Android Auto compatible third-party apps coming to Play Store

Google opened up its floodgates for third-party Android Auto apps in the Play Store in the form of a beta testing program. Most of these third-party apps were messaging or media apps. Maybe due to Google’s concern about safe driving experience, Android Auto didn’t see many third-party apps beyond this. Google initiated the process by releasing the Android for Cars app Library for Jetpack to give users the taste of things to come for the platform.

This will bring a flow of Android Auto compatible in-car apps on the Store – the navigation, parking, or EV charging apps in particular, as developers can now roll them out with the requisite guidelines put in place by Google.

We can expect to see applications like the Chargepoint, PlugShare, T Map, or Route Planner soon on the platform. This is good news for people who spend a lot of time in their RVs or trailer trucks.

It will bring the convenience of Android Auto compatible apps to the big infotainment screen of the vehicle. A set of fine-tuned apps that’ll function seamlessly for a great driving experience – especially for EV owners.

As for the developers, the requirements for apps are the latest version of android.car.app should be tested with the desktop head unit and also the testing library. Thereafter developers can publish the app(s) to the production track in Play Console.

Third-party apps will bring a refreshing change to the monotony of the same format for media apps, and the fact that only Google Maps and Waze were the native apps available on Android Auto. As per the Android developers’ blog post, “Our goal with the library is to enable you to easily bring your app to 500+ models of Android Auto-compatible vehicles while meeting our app quality guidelines.”