Android Auto Updates: Video and Full-Screen ViewGoogleGoogle and Apple continue to improve their smartphone mirroring functions.Android Auto is getting several updates this year, including video playback, widgets, and Google Maps updates.Cars with Google built-in software will benefit from additional AI capabilities with Google Gemini.In the lead-up to this year's Google I/O developer conference, big G has announced some Android updates that will be of particular interest to drivers in its ecosystem. This includes people using Android Auto to project their phone to their in-car touchscreen, as well as anyone with a car that uses Google-based infotainment.Screenmaxxing, Widgets, In-Car VideoWith the updates coming to Android 11.0 and up later this year, full screen will actually mean full screen. Automotive interior designers seemingly invent new shapes for display screens all the time, and non-native systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so far haven't kept up, instead appearing in a rectilinear view within a view. Google's latest fixes that.GoogleIn the case of Mini's, um, unique circular center screen, firing up Android Auto will no longer display a rectangular peg in a round hole. The Android Auto interface now stretches from the left curved edge to the right, with only the top and bottom cropped to display vehicle-level info and controls.AdvertisementAdvertisementLikewise, in the Lucid Gravity, the top driver display, with its organic shape and rounded corners, no longer gets letterboxed. Google also specifically called out the BMW Neue Klasse's infotainment system and its irregular quadrilateral display, all of which are used when you're navigating with the upgraded Google Maps.GoogleRegardless of the shape of your Android Auto view, these new updates also bring customizable widgets that can show user-selected items, including photos, weather, and contact shortcuts. They'll even overlay on the Google Maps view to surface things like the current audio without completely obscuring the map and directions. Google Maps is coming in for its own refresh, with what Google calls immersive navigation that shows 3-D buildings and overpasses.Drivers who want to turn their car into a drive-in theater will rejoice now that Google is adding video playback to the Android Auto feature set. The system is smart enough to transition to audio-only when driving to reduce distraction. Google suggests this is great for video podcasts because it turns them into—podcasts? Select apps will support video playback at up to 60 frames per second.GoogleAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Android Auto is hooked up to a phone with Gemini Intelligence, some of those AI features will make their way to the screen as well. With Magic Cue, currently only available on the Pixel 10, the screen can suggest one-tap responses, like sending someone the address of where you're meeting them, or adding an appointment to your (Google) calendar.Google Built-In Gets SmarterNot to be left out, cars that use the tech company's Google built-in software for their infotainment systems see some updates as well. On the video side, HBO Max will let you watch all of the content, and Zoom is coming soon to ruin your excuse of not having a laptop.GoogleGoogle Gemini gets some situational awareness too. It now knows your car and can answer model-specific questions. Google's example has a driver asking if the box for their new TV will fit in the cargo area, and Gemini responds with the rough dimensions and an answer.Google built-in comes on many new models from Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Polestar, Volvo, and their subsidiaries.AdvertisementAdvertisement➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsYou Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029