Do you use Android Auto? Then you'll definitely appreciate these new features in WhatsApp

Sending messages while driving has been more of an emergency solution in cars for years – you could read an incoming message, but for everything else, you still reached for your phone. Now that’s changing: WhatsApp in Android Auto is getting a completely redesigned audio mode, which will bring calls, call history, and favorite contacts directly to the car’s screen.

What’s actually changing in Android Auto?

Until now, WhatsApp in the car mainly communicated via notifications – a message arrived, the assistant read it to you, and you dictated a reply. While Google had been gradually adding calling functionality to Android Auto since 2023, full application control directly from the dashboard screen was missing.

Meta has now redesigned the entire audio mode in the car. From the car’s display, you’ll be able to make calls, open call history and favorite contacts, and listen to and reply to messages – all without touching your phone. Similar to the recently redesigned media player, this is a change that is gradually rolling out to cars.

Users are already receiving the features

According to Meta, the new features are already rolling out to both Android Auto and Apple’s competing CarPlay. This is a gradual, wave-based deployment, so if you don’t see the new feature in your car yet, you’ll likely have to wait a few days.

Moreover, the redesigned in-car controls are just part of a larger package of new features that WhatsApp is currently rolling out – these include, for example, sharing music to your status or editing PDFs directly within the app. We recently wrote about another fresh change, usernames.

Were you missing proper WhatsApp control directly from your car’s display?

Sources: 9to5Google, Meta