Google rarely publishes release notes for its updates, claiming that the work was entirely aimed at getting rid of bugs and under the hood optimizations. However, we have good news for those who have already received the Coolwalk redesign.
First of all, it’s time for the obligatory warning of coolwalk. Android Auto 8.9 does not enable the redesign on devices where the new interface is not yet active, nor does it produce any improvement in the availability of the new interface.
This happens because the launch of Coolwalk is not tied to Android Auto updatesas Google uses a server-driven approach to bring the redesign to users of the navigation and entertainment app.
Therefore, the installation of Android Auto 8.9 will not carry Coolwalk to users who have not yet received the new interface. But, on the other hand, it will introduce some extra polish for those who do have it in their car (on mobile, really, since it’s a mirror).
Google will most likely need to further improve these new visual effects before making them available to everyone in the app, but we will most likely see them working in the next few weeks.
Changes coming to Android Auto 8.9
Otherwise, Android Auto 8.9 is as mysterious as all its predecessors. Google doesn’t usually share changelogs for new versions of Android Auto, so users will have to install the update and find out for themselves if there’s anything important.
Meanwhile, the Coolwalk rollout is also progressing apace. Although the global availability phase has not yet been reached, more and more people are receiving the new design in their cars.
The biggest benefit of turning on Coolwalk in Android Auto is that now users can run multiple apps side by side regardless of screen size. Coolwalk uses a similar approach to Apple CarPlay, in which apps running on the screen have their own dedicated cards.
The navigation application, either google maps or Waze, you get the largest card, while the rest of the screen is used for audio apps (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) and phone calls.
Vertical displays also feature a weather card, but Google is likely already working on bringing this feature to head units with a horizontal aspect ratio.
The rollout of Android Auto 8.9 is also taking place in phases through the Google Play Store, but you can install it without waiting by loading the APK file that we leave you here.
How to install Android Auto 8.9
It is expected that the news will be activated from the server side, so you will be able to do little from your side, beyond waiting patiently and being connected to the Internet.
But if you feel lucky and want to update to stable Android Auto 8.9, follow the steps below:
- Open Google Play and enter Manage apps and device to check for updates to the Android Auto app, or search for “Android Auto” to see if the Update button appears.
- Otherwise, and if you continue with a previous version, you can download and install Android Auto 8.9.6306 from its APK, what you will find in APKMirror.
As you well know, Google is very keen to share updates with everyone. In our case, until two weeks ago we did not receive the visual update to our car, even though we had version 8.6 of Android Auto.
Undoubtedly, the app has improved entirely with the arrival of the cards, since it gives more control over the apps that are displayed on the screen, being able to change the song on Spotify while you follow the directions on Google Maps. Good job Android Auto.
