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Android Auto 10.5 is now available for everyone through the Google Play Store. It’s no longer in Beta and has recently been promoted to the stable channel. This means Google took all the inputs from developers and testers, and it’s good enough for public use now. The bug testing and stability check phase is over, and the app is relatively stable.
Android Auto 10.4 was released in early September and was a stability update. There were no significant changes, and this is Google’s new approach to Android Auto updates. Every update brings minor refinements to make the user experience better. The updates don’t bring new features but focus on making the Android Auto experience seamless and bug-free. We already got our major UI change a few months ago.
The Coolwalk User Interface began rolling out publicly a few months ago. Coolwalk is a new UI design that resembles Apple CarPlay’s modern design. It brings split-screen multitasking, a dock, a new media player, better space utilization to make the map look more extensive, Material You theming, and more to Android Auto.
It was in Beta for a long time, and the stability was still arguably horrible at launch. Despite multiple delays and many beta versions, the rollout of the new UI wasn’t smooth. There were many stability complaints, including Ghost Touch issues and random freeze-ups.
These issues were there even with the previous five versions of Android Auto. Google didn’t directly address these in any of these versions. So, we’re not sure if the new Android Auto 10.5 version fixes these issues. Android Auto 10.5 Beta was available for download earlier this month, and many users tested it before it was promoted to the Stable Channel for public use. If you want to become a tester, you can sign up officially for the Beta versions on the Play Store. Alternatively, you can download and install an APK from a reliable website and test the new versions yourself.
The rollout of Android Auto 10.5 follows the typical Google procedure, so not everyone will get the update simultaneously. The rollout depends on many factors, such as your region, and you have to wait until it arrives in yours, and you have to download it manually if you don’t want to wait. This gradual rollout is to ensure better stability in public builds.
You can download an APK of the stable version of Android Auto 10.5 to experience it on your device. The app has multiple valid signatures, so you have to figure out which one’s the best. You must install the app and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
If you expect any major changes with this version, there aren’t. This is a stability update, but users report a bug with apps like Waze and Google Maps. They randomly lose GPS tracking mid-way and freeze up. They return to normal after a few seconds, and there’s a chance that it’s an issue with Android Auto 10.5.
Android Auto 10.5 ships without release notes or patch notes, and Google doesn’t include a changelog. We can’t tell what’s new, but that bug is concerning. Android Auto will receive more apps soon. Recently, we got WebEx and Zoom in your car, and we will see many more Android Auto apps coming in the future. Some apps let you get your vehicle diagnosis data directly on your infotainment screen, like OBD2.
