Google announced a major redesign of Android Auto and the company said it expects this in the summer. However, it never came. We all wondered if this redesign had been canceled or delayed. Now, according to Android Central, the new Android Auto Coolwalk design is now going into beta testing.
At Google I/O 2022, Google introduced us to the new Coolwalk design for Android Auto. This is an interface designed to help drivers focus better on the road. It offers a convenient split screen mode that keeps all the essential elements on one screen.
For example, you can let your media player take up part of the screen. This eliminates the need to navigate to your media playback app. Another example is that your messages appear on a part of the screen. You can see them without having to pull down your notification shade or go to the messaging app.
Android Auto Coolwalk is finally in beta testing
We all wondered if Google canned this redesign, but apparently it hasn’t. It seems that the company wanted to take some extra time to make sure the new interface would work properly.
So, after a delay of a few months, the feature is starting to get to more people through beta testing. We don’t know exactly how extensive the beta test is, so don’t worry if you don’t see the new UI yet. The beta program should reach more users over time.
What is the Android Auto Coolwalk interface?
As mentioned before, Google prioritizes safety by eliminating distractions for drivers. The interface uses a split screen mode to avoid the need for the driver to interact with their phone or other devices.
The split screen keeps the navigation closer to the driver, making it easier to see where you’re driving. On the other hand, you have other elements. This means everything is on one screen.
Another benefit of Coolwalk is deeper integration with Google Assistant. This means even less physically interacting with your phone. When you receive a text message, you can use the Google Assistant to answer it instead of looking at your device. You can also call back missed calls received while driving with your voice.
At this point, we don’t know exactly when Google plans to release this new interface to the masses. However, if you know that the Android Auto Coolwalk interface is in beta testing, you won’t have long to wait.