Update your android auto before vacation for latest features

Android Auto 12.5 is now available for download, and drivers should update the system before their vacation. Updating ensures access to the latest Android Auto fixes and unlocks new features on the server side.

Android Auto 12.5 continues Google's tradition of being vague about changes. After updating the app, drivers must check if any car features have changed. New features are not usually visible to everyone simultaneously or may be related to fixing Android Auto bugs that are not present in all vehicles. Therefore, it is challenging to determine the specific changes for a given release upfront.

Android Auto 12.5 may be required to enable some server-side enhancements. This is typically how Google introduces new features to cars. Drivers need to be patient and ensure they have the latest version of Android Auto on their phones to be ready for the rollout. One anticipated feature is support for more options while parked, such as Netflix or YouTube videos.

The site gizchina.com also notes that users of Android Auto 12.5 may see a button for reporting road incidents in Google Maps, a feature well-known from the smartphone navigation version. However, this change is unrelated to the Android Auto update itself. The button may appear for users of older system versions who have updated Google Maps to the latest edition.

Regardless of the specific new features in the app, it's generally advisable to consider that the latest release provides access to the newest fixes and should work most stably. Therefore, we recommend updating Android Auto before leaving for vacation. In Android 10 and newer smartphones, the driver system updates in the background through the Google Play Store. The update status can be checked in the Android settings or directly in the store in the app update history.