Google may be working on more than one significant tweak to how Android Auto treats media. Alongside the small but significant visual update to the media player we told you about yesterday, the latest beta release of Android Auto includes clues of another noteworthy new feature.
Android Auto may let you cast media to your car
Version 15.9.6551 of Android Auto includes some code suggesting that Google may be working on adding Google Cast support to the software. Code strings, spotted by 9to5Google, explicitly mention Google Cast in relation to a car and were found around the Media Router framework.
Adding Google Cast support to Android Auto wouldn’t be a shocking development. Android Automotive, Google’s operating system running directly on a car’s hardware, already supports the feature.
How will this feature work
As most of the code strings are fairly generic, it’s still possible that Cast support is not coming directly to Android Auto. However, it would be surprising for Google to have another reason to add the strings to its code.
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Android Auto is sort of a “casting” solution in the first place, as the whole experience is based on using a host smartphone with a target display. Considering that, it would be interesting to see how casting would work in the context of Android Auto. Maybe the feature will allow casting from one phone to another or from a phone to the car screen.
Would you use video casting to Android Auto?
No, I already have a screen I can cast to in my car
1.61%
No, I don’t need to cast to my car
30.65%
Maybe, if it works with my car and phone
25.81%
Yes, I’ve been waiting for this feature
41.94%
62 Votes
Google has previously teased video support on Android Auto, which the company said would work with Android 16 phones and on “compatible cars.” Technically, Apple already allows apps to use AirPlay video in the car with CarPlay, though no car currently supports it.
Waiting can feel better
I don’t think casting to a car display is an essential feature, but it would be more than welcome. Every EV owner who needs to wait a bit to charge their car would love to play video on the screen of their vehicle without struggling with workarounds.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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