Android Auto is very popular, with millions of people using their Android phones to control their car’s infotainment system instead of the one built by the car manufacturer. A change has been coming for a while, and the latest version of the Android Auto app brings us closer to a new set of features.
The new feature we’re excited about is the ability to control your car’s radio through Android Auto. Right now, Android Auto only streams music, which can be a problem if you don’t have a lot of data or if you’re in an area with poor reception.
Thanks to 9to5Google, we now know more about this change. It seems there are two parts to it: first, getting control of your car’s radio, and second, allowing access to media stored locally, like on a USB stick plugged into your car.
The latest Android Auto 13.3 beta includes music genre listings to help find radio stations, likely working with your car’s radio data. While recent updates show progress on the “Car Media” feature, it’s unclear when or if it will be available, and it may only work with certain manufacturers or newer cars.
You can already use Android Auto and your car radio at the same time.
Yes, you can use Android Auto and your car radio together. The issue is that Android Auto tends to start playing audio from its own sources, like Spotify, when connected.
However, if you’re using Android Auto and switch back to your car’s system via the menu icon, you can tune the radio to your preferred station. Then, you can return to Android Auto for navigation while still listening to the radio.
Integrating these two systems will make things easier, allowing you to control your car’s media without leaving the Android Auto interface. However, there could be some confusion when using voice commands—how will Google Assistant know if you want streamed radio or FM radio?
It seems there’s still a lot to discover about Google’s plans for controlling your car’s audio.
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