Google has started rolling out the Android Auto 18.2 update, but don’t expect much to change on your car’s display.
Heading first to beta users, Android Auto 18.2 has started rolling out. This comes a little over a week after Android 18.1 hit the stable release track.
As Android Auto users should be very used to at this point, the update itself doesn’t bring any new user-facing changes that we can see. That’s not to say nothing is changing. There’s an endless list of bugs Google can fix. Just a few recent examples include Gemini bugs, foldable headaches, strange UI issues, connection problems, double-skipping songs, and more. Bug fixes are the primary point of these smaller Android Auto app updates.
Notably, this update also doesn’t fully cut off users on older Android versions yet. Google has confirmed Android 11will be the new minimum requirement, but Android Auto 18.2 still supports as far back as Android 9.
Now, what about behind the scenes?
About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.
Our teardown of Android Auto 18.2 didn’t turn up much of interest.
The biggest noteworthy change is that Google has updated over 100 assets within the Android Auto app in preparation of light mode support. These are largely around various button designs in the experience, such as:
- res/drawable/ic_mr_button_connected_14_dark.xml
- res/drawable/ic_mr_button_connected_15_dark.xml
Light mode for Android Auto is something we’ve been waiting ages to see go live, and every recent update has been building out the feature more and more. As for when it will be released, that’s anyone’s guess.
More on Android Auto:
- Motorola MA2 wireless Android Auto adapter is now available
- Android Auto is getting a Gemini upgrade, but only if you use a Pixel
- Android Auto cutting off older devices, now requires Android 11 or newer
Our Favorite Android Auto Accessories:
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram
You’re reading 9to5Google — experts who break news about Google and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel
