Google has been working on version 1.2 of the “Car App Library” for Android Automotive since the end of 2021. This is the base for the developers and this week the developer blog announced that version 1.2 is now in beta and coming soon.
With version 1.2 there are new interfaces and options for apps, but above all, there should also be uniform apps for Android Automotive. Developers should soon find it a little easier to adapt their Android apps for the car.
Currently, only apps for navigation, parking and charging (Android Automotive has so far only been used in electric cars) are permitted. Entertainment doesn’t exist yet, it’s exclusive to Google at the moment. For example, a few weeks ago they announced the YouTube app for Volvo. Polestar is not included here.
This also brings me to a point of criticism: At the end of 2021, the Polestar 2 got its first browser and I would have thought that it would also be available for Volvo. That’s not true though, I wrote to the developers that week and they said it was a partnership with Polestar. So now the Polestar 2 has Vivaldi as the browser and Volvo has YouTube – so it’s not optimal.
The idea of Android Automotive and the Google Play Store should be that an app would be released and available to everyone. Like smartphones or tablets. And what if Renault and Co. come along soon, will they have to do without the browser and YouTube? Are there any exclusive apps here?
There’s still a lot of work ahead of Google and its partners, and it’s not ideal. Before I buy a car, I don’t want to worry about whether the car is compatible with an app, Google should take care of that. Version 1.2 of the Car App Library may make this a little easier, I will follow this development closely.
PS: By the way, there is now Android Automotive 12 (the current version uses Android 10 as a basis), but neither Polestar nor Volvo has been able to tell me what an update will look like. The updated policy is even more important for cars than it is for smartphones, so it is important to keep a close eye on that too.