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While I still prefer it Apple’s CarPlay infotainment platformAndroid Auto has improved a lot on me over the past few weeks.
It’s basically a slightly messier, more customizable and open version of CarPlay. With a few tweaks, I might find myself preferring Apple’s in-car infotainment system once I get a bit more used to its user interface. For example, having the ability You read the videos when I park with Android Auto pretty awesome – although every time I do I ask myself why I don’t just use my phone.
With that in mind, I recently tweaked a few features in Android Auto to better customize the infotainment system and make it feel like me. Some of these settings and features are simple and somewhat obvious, like setting a custom wallpaper or turning Dark Mode on permanently, but they’re all still useful and there are settings that not everyone knows about.
Having night mode always on saved my eyes
Day mode is too bright for me even during the day
After using Android Auto in its default settings for a few days, one of the first things I did was to permanently turn on Night mode for mapping apps. You can find it by switching to this setting Parameters > Day/Night mode Inside Android Auto. You can also choose Auto to show Light or Dark mode based on the time of day.
Personally, I’m hooked on Dark Mode/Night Mode with almost every device I own. The only exception is macOS, the operating system I look at all day — sometimes it’s nice to add a dash of brightness and color to my day. But with the infotainment map apps, I want it to be easily visible and easy on my eyes at all times. With that in mind, I recently switched Android Auto to Night Mode, which makes it easier to see Waze and Google Maps, especially at a glance, and I don’t plan on changing that setting anytime soon.
Give your infotainment a unique look with a custom wallpaper
Setting a custom wallpaper in Android Auto is easier than I expected
I’ve always assumed that it wasn’t possible to set up a custom Android Auto background, and if it was, it would likely require some sort of complex workaround, as with CarPlay. Thankfully, that’s not the case. To add a custom wallpaper to Android Auto, all you need to do is visit here Parameters > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto on your Android device. Then, choose Use Phone Wallpaper in Android Auto after scrolling down A little. If you’re having trouble finding the image you want to use as your Android Wallpaper, it Files on your Android device after downloading the app. After you find the image, open it, tap on the three dots in the left corner, select it use asand tap Pictures wallpaper. As far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be a way to set a custom background for Android Auto. The infotainment system can only draw from the background of your smartphone. Enjoy the picture above A pixelated forest background I found on Reddit years ago, I still use it on most of my devices.
This simple change makes it easier to navigate apps like Spotify
Look, I know this is a really simple change, but it’s one I didn’t know existed until I came across it. By default, all Android Auto media controls are on the right side of the screen, which means you often have to awkwardly stretch your arm across the screen to reach them.
All you need to do is select to move the media controls to the left side of the screen to make them easier for the driver to access. Settings > Connected Devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto > Change configuration > Media near driver. After making this change, all media apps and controls, including apps like Spotify and Pocket Casts, will appear on the left side of the in-car Android Auto infotainment screen.
Remove unused apps from your launcher
Clean up your Android Auto launch screen to make it easier to find the apps you care about
By default, any app installed on your phone that’s compatible with Android Auto appears in the infotainment system’s launcher. Should I really be using Zoom, Calendar, Kobo Books or Telegram while driving? Probably not. Additional apps clutter the screen and make it difficult to find the main apps you actually use, like Messages, Maps, or Waze.
To get rid of apps you don’t want to show in Android Auto, go to the Settings app on your device. Android device > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Android Auto > Customize Launcher. From this screen, you can navigate through the list of apps on the Android Auto launcher’s home screen and remove any you don’t want by unchecking the options.
