**Customizing Your Android Auto Experience: A Handy Guide**
Over the years, Android Auto has seen a series of steady improvements, making it a polished and reliable way to access your phone from your car's dashboard while on the road—assuming your vehicle has a compatible head unit.
Just like customizing your Android phone, Android Auto offers various options to tailor its appearance and functionality to your preferences. Whether you're a newcomer or a long-time user, I'll walk you through the customization features available. (Assuming you've already completed the initial connection and setup.)
**Customizing Android Auto on Your Phone:**
You can start tweaking Android Auto even when you're not on the road. Open Settings on your phone, navigate to Connected devices, Connection preferences, and then Android Auto. While there are numerous settings to explore, let's focus on customizing the look and feel of Android Auto.
1. **Customize Launcher:** The first noteworthy option is "Customize launcher." This allows you to choose which apps appear in the app drawer on your car dashboard. Select the apps you want to see while driving, decluttering the Android Auto screen. You can also use "Add a shortcut to the launcher" to include custom contact links or Google Assistant actions.
2. **Other Settings:** Explore additional options on the Android Auto menu, such as Day/Night mode for maps, determining how Google Maps adjusts based on the time of day. Use the "Start music automatically" toggle to decide whether audio starts playing from your most recently used media app upon Android Auto connection.
3. **Adjusting Appearance:** The "Driver seat location" and "Change layout" options let you tweak basic elements of Android Auto's on-screen appearance, like choosing the sidebar's location. You can also control notification preferences, deciding whether to display them and customize their appearance.
4. **Taskbar Widgets:** The "Taskbar widgets" toggle switch allows you to choose whether quick controls, like playback buttons, stay visible at the bottom of the screen or are accessed through the widget or full-screen view of the apps.
**Customizing Android Auto in the Car:**
Once in the car with Android Auto connected, additional customization options become available. Open the launcher (tap the nine-dot button if not visible) and select Settings.
1. **Wallpaper:** Unlike your phone, Android Auto in the car offers a unique option—Wallpaper. Tap on it to change the backdrop of the Android Auto interface.
2. **Additional Options:** Many options, such as notifications and day/night mode in Google Maps, mirror those on your phone, providing flexibility to modify them while driving.
Empower your driving experience by tailoring Android Auto to your preferences, ensuring a seamless and personalized journey on the road.