Google announced that it would shut down the standalone "Android Auto for Phone Screens" app as soon as the Android 12 software rolls in.
Anyone who needs a driving-friendly interface for their Android phone will have to use Google Assistant's driving mode instead, which is available within Google Maps. Users can also use the native Android Auto interface available in select cars.
Google Discontinues Android Auto
The tech giant said in a statement that those who use the Android Auto mobile app would be lead to switch to Google Assistant driving mode, according to Apple Insider.
The transition came even after the tech giant was under fire for admitting that Google Assistant records the user's voice without them knowing.
The transition will begin with Android 12. The Google Assistant will be the only interface that drivers can use on their phones. Google stated that the experience is not changing for those using Android Auto in compatible cars.
Also Read : Android Auto's One of the Most Annoying Problems Finally Addressed by Google After a Year
Android Auto and Google Pixel Devices
In 2018, Google introduced Android Auto for all of its Pixel devices.
In 2019, Google announced the launch of Google Assistant's driving mode. Also, the tech giant initially said that it would discontinue Android Auto, but they eventually changed their statement and launched a dedicated app that is just a shortcut to the old Android Auto app. It is now preinstalled on all Android devices that run Android 10 and above.
The company confirmed the discontinuation of the Android Auto after the report for XDA Developers was released. It was reported that some users are now seeing a message in their Android Auto app that said the service is only available for phone screens and encouraged users to switch to Google Assistant driving mode.
According to 9to5Google, the Android Auto app is now displaying a message that says it is "incompatible with Google Pixels devices running Android 12."
Android 12 Updates
Aside from removing the Android Auto feature, Android users can expect more changes once Android 12 is launched.
A new version of Google Chrome will be introduced, and it will bring multi-instance support and a window manager to Google Chrome to Android.
Users can tap on the "new window" option, and a new Chrome will open in the other half of the screen.
The context menu will also be updated with a "manage windows" option that will list all of the active windows, which window is currently in focus, the title of the active tab per window, and how many tabs are running in each window.
Users can have five windows open in total. Although there is no limit to how many tabs that users can be open within each Chrome window.
The state of each window will be stored in the SharedPreferences on Chrome so that windows can persist through a sudden reboot, and you won't have to go through the process again.
The Android 12 software is said to have the ability to catch any critical problems that have gone undetected in the past.
Although Google has not confirmed when the exact release date would be, Android users can expect to see it around September.
For supported Android phones, Google gives official packages hosted on their official website. Users can find the latest download links for Android 12 on the site.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
