Google loves to complicate our lives and that’s why we have Android Auto and Android Automotive. Android Automotive includes Android Auto, but not all Automotive has Google services. If so, we are talking about a car with Google Built-in. And Automotive and Automotive, although they are called almost the same, Technically they are very different..

The difference is also seen in applications. Google has tight control over: Types of apps allowed in Android Auto and Android Automotivestill we find differences between one and the other. We explain why.

Apps are not the same

First of all, the most important thing: Android Auto runs on your mobile phone and streams to your car’s display wired or wireless. Simply put, it’s not much different from how you stream content to the original Google Chromecast: apps run on your phone and display in your car.

In return car screen can be used as input device To manage applications, the vehicle can share certain data with the system, such as its status (whether it is parked or running) or nearby FM radio.

Android Auto a complete operating system running in the car and which applications can be installed. In this case, it would be the equivalent of Google TV with Google Chromecast, since you can install applications directly on it, not just transmit them.

In fact, one of the applications included in Android Automotive with Google Automotive Services (or GAS) is Android Auto Receiver. You can use Android Auto on Android AutomotiveThis is useful because an app might have a version that is compatible with Android Auto but not Android Automotive. There are also apps that are available for both, like Amazon Music (the regular version for Android Auto and the version for Automotive).

Amazon Music in Android Auto (left) and Android Automotive (right)

On Android phones, developers can do a little bit of everything they want, on Android Auto and Automotive, it’s everything depends on templatesThis is why all apps of the same style look the same, especially Android Auto.

So no matter what multimedia application you use in your car They will be almost the same. Applications provide content to the system, but the design itself depends on the system implementing the multimedia application template. Google explains it this way:

While Google and vehicle manufacturers determine the basic visual design and interaction model for much of the Android in-car multimedia content experience, the design role of the application developer focuses primarily on:

1. Create a navigation structure for content
2. Provide branding and icons for navigation tabs and custom controls (if needed)

Some of the templates for apps in Android Automotive

Android Auto and Automotive apps installed on the car or mobile phone What they can do is very limited.is based on templates, but these templates are not exactly the same in Android Auto and Automotive. In the latter case, automakers can also try to radically change the operating system (and its templates).

What types of applications are available?

Initially, Android Auto allowed us to navigate with Google Maps and little else, but over time, Google allow more app typesThe same thing happens with Android Automotive.

So what kind of apps are allowed in cars? Well, a little more than we imagined. As of today, here are the types of apps that Google allows or plans to allow in Android Auto or Android Automotive:

• Multimedia (audio): These are applications for listening to audio in the background, such as streaming music, radio, audiobooks, podcasts or similar. Such applications are available in both Android Auto and Android Automotive.
• Chat and VOIP: These are applications that allow us to receive notifications of messages received in chat applications such as WhatsApp. It is possible to respond by dictating the message to the vehicle. These features, which are currently only available in Android Auto, promise to be developed in the future.
• Navigation: Navigation applications such as Google Maps or Waze that show us the route to follow step by step. As you can imagine, these are available in Android Auto and Android Automotive.
• Points of interest: It may seem like the same as the previous category, but it’s not. This type of app is based on showing places of interest (such as parking lots, charging stations or gas stations) on a map. They are available on Android Auto and Android Automotive.

Gas Station+ is an example of a points of interest app for Android Auto

• Home automation: A relatively recent category is home automation, which can be used to control smart devices like garage doors, turn on house lights, or activate a home alarm. These are available on Android Auto and Android Automotive.
• Video: These are applications that we can watch all kinds of videos such as YouTube, Netflix while the vehicle is parked. Such applications are available in Android Automotive and Android Auto is expected to come later.
• Games: Games that can be used while the vehicle is stationary. Except for GameSnacks, which come pre-installed, they are available in beta on Android Automotive and will be available soon on Android Auto.
• Internet browsers: Full web browsers that can only be used when the car is parked. These are available in Android Automotive, and Android Auto may come later.
• Time: Applications that are mainly for viewing weather forecasts on a map. They are available in beta on both Android Auto and Android Automotive.

Weather & Radar was the first weather app for Android Auto

Like this,what types of applications are supported in each systems? Here’s a table so you can see the differences between Android Auto and Android Automotive at a glance.

The types that are considered beta mean that they are being tested with a closed group of developers, so we find very few apps of this style. As for “coming soon”, unfortunately Google hasn’t given us a more specific indication of how long that will take.

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