Widgets are coming to Android Auto. See what they'll look like

Google is working on an interesting new feature for Android Auto that will allow you to customize your car’s infotainment system even better. The popular tool will get home screen widgets, similar to those you know from mobile phones. The feature, internally codenamed “Earth,” is still in a very early stage of development, but Android Authority managed to activate it and show how it will work in practice.

Setting up widgets directly from your phone

The entire process of adding widgets will take place via a mobile phone, not directly on the car’s display (unless Google eventually decides on a different approach). A new item will appear in Android Auto settings, currently labeled “Customize Earth.” After tapping it, the system will ask for permission to create widgets and display a widget manager called “Widget companion.”

In the upper right corner of the screen, you will find a plus button, which opens a list of applications with available widgets. After selecting a specific application, all its widgets will be displayed, from which you can choose the desired one. At the bottom of the screen, there is a size adjustment slider for the widget, which allows you to enlarge or reduce its display on the dashboard.

Appearance of widgets on the dashboard

After setting up the widget on your phone, it will automatically appear on the Android Auto home screen. The widget will occupy approximately 35-40% of the display width on the left side, while the remaining space on the right will be reserved for the standard interface. This layout is currently fixed and cannot be changed, but I personally believe it is only a temporary solution and Google will eventually offer users a bit more freedom.

Some widgets look good already, while others will require a bit more refinement. I was impressed by the design of widgets like Gemini or Pixel Weather, while for something like Calendar, developers will need to come up with a more practical implementation (currently, it might appear a bit too cluttered).

Current limitations of the feature

Since the feature is far from complete, it currently has several significant limitations. Only one widget can be added to the home screen – selecting a new one reportedly automatically replaces the previous one. It is also not possible to combine widgets from different applications or add multiple widgets from the same application.

Furthermore, many widgets are not fully prepared to work with Android Auto. For example, widgets for Gemini and Google Keep apps display an error message when tapped and try to open the mobile application, which the system does not allow. Some widgets designed for horizontal layout reportedly also have issues.

Which widgets work best?

Google is still working on the widget feature for Android Auto, and we can expect gradual improvements in upcoming updates. When we will see the final version is not yet clear, but it will almost certainly arrive once compatibility issues are resolved and the designs of individual widgets are finalized.

I could also imagine being able to use multiple widgets simultaneously, but it’s a question of whether Google will come up with an ideal technical solution that would allow this. I’m thinking of a “carousel” where the user could choose five most preferred widgets and switch between them as needed. For now, however, we have no choice but to wait for more behind-the-scenes details or official information.

Are you looking forward to widgets in Android Auto?

Source: Android Authority