Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google
Android Auto has reached another milestone, as Google has just pushed version 12.5 beta to users enrolled in the beta program.
A new build landing in the beta program is the first step toward another release. Builds that become available for beta users can be promoted to the stable channel and go live on the Google Play Store if no major bug is reported.
Android Auto 12.5 is no exception. Beta build 12.5.1429 is now rolling out to beta users, and despite the Android Auto beta program already being full and no new registrations allowed, anyone can try out this fresh release.
The solution is sideloading the Android Auto 12.5 APK build on your Android device. This process involves manually downloading the APK installer. When you're done, you must browse to the file's location on your Android smartphone—typically the downloads folder—and tap the APK installer to begin the update.
The process was designed like a wizard, so you must follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Considering it's a beta build, it's too early to tell what it brings new, but users can download and test the latest release to help Google refine the experience before the production rollout starts. If you notice a big change, make sure you drop me a line in the comment box after the jump.
Meanwhile, we already know that Google is working on several big new features for Android Auto, including support for listening to the radio without leaving the app.
In the current configuration, if you want to listen to the car's radio, you must leave the Android Auto UI and access the car's native infotainment software. This means the experience with Android Auto is interrupted, and users interact with a different interface, so Google wants to make everything more consistent by integrating the car radio directly into its app. However, it's unclear how this will work, as Google aims to create a template similar to the one offered to media app developers so users would see a familiar UI when accessing the list of radio stations.
Google can upgrade the experience by integrating online radio stations, eventually rendering apps like TuneIn redundant. Google's strategy is still in its early days, and while the company integrated the first references in the existing Android Auto builds, there's no ETA for when the rollout could begin.
Android Auto 12.5 should be promoted to the stable channel in the coming days, depending on the feedback Google gets from registered beta testers. When this happens, Android Auto 12.5 lands on the Google Play Store and begins rolling out to production devices (not enrolled in the testing program) in waves, with the process typically taking up to several weeks to reach all devices.
Android Auto 12.5 is no exception. Beta build 12.5.1429 is now rolling out to beta users, and despite the Android Auto beta program already being full and no new registrations allowed, anyone can try out this fresh release.
The solution is sideloading the Android Auto 12.5 APK build on your Android device. This process involves manually downloading the APK installer. When you're done, you must browse to the file's location on your Android smartphone—typically the downloads folder—and tap the APK installer to begin the update.
The process was designed like a wizard, so you must follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Considering it's a beta build, it's too early to tell what it brings new, but users can download and test the latest release to help Google refine the experience before the production rollout starts. If you notice a big change, make sure you drop me a line in the comment box after the jump.
Meanwhile, we already know that Google is working on several big new features for Android Auto, including support for listening to the radio without leaving the app.
In the current configuration, if you want to listen to the car's radio, you must leave the Android Auto UI and access the car's native infotainment software. This means the experience with Android Auto is interrupted, and users interact with a different interface, so Google wants to make everything more consistent by integrating the car radio directly into its app. However, it's unclear how this will work, as Google aims to create a template similar to the one offered to media app developers so users would see a familiar UI when accessing the list of radio stations.
Google can upgrade the experience by integrating online radio stations, eventually rendering apps like TuneIn redundant. Google's strategy is still in its early days, and while the company integrated the first references in the existing Android Auto builds, there's no ETA for when the rollout could begin.
Android Auto 12.5 should be promoted to the stable channel in the coming days, depending on the feedback Google gets from registered beta testers. When this happens, Android Auto 12.5 lands on the Google Play Store and begins rolling out to production devices (not enrolled in the testing program) in waves, with the process typically taking up to several weeks to reach all devices.
Google News