GoKawiilGoogle is rolling out a sweeping update to Android Auto and cars powered by its Google Built-in software. The suite of changes and new features includes an overhaul to Google Maps, the addition of in-dash video playback and a full visual refresh rolling out to compatible vehicles and devices throughout 2026.
As cars get smarter and in-car screens get weirder, the previewed changes should keep Google's automotive ambitions competitive with Apple's CarPlay.
Design that literally fits your car
Android Auto is getting a full visual refresh built on Google's Material 3 Expressive design language, bringing new fonts, animations and wallpapers from the phone experience to the dashboard. The interface can now adapt to any screen shape, including the familiar portrait and landscape orientations, but also new ultrawide and nonrectangular displays. Google showcased just how nonstandard Android Auto can get, filling the circular OLED display of the latest generation Mini vehicles and the skewed hexagonal screen of BMW's Neue Klasse EVs.
Enlarge Image Android Auto is now able to squeeze and stretch into nontraditional screen shapes, including circles, parallelograms and everything between. Google
Also new are home screen widgets, letting drivers keep glanceable information -- such as favorite contacts, garage door controls and weather info -- surfaced alongside active navigation.
The biggest Maps update in a decade
The centerpiece of the update is Immersive Navigation, which Google describes as its biggest Maps update in over a decade. The feature brings a 3D map view with rendered buildings, overpasses and terrain, and highlights lane markings, traffic lights and stop signs to aid complex maneuvers. The new look, to my eye, is not dissimilar to what I've seen on Apple's Maps and is a welcome aesthetic and functional upgrade.
Cars running native Google Built-in get even more new navigation capability not available in standard Android Auto. The biggest new feature is Live Lane Guidance, which uses the vehicle's front-facing camera to determine the driver's current lane position and provide real-time guidance through lane changes and exits.
HD Video comes to Android Auto
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