GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
Significant updates are coming to Android Auto this year, and some features have already appeared on the dashboards of a few lucky users. Google’s new offerings include immersive 3D navigation in Google Maps, video playback support for YouTube users, and home screen widget support, with more features in the pipeline.
It’s a substantial list of new additions, but as consumers are never quite satisfied, there’s always room for further improvement.
Beyond the many welcome features arriving in 2026, here are a few improvements that Android Auto desperately needs, could benefit from, or would make a pleasant addition to the driving experience.
What feature do you want to see most on Android Auto? 13 votes Improvements to the Gemini experience. 8 % Support for voice messaging. 0 % Better use of phonetic spelling and nicknames for contact-related prompts. 38 % More UI customization tools. 31 % A power-saving mode. 8 % Something else (mention in the comments). 15 %
Gemini via Android Auto sucks – here’s how Google can fix it
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
I’m generally fond of Gemini’s sparkly presence, especially when it corrects my error-laden spreadsheets or polishes my rambling emails to fellow adults. It’s a different story entirely when it comes to the in-car voice-prompting experience.
Android Auto’s iteration of Gemini is horrible. Not only is it overly chirpy, but it also takes much more time to complete tasks than its simpler, older predecessor. Altering navigation instructions, querying road conditions ahead, requesting the weather conditions, or playing specific playlists from Spotify should be child’s play for the next-generation assistant — but there’s always a delay between my command and its execution.
How's your experience with Gemini on Android Auto? 343 votes I love it. It's smarter than Google Assistant. 5 % Mostly good, but still needs polish. 6 % Mixed. It's helpful sometimes, frustrating often. 12 % Too chatty and unreliable. 38 % I already switched back to Google Assistant. 20 % I haven't tried Gemini on Android Auto yet. 18 %
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