A FAN -favorite feature that’s beloved by drivers is finally making its long-awaited return and it will revolutionize your driving experience.
This game-changing addition improves the integration between your smartphone and your car’s infotainment system, and appears to be on the verge of being rolled out.
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The much-heralded light theme for Android Auto was removed back in 2019 as part of a comprehensive redesign.
However, in 2023, it was revealed that Google was actively working on bringing it back.
At the time, the feature was reportedly in the very early stages of development but now seems to be nearing completion.
Two years ago, a Reddit user uncovered the feature and noted some initial issues – specifically, the light theme only applied to the navigation bar and suggestion cards.
Other areas, such as the settings, media apps, phone, and navigation apps, remained in dark mode, which made the light theme feel inconsistent and incomplete.
According to Android Authority, however, Google has since made significant progress with the updated light theme.
They report that it is no longer limited to the navigation bar and suggestion cards but is now applied consistently across all apps without color discrepancies.
Additionally, the colors now change dynamically with the system for better adaptability.
While dark mode is widely recognized for being easier on the eyes, light mode can be particularly useful for daytime driving when sunlight can make screens harder to read.
In such conditions, the lighter elements of the interface can improve visibility and usability.
This comes as three new features have arrived for CarPlay in an extensive app upgrade.
One of the best updates is an adaptation for larger displays, with CarPlay now supporting a third row of app icons on vehicles equipped with especially large screens, maximizing screen usage.
This change comes as Apple works to keep up with and adapt to a wide range of vehicle infotainment systems, which are becoming increasingly larger and more sophisticated.
Another exciting update will appeal to sports fans, as CarPlay now supports sports app integration.
Meanwhile, new plans will force drivers to install a new ‘speed’ feature on their vehicles which has motorists divided.
Elsewhere, a mechanic has revealed a three-step car air conditioning hack that is perfect for the summer and costs less than $3.
Scotty Kilmer, a car expert with some 55 years of experience, has revealed a handy spray that can get rid of any bad smells in your A/C.
Drivers can buy the cleaning item for less than $3 at Target and they just have to carry out the hack a couple of times a month to keep their vehicles fresh.
It comes after a woman realized too late that she’d made a very costly mistake after putting off a crucial maintenance job on her car for some 25,000 miles.
Apple CarPlay vs Android Auto
Both are phone mirroring apps for both operating systems that allow drivers to access contacts, make calls, and use navigation apps.
Many manufacturers allow access to both apps wirelessly, and all infotainment systems mirror your phone with a USB connection.
The idea behind phone mirroring apps designed for in-car use is to reduce distracted driving by making essential apps easier to access.
Key features of both apps are:
- Audiobook app access
- Podcast app access
- Navigational access (Google or Apple maps, which have your personal information already implemented, like your home address, work address, recent searches, and more).
- Phone apps, with contacts, favorites, recent calls, and more preprogrammed.
- Messaging apps that can read text messages aloud and transcribe a response through the vehicle’s microphone.
- Music apps like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music (iTunes), or others with your personal information, playlists, recent searches, and preferences built in.
- Calendar events, your car can alert you to an upcoming event or conference.
- Access to Google Assistant or Siri with vocal cues.