The update makes it easier to find dashboard apps and adds more entertainment options for charging stops and other parked moments.
Think about how much time you spend sitting in your car every week. There’s the school run, the daily commute, and those long breaks while your EV charges. Google wants to make those moments a little more fun with its latest update to cars with Google built-in.
If you are not familiar, Google built-in ships in over 100 car models from 16 different brands. It gives you apps like Google Maps and Gemini on the dashboard without needing your phone.
What’s new with Google Play in your car?
Google Play already offers more than 700 apps for your car, and now Google is giving the store a fresh redesign to help you find them faster.
The homepage now shows off popular picks and recently added apps, and installing something takes just one tap. Google has also cleaned up the menus and added handpicked app collections that change based on whether your car is moving or parked.
I also like that the new layout reshapes itself to match your car’s screen. Whether your display is tall, wide, or oddly shaped, Google Play should look right at home.
Can you finally watch YouTube in your car?
Yes, but only while you are parked. Google is also bringing STARZ, Firefox, Ludo King, and JioHotstar to the store, so you can catch up on a show, play a quick game, or surf the internet during your downtime.
The coolest addition is how YouTube handles the switch from parked to driving. You can enjoy videos on the big screen while stationary, and once you put the car in drive, the video quietly turns into audio so nothing gets cut off. It’s perfect for those long podcasts and video essays you never get to finish.
Google says it is teaming up with carmakers like Mazda, Honda, Polestar, BYD, and Volvo, as well as media companies such as Audible, Pandora, SiriusXM, and Amazon Music, to create more experiences like this.
When will you get it?
The new Google Play will reach cars over the next few weeks and installs on its own. So the next time you are waiting in the pickup line, take a look at your dashboard, as a fresh new Google Play might already be there for you.
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Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.
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