If you have a compatible smartphone, Android Auto is one of the handiest features you can have fitted to your car as it brings its familiar menus, useful apps and reliable voice activation system – through your car's larger central display.
The best thing about Android Auto is its simplicity. All you have to do is connect your Android phone to your car via a USB or USB-C – or in some cases, wirelessly using Bluetooth – and then go through a quick setup process. You'll only do this the first time you connect your phone, it's plug-and-play from then on it. Next time you plug in your phone, your car's infotainment screen will ask if you want to connect Android Auto, you answer 'yes' and you're good to go.
Essentially, Android Auto move everything you love about your Android phone onto your car's big screen. That means you get your phone clear and familiar menus and also its excellent voice voice activation system – which is more reliable than the built in system in your car.
Apps are also carried over, so you can use Google Maps and Waze to navigate to your destination and because they uses your phones internet connect, they can route around congestion, check for local parking and give you live fuel prices at petrol stations. These apps tend to give more efficient routes and more accurate arrival times than your car's built in system.
You can also uses music apps such as Spotify. This gives you an almost unlimited selection of music and podcasts complete with it's well organised menus, search functions and cover art.
All of this will help ensure you stay the right side of updated legislation on mobile phone use while driving, which is set to follow the new Highway Code.
Yes. If you have a limited data plan, you'll want to be careful. Sat-nav apps like Google Maps and Waze tend not to be too data intensive, but playing high-quality music from the internet will chew through your data at an alarming rate.
Yes, is the answer in most cases. Some cars can have Android Auto retro downloaded to their infotainment systems in the from of an update – pre-2021 versions of the current Toyota Corolla are an example of this – but even in older cars it's relatively easy to add a double-din system that is compatible with Android Auto. Budget around £500 for a fitted system.
Scroll below for an up-to-date list of all the cars that are currently fitted with Android Auto
Android Auto is compatible with the following vehicles.