Android Auto is constantly being updated with new features, and a recent discovery reveals an exciting addition to its home screen. In the future, users might be able to access widgets from their phone apps directly in their vehicle. Currently, the feature is codenamed “Earth” and remains in the early stages of testing.
Android Auto: How it Works
If you’re wondering how you’ll interact with this new feature, the setup sounds straightforward. According to Android Authority, you will first open the Android Auto settings and then select “Customize Earth.” This will take you to the “Widget Companion,” where you can manage your widgets. Here, users can add, delete, or resize widgets. A widget won’t occupy the entire screen but will take up around 35%, as only one widget can be active at a time.
This has already been tested by Android Authority with several everyday apps. These include Pixel Weather, which is already fully functional, and Spotify, which is still reacting with limitations. Other tested applications were Stopwatch, Gemini, Google Keep, and Google Calendar.
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Possible Limitations
Various limitations can occur when using widgets on Android Auto. As mentioned earlier, it is currently only possible to create one widget at a time, and users cannot freely choose its position, which restricts customization. Furthermore, problems can arise if widgets are not optimized for the horizontal layout, as this can lead to display issues.
It’s not yet known when the screen function will be released to the public market. Until then, it needs further optimization so that users can use it without problems. Similar to Android phones, Android Auto could place more emphasis on personalization in the future, which many see as a positive step.
Source: Android Authority
This article was originally published on futurezone.de / 4P.de and has been carefully translated.