GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
Up until about two months ago, I had been driving a 2003 PT Cruiser for nearly a decade. That car and I went through so many stages of life together, but unfortunately, a busted transmission and a $4,000+ repair bill ended our time together earlier this year.
That meant it was time to buy a new car. I ended up with a 2022 Hyundai Tucson, and as you might expect, there’s a big technological shift when buying a car that’s almost 20 years newer. I now have cruise control, heated seats, and — of course — Android Auto.
I basically went into learning Android Auto blind, and after just a couple of months, I don’t know how I lived without it for so long. However, my introduction to the platform would have been even better if someone had first told me about these 5 settings.
What Android Auto setting can you not live without? 0 votes Taskbar widgets NaN % Launcher customization NaN % Change home screen layout NaN % Play media by default NaN % Gemini actions NaN % Other (let us know in the comments) NaN %
Taskbar widgets
Joe Maring / Android Authority
By default, the bottom bar in Android Auto serves as a taskbar for your apps. It’s great if you frequently switch between multiple applications, but there’s another way to use the taskbar that I find much more helpful.
On your Android phone, open the Settings app, tap the search bar/icon at the top of the page, and type “Android Auto” to find and access Android Auto settings on your phone (select the one that says “Use apps on your vehicle screen”). Once you’re on the Android Auto settings page, scroll down to the Display section, then tap the toggle next to Taskbar widgets.
Once this is enabled, your taskbar will now display miniature widgets instead of your app icons, depending on what you’re doing. For example, if you have music playing but open the Google Maps app, you’ll see a mini music player widget in the taskbar with quick access to playback controls. Alternatively, if you have your music app in full-screen, you’ll see Maps turn-by-turn directions in the taskbar.
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