren’t going away anytime soon. While scientists bemoan their distraction , companies embrace it because of their ability to adapt. Case in point: Google is adding more apps to cars with Android Auto (which runs through your phone) or Google Built-in (which is powered by the car itself). Additionally, it will be easier for developers to bring their own games and streaming apps to cars in the future.
The news follows yesterday's Google I/O keynote and marks one of the company's biggest drops outside of artificial intelligence or mobile phones. The best part? Google doesn't have to do much to make it work, and developers don't have to do much either.
Essentially, Google will now bring existing Android apps to cars "without the need for new development or creation of new versions," Google product managers Vivek Radhakrishnan and Seung Nam said in a press release . This means Android Auto and Google's built-in ecosystem will likely become larger while relying on existing work.
Any app that already works on the big screen will soon be able to run natively in the car, too, with a new layering system distinguishing Android apps into those built specifically for cars, those with car-specific features, and those built for cars. Apps developed for tablets or phones happen to work in cars as well. Developers hoping to get into the final tier of "car-ready mobile apps" can request to be included in the review as soon as possible, but Google will also start automatically distributing existing Android apps it deems suitable for cars "in the coming months."
Those concerned about safety can now breathe a sigh of relief. While Google says it will start with categories like gaming apps, video apps, and web browsers, these apps will only run when the car is parked. There are plans to "expand to other app categories in the future," so we haven't seen yet if any in-car mobile apps will actually be available for use while driving.
At the same time, Google has also taken the initiative to add some apps to cars , although only in cars with Google built in. These include Max and Peacock, and a version of Angry Birds . Customers with compatible Rivian cars will also soon be able to project video content onto their vehicles, a first for a brand known for its tendency to mirror. Other brands will follow suit, but again, only those with Google built-in. Again, all of these apps require you to park your car in order to run.
None of this is entirely consistent with Elon Musk's promise to turn a Tesla into a complete gaming device , but for those of us who miss the days of physical buttons and dials, maybe that's not such a bad thing.
