Android Automotive, not to be confused with Android Auto, just received a massive update that will substantially improve the infotainment experience for vehicle owners. Starting this week and expanding in the coming months, owners can find dozens of apps and games compatible with their in-vehicle displays.

Android Automotive is Google’s Android-based system built from the ground up for vehicles. Instead of Android Auto pairing to a phone and showing limited information, Android Automotive is an entire OS platform you’ll find in cars from Volvo, Polestar, Audio, Chevrolet, and more.

Unfortunately, the app selection for Android Automotive vehicles isn’t that great, and you won’t find endless options like we have on smartphones and tablets. Thankfully, back in January, Google revealed a big initiative to bring more apps to the platform and help developers adapt existing apps to support cars.

This week, thanks to Google’s big “Car ready mobile apps program,” the company announced nearly 70 apps and “dozens” of games are officially available for vehicle owners to download and try. Some of those include news apps from Fox and NBC, games like Roblox, Chess, Solitaire, and more.

Google’s announcement for Android Automotive didn’t share too many details, but the company specifically highlighted quality apps like F1 TV, Farm Heroes Saga, Chess Online, and a Kids Puzzles app. If you want to find the complete list, you can search the Google Play Store for car-ready apps and get more to choose from.

Keep in mind that while all of these fun apps and games are readily available right from the infotainment display on cars, you can’t launch or interact with most of them while driving. Safety is a top priority, so vehicles must be stopped and in the “park” position for full app access unless it’s a map and navigation system. For whatever reason, Google’s announcement this week states that this list of over 70 apps and games is coming to Volvo and Polestar models first, with availability in more vehicles coming in the near future.

Android Automotive still has a lot of work to do and leaves plenty to be desired, but this is certainly a step in the right direction. Google is slowly but surely improving every aspect of the in-vehicle experience, and automakers can access the open-source software to fine-tune it to their liking. Eventually, it should turn into a capable system for millions of vehicles.

Of course, with any operating system, apps are a key aspect. It looks like Android Automotive now offers upwards of 300 apps, and more are likely coming soon. So, the next time you’re patiently waiting while charging your best-selling electric vehicle, sitting in line to pick the kids up from school, or taking your work lunch break in your car, you’ll have a few more entertainment options.

Lately, more and more automakers are ditching CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of taking more control over the in-vehicle experience. As a result, we’re seeing more cars arrive with the full Android Automotive experience. Now, if Google can keep making these types of improvements and adding apps, maybe our vehicles can catch up to the phones in our hands.

Source: Google Blog