Summary
- It looks like true home screen widgets are finally coming to Android Auto.
- This gives drivers more control over the home screen, complete with a phone-like widget picker and previews.
- There’s no word yet on a possible release date for the feature.
Android Auto is finally getting home screen widgets — perhaps one of the most obvious missing features since the platform’s public release 11 years ago. The feature has been brewing in developer builds for a while, and recent builds show it’s coming along nicely.
Related
Your Android Auto is hiding a feature most drivers never find — here’s what it does
This underrated feature can reinvent how your infotainment screen looks.
Quiet improvements
News that home screen widgets would be coming to Android Auto first started circulating about six months ago, when the feature was spotted in a developer build. At the time, it was still referred to by a code name — “Earth.”
Thanks to a new build, we now know that the feature appears much more mature (via Android Authority). The code name is gone — it’s been renamed to “Car widgets.” The widget picker has also been updated to match the one on Android phones more closely. Once opened, you’re presented with a list of available widgets, and you can tap any of them to get a preview of how it looks. Available options include world clocks, timers, calendars, and Chrome.
A solid improvement
The way Android Auto currently works, there are technically “widgets,” but they’re not really widgets in the same sense as what we have on our phones. The main issue is that there’s very little control over them — if Google thinks you need to see the map or media player, that’s what you’ll see.
With this new widget system, we should have much more control over how the Android Auto home screen looks and what information is displayed there. In effect, it brings the Android Auto home screen more in line with home screens on Android phones. It should also help Android Auto catch up to Apple’s CarPlay, which (surprisingly) got this feature first with the release of iOS 26 last year.
Not everyone is excited
Redditors can be brutal
Unfortunately, not everyone is looking forward to these new features. While widgets should be a useful addition (certainly more so than the recently-added Gemini), the consensus online seems to be that Google needs to get its priorities in order. Redditors have cited longstanding issues and a general slowness to improve the platform.
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a company adds new features while existing problems go unfixed — just look at Windows 11’s many issues (like the frustrating Click-to-Do). Even Apple has been guilty of this lately. Still, it’s frustrating when it impacts a product you use as frequently as Android Auto.
Others point out that adding potential distractions to a vehicle isn’t necessarily the best move.
There’s currently no word on a potential release date for these widgets — the feature has so far been confined to developer releases and hasn’t even made it to a public beta. However, Google I/O is around the corner, so we may get more details soon.
OS
Android
Price model
Free
App Type
Navigation/Entertainment
Android Auto is an Android app that brings the Android experience to your car’s infotainment display. Drivers get access to Google Maps, Waze, music apps, messaging, and more.
