seems Google has another Android Auto update in the works. The project, known internally as “Land,” is designed to give you more say over what appears on your car’s dashboard.
Android Auto could soon have widgets, like on your phone
According a new reportIt seems that Google wants Android Auto to be a little more like your Android phone. The new “Earth” feature appears to be all about home screen widgets, which would allow you to pin widgets from your favorite apps directly to the Android Auto dashboard. Although the feature is still in early development, we already have an idea of what it could look like once Google flips the switch. The idea is quite simple but clever: bring your phone’s widgets to your car so you can, for example, keep an eye on music controls, the calendar or the weather without leaving the home screen.
Now, don’t confuse this with Android Auto’s taskbar widgets, those little shortcuts that appear at the bottom of the screen. The “Earth” is something different. These widgets will actually live on the side of the screen, like a split layout.
From what we’ve found so far, Android Auto divides the main screen into two sections: the widget panel takes up about a third of the screen, while the other side (navigation, apps and controls) uses the remaining space.
Google may soon let you add widgets. | Image credit: Android Authority
Right now, there is a catch: you can only have one widget active at a time. So if you add a Clock widget and then switch to Spotify, the clock disappears. It’s unclear if Google did this on purpose (perhaps for security reasons?) or if it’s something they’ll change later. What is clear is that performance is still not great: widgets are reported to lag and some even do not load correctly.
To complicate matters, not all widgets work well with Android Auto. Apparently even some of Google’s widgets don’t behave as they should. There are also layout issues, especially with widgets designed for vertical screens that don’t scale well horizontally.
Still, this is a bit early. Google is obviously testing, refining, and working toward smoother performance and greater app compatibility in future Android Auto updates.
It’s about giving users more control
Honestly, every little Android Auto update deserves a thumbs up, and widgets definitely fall into that category. It’s not that you couldn’t previously use Spotify or other apps while keeping Maps open, but this adds another layer of control. The main difference is that it will now be in widget form, which can take up as much space as a full app, but looks cleaner and gives users more flexibility over what is visible. At the end of the day, it’s not just about functionality, it’s about choice. And that’s something Google seems to be leaning more and more toward with Android Auto.
Android Auto continues to surpass CarPlay in customization
This is also another example of where Android Auto stands out. Apple CarPlay. Personalization. I guess it’s something Android does better.
Take something simple like syncing the wallpaper between your phone and your car’s screen: Android Auto lets you do that, while CarPlay doesn’t yet. Now, with the possibility of widgets joining the mix, Google’s system is set to become even more flexible and personal.
So yes, “Earth” might be just another codename for now, but if Google gets it right, Android Auto could soon look a lot more like your phone, and a lot less like a static dashboard.
