Quick Summary
A big change is coming to the design of some media apps in Android Auto.
That should make it more familiar, and allow for added personalisation.
If you're a fan of tech developments which don't revolve around AI, last nights Google I/O event didn't have too much for you. Indeed, the first 92 minutes of the 111 minute presentation revolved entirely around AI and its implementation across the Google suite.
Still, it seems there's a lot of other news arriving around the periphery of the event, including some interesting automotive developments. As the show was happening, we heard about a new project with Volvo, to bring context-aware AI into your commute.
Now, there's news of another update, which should affect a few more users. As reported by 9to5Google, there's an update coming to the Android Auto Car App Library, which is going to let media apps make some fairly major design changes.
In a blog post, the brand explained, "We're increasing the modularity of existing templates to give developers more flexibility and options for laying out content. These improvements include expanded headers for better visual emphasis, such as on detail pages, spotlight sections that can be placed in scrollable areas to highlight specific content, and grid item variations to support different content types and states."
Any developers interested in making these changes will be able to apply for a beta programme, but there are a range of popular apps which are already making changes. That includes Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and more.
It's a great update, and a real opportunity for the brands to return a little of their own personality to the platform. Prior to this update, a lot of the different apps felt quite cookie cutter, with a relatively strict set of requirements on how the apps should appear.
We're expecting more and more developers to take the plunge over the coming weeks and months, so keep your eyes peeled if the one you use most often isn't included yet.
