New Android Auto Update

 New Android Auto Update Available for All        

Google keeps working on improving the experience with Android Auto, and the latest effort includes a new build whose rollout has recently started through the Google Play Store. Android Auto 12.5 entered the beta program a few days ago, giving registered testers a chance to try out Google’s latest improvements before they appear on production devices. Evidence of this new feature has been spotted in the latest Android Auto builds, so don’t hold your breath for this update. Google hasn’t publicly announced the feature.

First, you need to download the stable version of the Android Auto 12.5 APK and save it to your device. Navigate to the file and tap the APK installer to start the update. The process shouldn’t take more than a few seconds, and you need to follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update. Android Auto 12.5 comes without a changelog, but we already know that Google's cooking something big. The company wants to integrate the radio listening experience into Android Auto so drivers would no longer have to leave the app's interface to change stations.

If you use Android Auto and want to listen to a radio station, the only way to do so today is to exit the app and return to your car’s native infotainment system. Then you’ll need to launch the radio tuner, search for your favourite station, tap it to start listening, and return to Android Auto to continue navigating. This process comes with major shortcomings, and aside from the frustrating ON-and-OFF experience with Android Auto, the app also doesn't display information about the radio stations you listen to.

Google plans to address this problem by integrating the car's radio experience into Android Auto. Users will be able to access the radio station list, pick their favourites, and begin listening without leaving the Android Auto interface. It will be interesting to see how Google accomplishes this, and whether the company will offer full integration of radio stations in Android Auto or just include a shortcut that takes users directly to a list of stations they can listen to.

However, it looks like the search giant did not come across any major bugs or other performance issues which would force the company to hold back the production rollout, so Android Auto 12.5 is now available for everybody through the Google Play Store. The only caveat is that the rollout is phased, as Google doesn’t enable new Android Auto updates for all devices at once. Users are receiving the updates gradually, so if you want to download them today, you’ll need to side load the APK installer.