Android Auto 11 Now Available For Everybody
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
The offline APK installer now allows users to download and install Android Auto 11 through a process called unpublished download. All you need to do is download the APK file to your device, tap to launch the installer, and follow the on-screen wizard to complete the update.
Google released Android Auto 11 unchanged, but we know the Mountain View search giant is working on some big changes.
For example, hints of this new version of Android Auto 11 suggest that Google plans to update the system requirements. Android Auto now requires at least Android 8.0 Oreo to run, but Google may soon change the minimum version of the operating system to display the notifications app on the mobile device and infotainment system.
It's not yet clear when Google will introduce the updated system requirements, but no update notification has been released yet.
Google is also working on other Android Auto features, including support for moving wallpapers and custom icons.
Earlier this month, the company began testing new icons in Android Auto with a limited number of users. This feature currently allows Android Auto to pick up default device icons, but support is limited to Samsung phones. This means you'll soon be able to see standard Samsung icons in the Android Auto app bar on your Samsung mobile device, allowing for a smoother transition from phone to car.
This feature doesn't support other icons, and it's unclear if Google plans to add this feature (although it would make sense given the goal of switching between devices).
Additionally, Google also wants to enable wallpaper syncing between Android Auto devices and a mobile device. Android Auto already supports backgrounds, but users have to choose from a pre-installed collection of mostly abstract photos in different colors. Users have long requested support for custom wallpapers, and now it looks like Google wants to provide that feature by allowing Android Auto to automatically apply the phone's background to the screen.
All of these changes are still in the early stages and have not yet been announced by Google. Installing Android Auto 11 does not activate them, although I see more and more users that the default Samsung icons will appear in Android Auto after updating to the latest version (I think this change is not related to any version of the app, but based on server change).
