Coolwalk was undoubtedly one of many largest updates ever acquired by Android Auto. Google launched it later than deliberate, and after initially promising it in the summertime of 2022, the rollout ultimately kicked off in January 2023.
The profit is clear. As an alternative of getting to toggle between apps, customers can maintain important apps like navigation and the music participant on the display.
The transition to Coolwalk included a serious overhaul of the Android Auto interface. The standing bar on the high of the display was ditched, and all the data that it included was transferred to the taskbar. The clock is now positioned within the decrease proper nook.
Nevertheless, the transition from the standing bar to the taskbar didn’t embrace one essential part. The climate data, which was displayed within the standing bar with the present temperature and an icon displaying situations, was gone.
Photograph: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Coolwalk makes use of playing cards to divide its interface and show extra apps facet by facet. Navigation apps get the most important card, whereas the remainder of the apps use the remaining playing cards.
Google wished to make use of an identical strategy to show climate data.
Nevertheless, as a result of Coolwalk was designed to run on screens of all sizes, facet ratios, and resolutions, integrating a climate card was a large problem.
Because of this Google supplied a climate card solely on portrait screens. Google demoed this characteristic within the authentic Android Auto movies and press photographs, although all supplies included a climate card solely on portrait screens.
Photograph: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
It did not take lengthy for customers to start out asking Google why the climate card is now accessible for everyone.
The corporate remained fully tight-lipped on this topic, although data posted on-line by Android Auto crew members and group specialists on Google boards steered that the search big was wanting into this shortcoming.
One strategy that Google explored was to someway make room for the climate card on all screens by permitting customers to swipe between sure much less important playing cards.
For instance, the navigation card is taken into account high-priority, whereas the music app receives a lower-priority flag. Google might combine swipe help within the music app card to let customers swipe and alter the cardboard to climate data.
Photograph: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Irrespective of how it’s performed, Google desires to deliver climate information to all Android Auto customers. Nevertheless, we’re already multiple 12 months and a half away from the second the corporate began the rollout of the Coolwalk replace, and the characteristic remains to be lacking.
I revisited this topic several times before, particularly as customers had been nonetheless ready for Google to deliver climate information to Android Auto. Nevertheless, it now seems to be like everyone forgot in regards to the climate card, and never even Google appears to be all in favour of bringing such performance to customers anymore.
It is unclear what occurs with the event of this characteristic. I requested my sources at Google and no person is aware of what is going on on. It is unclear if the climate card remains to be on the desk, however even whether it is, it hasn’t made progress currently, and that is why most individuals do not know if it is nonetheless coming.
Photograph: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
Customers can nonetheless get climate data with devoted full forecast apps. The variety of apps on this house has elevated considerably, and customers can get entry to extra superior climate information, together with not solely important bits like the present temperature and situations, but in addition a radar.
Some apps may also show climate alongside the best way when navigation is enabled, so customers can monitor how the climate modifications as they drive to their vacation spot.
Apple can also be ignoring this characteristic request. CarPlay doesn’t show climate information both, regardless of Apple having sufficient house within the dock to show the present temperature and an icon indicating the situations.
Apple has additionally been tight-lipped on this entrance, however CarPlay is enhancing in the identical course as Android Auto, with full apps providing entry to extra information than the fundamental data built-in into the primary app’s UI. It is potential that Google and Android Auto particularly ignore these options to let devoted apps develop on this house, although this would not make sense, contemplating customers would be capable of see climate data with out the necessity for an additional app.
In the meantime, customers have additionally stopped asking Google to deliver a climate card to Android Auto, so it’s going to be fascinating to see if the search big is at the least exploring this concept. The corporate is specializing in many different modifications, together with help for FM radio and listening to native media with out leaving the Android Auto interface, and it would not appear like the climate card remains to be on the desk.
Do you want climate data in Android Auto? Let me know what you suppose within the remark field after the leap.
