The new look is hidden in version 8.6 of the application
Android Auto recently got its long-awaited revamp on your car’s dashboard, at least if you’re using the beta version of the app and if you’re lucky enough to roll it out to your device. However, the company hasn’t updated the Android Auto settings (accessible on your phone) alongside the new in-car design. It looks like that will change soon, as a new Material You version of Android Auto settings has appeared.
As spotted and activated by the Google News Telegram channel, the first hints of the settings revamp appeared in version 8.5 of the app, which included a new Material3SettingsActivity. In the Android Auto 8.6 beta, this new Activity has finally become fully functional and has everything you could ask for when you love Google’s latest Material Design iteration. However, it looks like it’s still not widely available, so it’s either something enabled via hidden flags in the app, or something that’s only rolling out gradually at the moment.
When enabled, the settings pane comes with the signature large drop-down headers, a round button for the “Connect a car” option, and those new toggles that are part of Material Design 3. The app sticks also to your system preferences with a brand -new dark mode. Along with the redesign, the old header image is gone, as it hasn’t been part of Google’s interface design for some time now. Taken together, the new look offers a much more modern experience, with newly organized and grouped options that make it easier to navigate the screen.
It’s good to see that Google is finally ready to tweak Android Auto so much. After all, a lot of people spend way too much time in their car, and having an enjoyable experience with their infotainment system is one of those little things that can go a long way to making driving less miserable, especially since the redesign of the car. ‘Android Auto in the car. brings many new features, like an improved split-screen, a more modern media player, and an easier way to switch between apps.