This way, it cannot be a distraction to the driver. It is of utmost importance that video play is used only while the vehicle is parked. However, there are ways to unlock video streaming with Android Auto. Google has blocked apps like YouTube and Netflix on Android Auto. It goes without saying that watching a video while driving can be deadly and for safety reasons. The primary apps that are supported are GPS mapping and navigation, Web search, SMS, telephone, and music players. With Android Auto, supported apps on the Android device will be mirrored to the car’s display or dashboard head unit. This is essentially to assist drivers using voice navigation and improve safety with hands-free calling. Automobile makers started offering Android Auto integration to their car radio or infotainment systems. It either remains in place permanently, or folds away and retracts into the dash for greater security and a cleaner look.Android Auto allows drivers to interact with their Android device, like a smartphone or tablet, while driving. Integrating systems like reversing cameras into the new units isn’t a problem either, according to Vengalia, who estimates the average cost of adding an Android Auto system to a car is around £400.Ī new Android Auto head unit is generally based around a colour touch screen that’s built into the unit. Toyota, for example, makes things relatively simple by using double-DIN (think two DINs stacked on top of each other), while Mazda is a little more difficult. ‘Some brands like Ford and Holden really headed down the integrated path a few years ago, but even so we can still install a system in most modern cars.’ ‘It’s the most common job we do these days,’ said Clinton Venaglia, who owns InCar Installations in the southern NSW city of Wollongong. However, if your car has a more integrated system, modern installers have worked out ways to retrofit a system that can run Android Auto and make it look factory. This meant that all cars would be equipped with a universally standard-sized radio unit. DIN is named after the German standards body that defined a DIN slot as being two inches by eight inches, or 5cm by 20cm.

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