Android for Cars overview

Bring your app to vehicles running either Android Auto or Android Automotive OS. Use one app architecture that works for both cases so every user can enjoy your app.

Android Auto

Android Auto provides a driver-optimized app experience for users who have an Android phone with the Android Auto app and a compatible car or aftermarket stereo system. They can use your app directly on their car's display by connecting their phone. You enable Android Auto to connect with your phone app by creating services that Android Auto uses to display a driver-optimized interface to the driver. To learn more, see Android Auto overview.

Android Auto user interface

Figure 1: Android Auto—powered by a phone and running on a car.

Android Automotive OS

Android Automotive OS is an Android-based infotainment system that is built into vehicles. The car's system is a standalone Android-powered device that is optimized for driving. With Android Automotive OS, users install your app directly onto the car instead of their phones. To learn more, see Android Automotive OS overview.

Automotive OS user interface

Figure 2: Android Automotive OS running on an emulator.

Supported app categories

Due to considerations unique to cars, Android Auto and Android Automotive OS only support certain types of apps as described in the following table:

Category Description Platforms Usage Publishing
Media - audio

Media apps let users browse and play music, radio, audiobooks, and other audio content in the car. See Build media apps for cars for more information.

Important: the Media category does not include video content - see the separate Video category for details on apps that play videos.

Built using: MediaBrowserService and MediaSession. On Android Automotive OS, you can also build sign-in and settings screens (for use while parked) using Views or Compose.

Android Auto and Android Automotive OS While driving or parked All track types
Messaging

Messaging apps let users receive incoming notifications, read messages aloud using text-to-speech, and send replies using voice input in the car. See Build messaging apps for Android Auto for more information.

Built using: MessagingStyle notifications, a Service for handling reply and mark-as-read actions.

Android Auto While driving or parked All track types
Point of Interest (POI)

POI apps let the user discover and navigate to points of interest and take relevant actions, such as parking, charging, and fuel apps.

Built using: The Android for Cars App Library. See Build a point of interest app for additional information specific to POI apps.

Android Auto and Android Automotive OS While driving or parked All track types
Internet of Things (IOT)

IOT apps let users take relevant actions on connected devices from within the car. Examples include controlling the state of certain devices, such as opening a garage door, flipping home light switches, or enabling home security.

Built using: The Android for Cars App Library. See Build an internet of things app for additional information specific to IOT apps.

Android Auto and Android Automotive OS While driving or parked All track types
Weather labs

Weather apps let users see relevant weather information related to their current location or along their route. Weather apps can also provide navigation capabilities.

Built using: The Android for Cars App Library. See Build a weather app for additional information specific to weather apps.

Android Auto and Android Automotive OS While driving or parked Internal Testing, Closed Testing, and Open Testing Tracks
Parked app categories
Video

Video apps let users view streaming videos while the car is parked. The core purpose of these apps is to display streaming videos.

Built using: Views and/or Compose. See Build video apps for Android Automotive OS for more information.

Android Automotive OS Only while parked All track types
Games labs

Game apps let users play games while the car is parked. The core purpose of these apps is to play games.

Built using: Views and/or Compose. See Build games for Android Automotive OS for more information.

Android Automotive OS Only while parked Internal Testing tracks
Browsers labs

Browser apps let users access web pages while the car is parked.

Built using: Views and/or Compose. See Build browsers for Android Automotive OS for more information.

Android Automotive OS Only while parked Internal Testing tracks

Integrate with Google apps and services

You can build your own apps for use in vehicles that support Android for Cars, including Android Auto and Google Built-in.

To test your apps, use the testing tools to run Android Auto and Android Automotive OS on your development machine. See Test Android Apps for Cars for details.

For app design guidelines, see Android for Cars

See these additional resources to learn more:

Additional resources

To learn more about Android for Cars, see the following additional resources.

Samples

Android for Cars App Library samples

Updated September 30, 2020

Universal Android Music Player sample

Updated May 20, 2019

Media Controller Test sample

Updated January 8, 2019

Codelabs

Learn Car App Library fundamentals

Updated November 29, 2024

Build and test a parked app for Android Automotive OS

Updated July 11, 2024

Blogs

Android for Cars: Bringing more apps to cars

Updated May 15, 2024

15 Things to know for Android developers at Google I/O

Updated May 14, 2024

What’s new with Android for Cars: I/O 2023

Updated May 10, 2023

Videos

Android for Cars: New in-car experiences

Updated May 16, 2024

Android Developer Story: Zee5 develops for multiple form factors in record time

Updated December 13, 2023

Android Developer Story: KAYAK reduced sign-in time by 50% and improved security with passkeys

Updated October 24, 2023