Android Auto and Android Automotive: what’s the difference?

Android Auto is Google’s automotive interface for smartphones, just as CarPlay is for Apple. It allows users of compatible Android smartphones (from Android 8.0) to find some of their applications on the central screen of their vehicle, with an interface adapted to this use.

The majority of new cars and modern car radios are now compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. They can be with the wired version of these interfaces, which requires a USB connection to connect, in addition to a Bluetooth connection, or with their wireless version for compatible smartphones. Android Auto and sound alter ego to the apple are displayed in a dedicated menu, which allows you to switch between these replication interfaces and the car interface. CarPlay, however, plans to integrate more deeply in the future, including some vehicle functions directly.

Android Automotive OS: an operating system dedicated to automobiles

Google chose a different strategy, offering an Android Auto replication interface and a parallel operating system. It is called Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and is made available to manufacturers, in the same way that Android is made available to smartphone manufacturers. Many manufacturers have already chosen to use Android Automotive OS as the native interface for their vehicles, which does not prevent them from remaining compatible with Apple CarPlay and even with… Android Auto.

As with smartphones, manufacturers can decide to develop an overlay for their interfaces based on Android Automotive OS. It can therefore be difficult to notice the presence of the automotive version of Android, especially since not all cars that are equipped with it necessarily have access to the famous Google Aps. When present, under the name Google Automotive Services (GAS), it is possible to access Google Maps and the Google Assistant natively, as well as many other applications available on the Play Store. ‘Android Automotive OS.

This operating system does not require connecting with a smartphone, unlike Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but takes on its full meaning when a Google account is associated with it. It is of course possible not to connect to it, for those who do not want to let Google interfere in their car.