Android Auto is fantastic, but if you’re like me, you probably only use it for navigation and tunes. And to be fair, that’s a lot of what Android Auto is used for. But you’re missing out if that’s all you use it for.
Google’s driving platform has a lot more going for it than just Google Maps and Spotify, and these five apps are a great way to show that.
Here are five of the best niche Android Auto apps you should download. They might be niche, but they’re still exceptionally useful.
Quiz
Android Auto trivia
The ultimate challenge
From launch day to the latest features — how well do you really know Google’s in-car platform?
HistoryFeaturesCompatibilityNavigationApps
In what year was Android Auto first announced by Google?
Correct! Android Auto was announced at Google I/O in 2014 alongside Android TV and Android Wear. It was part of Google’s push to extend the Android ecosystem beyond smartphones into cars, wearables, and living rooms.
Not quite. Android Auto was unveiled at Google I/O in 2014, the same event that introduced Android Wear and Android TV. Google was making a big play to put Android into every screen in your life.
Which car manufacturer was the first to ship a production vehicle with built-in Android Auto support?
Correct! Hyundai was the first automaker to ship a production car with Android Auto support, arriving in 2015 with the Sonata. It gave Google a crucial foothold in the automotive market right at launch.
Not quite. Hyundai holds the honour of being the first to ship Android Auto in a production vehicle — the 2015 Sonata. This early partnership helped establish Android Auto as a serious contender in the in-car infotainment space.
What is the name of the feature that allows Android Auto to work without a physical cable connection to the car?
Correct! The feature is simply called Android Auto Wireless. It uses Wi-Fi to mirror your phone’s Android Auto interface to the car’s screen, eliminating the need for a USB cable while still requiring Bluetooth to initiate the connection.
Not quite. The feature is officially called Android Auto Wireless. It pairs over Bluetooth first and then switches to a Wi-Fi connection for the actual data stream, giving you a cable-free experience in supported vehicles.
Which of the following navigation apps was NOT officially supported on Android Auto at launch in 2015?
Correct! Waze was not available on Android Auto at launch. Despite both being Google-owned products, Waze only gained official Android Auto support in 2019, several years after the platform debuted. Google Maps was a day-one feature.
Not quite. Waze is the odd one out here. Even though Google acquired Waze back in 2013, it took until 2019 for Waze to become officially available on Android Auto. Google Maps, however, was a core feature from day one.
What is the minimum Android version required to run Android Auto on a phone as of its standalone app era?
Correct! Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the minimum version required to run the Android Auto app. This requirement tied into the permission and notification access features that Marshmallow introduced, which Android Auto depends on heavily.
Not quite. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the minimum required version. Google needed the more granular permissions and notification listener improvements that Marshmallow brought in order to make Android Auto function reliably and safely.
Which messaging app was among the first third-party apps to be supported on Android Auto at launch?
Correct! WhatsApp was one of the earliest third-party messaging apps supported on Android Auto. Its massive global user base made it a priority integration, allowing drivers to send and receive messages hands-free using voice commands.
Not quite. WhatsApp was among the first third-party messaging apps to land on Android Auto. Given its enormous global popularity, it was a natural early partner, letting users interact with messages safely through voice while driving.
What major redesign did Android Auto receive in 2022 that changed its visual layout significantly?
Correct! The Coolwalk update introduced a split-screen layout to Android Auto, allowing multiple apps to appear on screen simultaneously. It was a major departure from the previous single-app full-screen approach and made better use of wider car displays.
Not quite. The answer is the Coolwalk update, which Google rolled out in 2022. It brought a split-screen interface so drivers could see navigation and media controls at the same time, a much-requested improvement for wider infotainment screens.
Google discontinued the phone-screen version of Android Auto in 2023, replacing it with what product for direct phone use?
Correct! Google replaced the phone-screen Android Auto experience with Google Assistant Driving Mode. This simplified interface was built directly into Google Maps and used Google Assistant for voice interactions, though it too was later quietly wound down.
Not quite. Google Assistant Driving Mode was the replacement for the phone-screen version of Android Auto. It integrated into Google Maps and leaned heavily on voice commands via Google Assistant, though it never quite matched the original’s popularity with users.
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SpotHero
We’ve all been there. You’re in an unfamiliar place, and all the obvious parking places are full or really expensive.
A local would know where the great cheap or secluded parking spaces are, but you’re not a local, so you’re a bit stuck trying the same places again and again. This is where SpotHero can come in useful.
SpotHero is a parking app that works across the US. Its usefulness seems to be largely restricted to the big cities, but it’s worth downloading, if only to see where it might cover.
It can take you to parking lots you wouldn’t have known about otherwise, and for certain ones, it can let you pay in advance and effectively book your space, saving you time and effort when you get there.
Sometimes, the prices through SpotHero are cheaper than paying in person.
There are some caveats to keep in mind. Some reviewers claimed they were turned away at the parking lots they’d supposedly already booked, though SpotHero has always been quick to refund whenever that’s happened.
But even with those problems, this app is a great one for finding parking places in new areas.
MyRadar
MyRadar is named after a weather radar map, so it would be easy to assume this is all it really has going on.
But while it specializes in radar maps, it’s also a solid weather app by itself.
You’ll find all your usual weather stats and predictions here, with the added benefit of being able to pull up a radar map as well.
Want to know how big that black cloud ahead of you is and whether it stretches along your route or not? Check out the map and find out.
You get a lot here for free, but the best toys are hidden behind a paid subscription. Of them, the best is RouteCast. Pop in your destination, and it’ll plot your expected route and tell you what weather to expect along the way.
Fuelio
No matter what car you drive, you should either have this app or the next one downloaded.
Fuelio is the app you download if your car runs on petrol or diesel of any kind, because it’s all about finding the nearest gas station and telling you how much you’ll pay.
As such, it’s a great choice for planning your road trip, as you can scope out the best places to refuel along the way, saving you money by avoiding the expensive stops.
But it’s not only about fuel prices. You can also contribute by adding prices yourself, log where you’ve fueled up, and calculate your mileage.
For professional drivers, there’s the option to include your odometer readings.
This is a must-download if you drive any internal combustion engine car, van, or truck.
PlugShare
Here’s the other app. It doesn’t take much to know what this one’s all about. PlugShare is Fuelio, but for electric cars.
Like Fuelio, it has a big database of all EV charging points across the US, and users can filter by specific charging plug type and charging speed to make sure they find exactly what they need.
But there’s more here than just that. PlugShare wants to be a massive community of EV drivers, so it also lets users post reviews and photos of stations.
Reviewers say the app is amazing, but the Android Auto interface is a bit rubbish. Still, it’s worth having.
Scanner Radio
This one has features for the curious and security-conscious alike.
Scanner Radio is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a radio that lets you listen to police and fire station radios, weather alerts, ham radio enthusiasts, or just about anything that can be sent over the airwaves.
Why might you want this? Well, there’s curiosity, for a start. But there’s a personal safety element to this as well, so as soon as you think something might be happening, you can tune in to find out exactly what.
Or, you can use it to keep an ear out for any potential traffic build-ups near you.
Even if you don’t have much interest in those areas, it’s still worth downloading anyway.
Why? Because it has a setting you can enable where it notifies you if any channel gets more than 2,500 listeners. Those sorts of numbers generally mean something is going on, and you should know about it.
