Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR Android Auto is preparing to add home screen widgets.
The feature is codenamed “Earth” and will allow users to add widgets from their phone apps directly to the Android Auto dashboard.
Some widgets already work well, like Pixel Weather and Clock’s Stopwatch, giving us a glimpse of what future Android Auto customizations could look like.
Taking cues from Android phones, Android Auto appears to be preparing to introduce home screen widgets. This new feature will let users add widgets from their mobile apps directly to their Android Auto dashboard. Codenamed “Earth,” the feature is still under development. However, despite its current limitations, we managed to get it working and can now show you how the whole process of adding widgets to your Android Auto home screen will work and what these widgets could look like when they finally arrive.
Right now, Android Auto lets you enable “Taskbar Widgets” for quick app controls like media playback. These widgets appear at the bottom of the screen, replacing traditional app icons when enabled. You can also add custom shortcuts in the “Customize launcher” settings that let you perform specific actions with a single tap, such as calling a contact, navigating to a saved address, or triggering a Google Assistant command.
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With home screen widgets on Android Auto, as they stand in their current state, you’ll be able to select a single widget to populate a side of your Android Auto home screen. It essentially splits your Android Auto home screen into two, with the widget panel taking up roughly 35-40% of the total screen width, while the right side panel with the rest of your stuff takes up around 60-65% of the screen. Here’s a step-by-step demonstration of how Android Auto’s new home screen widgets would work.
Steps for adding Android Auto home screen widgets (as it works now) Below is a clear walkthrough of the Android Auto home screen widget flow we discovered in version 5.6.154404-release.daily (beta) of the app. Remember, the feature is codenamed “Earth,” so the settings currently show that name instead of what Google might finally end up calling the feature.
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