Google has unexpectedly introduced a change that will please Android Auto users: it is now possible to choose the wallpaper with which to personalize the car console. Of course, said background must correspond exactly to the wallpaper of the connected smartphone: If you change your cell phone, you change your car.
A small change can be a big thing in a system that doesn’t receive excessive new visible features, like Android Auto. And, although little by little it evolved into the Coolwalk look we have today, Google prefers to correct all the errors it finds from mobile and automobile manufacturers rather than testing possible changes in the user interface. Because how long have we asked Android Auto for the ability to personalize wallpapers beyond choosing those provided as standard?
If you have a wallpaper on your mobile, you also have it on your car
Google activates the novelty from its servers without there being a jump between versions: we received the customization of wallpapers with the latest beta version of Android Auto installed, version 11 (which is no longer beta , is available in its stable form). As soon as we connected the cell phone to the car, and after browsing the list of applications, we could see the leap forward in customization.
The car screen offers the same wallpaper in the app drawer as the connected mobile on desktops.. Of course, with a few exceptions, since not all wallpapers are transferred to the vehicle console, at least for now:
- Android Auto does not display live wallpapers. If one of these wallpapers is selected on the mobile phone, the car will display one of those supplied by default with the smartphone (the first in the list).
- Google Pixel AI backgrounds not visible in car. All backgrounds generated from Google phones with Android 14 are only visible on the phone: Android Auto displays a default background for the phone.
The wallpapers chosen, whether photos from the gallery or downloaded images or those provided with the smartphone, They are shown on the car screen as a cutout
By default, Android Auto loads the image of the connected mobile whenever the user has the option activated. Now it is possible to disconnect it so that the car does not synchronize the wallpaper with the phone.
- Go to Android Auto settings.
- Uncheck the “Use phone wallpaper in Android Auto” box.
The applications drawer present in the vehicle console It will turn dark gray and without the possibility of customizing it: The old background selection is gone.
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