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Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
We’ve known for a while that Google is cooking something big for Android Auto, and the closer we get to the I/O developer conference, the more evidence on this front is discovered. Android Auto 16.8, which is now available for beta users, confirms that widgets are coming to users, with the release almost imminent.
Now, it looks like a feature that users first asked for approximately 10 years ago is on its way to production devices.
Android Auto has one big purpose: to extend the Android experience to the vehicle’s infotainment screen, therefore making using the smartphone unnecessary. This is particularly important for drivers for obvious reasons, but the most important is safety behind the wheel.
However, not all essential Android features are also available on Android Auto. For example, the ability to control phone alarms is missing, and users have no option but to pull over and pick up their mobile devices.
Here’s an example. If you have an alarm set on your phone, and it’s triggered when you drive, the only option to stop or snooze it is to pick up your mobile device. This obviously is a big no-no when the car is in motion, so the only safe way to handle an alarm is to pull over.
Google is now working on changing this.
Evidence found in the code hiding in Android Auto 16.8 beta includes references to an alarm feature bundled with the app. This feature will provide access to alarms configured on the smartphone, so when the time comes for an alarm to be triggered, users get options to stop or snooze them directly on the infotainment screen.
The interface is similar to the one used by messages. The pop-up appears at the top of the screen, indicating that an alarm has been triggered, with two quick options that can be tapped directly in the pop-up to snooze or stop them.
Photo: AndroidAuthority
This is the first time we get to see Android Auto’s alarm options, so the feature is still in the works. There’s no ETA at this point, but everything looks pretty refined, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ability to control alarms from Android Auto going live in the coming months.
With I/O already on the radar, it’s probably a matter of time until Android Auto gets the major new features that Google has been quietly working on for more than a few months. Some of the biggest features coming to Android Auto are the support for widgets, air conditioning integration, vehicle radio station controls, and new icons for weather data.
The new alarm controls aren’t yet live in Android Auto 16.8, but are only hiding in the update’s code, so you won’t see the feature if you install this build.