Android Auto is gearing up to make the jump to motorcycles - Android Police

Summary

Android Auto is showing strong signs of expanding beyond cars to include motorcycles. Evidence includes changes in the app’s settings (replacing ‘car’ with ‘vehicle’) and the addition of motorcycle brand icons (like TVS Motors) within the app.
Google’s AI model, Gemini, is poised to arrive on Android Auto. While the backend functionality isn’t yet live, the user interface has been activated, revealing a new Gemini-style icon and the ‘Ask Gemini’ prompt.
Android Auto is also preparing to support higher-resolution video output, including 2,560×1,440p and 3,840×2,160p, a significant upgrade from the current 1920x1080p limit,

Google’s Android Auto has become a staple in new cars worldwide, helping users combine smartphone-level functionality with their vehicle’s infotainment system. Android Auto functionality allows drivers and passengers to make calls, listen to media content, speak to the Google Assistant regarding queries, get detailed navigation, and a lot more.

As of now, Android Auto compatibility is limited to specific cars via their manufacturer, or via stereos, but that might soon change.

A vehicle's infotainment screen displays Android Auto's Google Maps

What is Android Auto?

Hey Google, how’s the traffic to work?

Android Auto is poised to expand beyond cars, potentially to motorcycles first, as highlighted by Android Authority after digging through changes in Android Auto version 13.5.150204. Not only that, but hints also point at Gemini finally making its way to Android Auto, alongside support for higher resolution output for higher-end displays.

Clues hinting at extended vehicle support come in two forms — obvious ones and less obvious ones. Starting off with the latter, Android Auto’s Settings screen no longer explicitly uses the word ‘car(s).’ Instead, it has replaced all instances of the word with ‘vehicle(s),’ as seen in the screenshots below, which suggests support for a wider variety of vehicles might be incoming.

Note: Screenshots on the left in each image below are from Android Auto version 13.3.644654-release. These screenshots use the word ‘car(s).’ The screenshots on the right are from Android Auto version 13.5.150204. These screenshots use the word ‘vehicle(s).’

The more obvious hint, on the other hand, comes in the form of a newly added in-app icon for Indian brand TVS Motors. The brand primarily makes motorcycles and scooter bikes, alongside some mopeds and three-wheeled vehicles. The app icon appears alongside other motor brands, including China-based Geely and Leap Motor, California-based Lucid, and Italy-based Fiat. For what it’s worth, out of that list, only Fiat is on the official Android Auto compatibility list.

Elsewhere, the report also highlights incoming Android Auto support for 2,560×1,440p and 3,840×2,160p output for displays that support the resolution. For reference, Android Auto’s current video output is capped at 1,920×1,080p.

Source: Android Authority

Lastly, after bringing Gemini to smartphones, tablets, earbuds, and recently, to TVs and potentially Wear OS wearables too, Google’s plan to bring Gemini over to Android Auto seems to have made major headway.

Previously limited to code, Gemini’s UI implementation on Android Auto has now been activated, and although it remains non-functional, it offers an early look at how the AI assistant will appear once widely available.

Gemini on Android Auto is a question of when, not if

Gemini’s backend functionality on Android Auto isn’t functional, but the folks at Android Authority were able to trigger its UI, highlighting a new Gemini-esque gradient on the mic logo, as seen in the first screenshot above. Once available, tapping the mic icon triggers Gemini, with “Ask Gemini” appearing at the bottom of the vehicle’s infotainment display. While not entirely clear, it appears that a Gemini Live-like UI pops-up in the section that is normally occupied by your taskbar widgets during an active conversation with the AI assistant.

It is currently unclear when all three (potentially upcoming) features — motorcycle support, Gemini on Android Auto, and higher-resolution video output, will officially land.