Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR Google could reverse an Android Auto UI change that has upset many users.
Instead of using colors from your phone’s wallpaper, Android Auto’s media player could use the album art as the background once again.
However, while testing this reversal, Google appears to have messed up another visual aspect in Android Auto.
Last month, Google began testing a simpler Material You-based interface for Android Auto, featuring background colors that match your phone’s wallpaper. With this change, the background behind the media player for apps such as Spotify and YouTube Music was adapted to match the dominant colors of the wallpapers, upsetting users due to its bland appearance. However, Google now appears to be testing a return to the older design.
In version 15.2.653604 of Android Auto, we have spotted hidden options to reactivate the older media player background. Instead of using Material You theming, these backgrounds show a blurred version of the album art.
Notably, buttons, such as that for Play/Pause, still use colors from the phone’s wallpaper.
Besides fixing the existing interface, Google also appears to be testing backgrounds based on album art in the refreshed Android Auto UI, which is currently also being tested. Compared to the existing interface that you see above, the upcoming one gets smaller icons and slighty more pronounced album art and the track seek bar.
Previous version of upcoming UI with Material You colors in light mode Current version of upcoming UI with album art as background colors in light mode Previous version of upcoming UI with Material You colors in dark mode Current version of upcoming UI with album art as background colors in dark mode
Back in August, when we first learned about the new UI being tested, it was still using plain backgrounds with Material You colors. However, Google now also appears to be testing backgrounds based on album art with this redesign.
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