Android Auto will soon be more “cool” ... and defrosting

Android Auto will soon be getting new controls dedicated to the climate control system and other features, such as defrosting. This will allow for more unified control. through a single, unique interface.

It's not quite official yet, but something new is coming to Android Auto. The infotainment system for Android smartphones should according to our colleagues at Android Authority soon be equipped with more vehicle controls. It should be possible, among other things, to control the air conditioning system directly from the interface.

This is, in any case, what emerges from a detailed analysis of the source code of the latest version of the Android Auto application (14.0.151144-release.daily). It would be possible, among other things, to choose between an automatic mode and a "sync" mode, according to several snippets of code. But that's not all: defrosting features are making their way into the infotainment system.

Android Auto is strengthening its control over car features

According to our colleagues, automatic mode seems to refer to the automatic adaptation of temperature and air power. While "sync" mode refers to the synchronization of passenger and driver temperatures in eligible models. There is also talk of defrosting the windshield. There's also mention of a rear window defrost function.

And that's not all: references to seat temperature, air recirculation, and seat ventilation are all making their way into this iteration. There are also features that seem to point to seat ventilation, heated mirrors and steering wheel, and much more.

To remove any ambiguity, icons are also attached to certain features. Android Auto is therefore preparing for a major update. This will allow the infotainment system to control just about everything in the vehicle. It remains to be seen whether manufacturers are already in discussions with Google to adapt these features to vehicles about to be released – or whether we will have to wait a little longer before we can truly take advantage of the full potential of Android Auto in our cars.