INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
It should go without saying that using your smartphone while driving is unsafe and, in most places, illegal
For years the answer was to suction-cup a sat-nav system from the likes of TomTom or Garmin to your windscreen, replacing the often-terrible
mapping system of the car itself.Then smartphone mapping apps improved and those started appearing on windscreens instead
But so did their hundreds of daily notifications and distractions in the form of emails, Instagram Likes and non-stop WhatsApp group
chats.The solution is to marry your car’s physical controls, designed to be safely used while driving, with the power of a smartphone
This resulted in Apple and Google coming up with solutions for their customers; CarPlay for iPhone owners and Android Auto for Android
fans.Connect your smartphone to the dashWhat is Android AutoAndroid Auto casts a Google Now-like interface onto your car's infotainment
It's not the same as mirroring your phone onto the car display using HDMI, as the vehicle's touchscreen, steering wheel controls, buttons
and control knobs remain functional when using Android Auto.But this doesn’t mean your entire phone interface appears on the car’s
dashboard screen, because that would still be distracting and unsafe
Instead, Android Auto is more like a simplified version of Google Now, with the ability to make calls, play music stored on your phone, send
dictated messages to contacts, and of course use Google Maps.Calls and messages will come through (although the latter are read out by
Google Assistant instead of appearing on-screen), but all other notifications are completely hidden away in the background
You won’t even hear the ping of a new WhatsApp message until you disconnect your phone.Audio is sent to the car’s speakers via USB for
music with no reduction in sound quality, unlike with Bluetooth audio streaming
Phone calls are handled via Bluetooth hands-free.What does Android Auto look likeAlthough your phone‘s processor is used to run Android
Auto, your phone’s screen remains blank while the system is running to prevent distractions
Meanwhile, your car’s dashboard screen is completely taken over by the Android Auto interface.Once you get used to Android Auto, there’s
no real need to go back to your car’s system
If you have to, in some models (like those from VW) a short press of the voice command button makes the car listen, while a long press
summons Google Assistant.Android Auto has a permanent menu bar at the foot of the screen for quickly returning to the maps, phone or music
There is also a button for accessing car information and diagnostics, but this is not supported by all manufacturers.Android Auto should
look familiar if you've used Google NowThe UI shares a lot with Google Now
It has that same card-based menu that's part of Google's unified design language, and it's laid out on a home screen with all of the
predictions you'd expect.Without even having to think about it, Android Auto suggests directions on where you might want to go
This is based on recent searches or your daily routine.The weather, missed call or text alerts and in-progress music also appear within this
very glanceable menu - it looks a lot like the Android lock screen with embedded notifications.The current time and your phone’s signal
strength and battery percentage always appear in the top-right corner, along with a microphone icon
Tap this and you can talk to Google Assistant to get directions, make a phone call, send a text message, or even ask about the weather, or
any random question you’d ask a Google Home smart speaker.Which apps work with Android AutoThe answer here is, not many
But that’s exactly the point
You don’t really need to know about that new Instagram message or Facebook event reminder until you get to your destination anyway, so it
can’t be seen, heard or interacted with.Instead, you can use maps, make calls, send messages and listen to music, plus interact with a
small number of third-party map and message applications.3493757de56a4f7f40bebe3715b5d5df.jpg#
