Waze sending out emails to Android Auto beta testers, beta release could be just a few weeks away

It seems like we’ve been saying that Waze is coming to Android Auto for ages now, but in the public eye, very little progress has been made. Waze announced plans about two months ago for a beta test, and today it’s finally taking action on that.

Thanks to an anonymous source, we now know that Waze is giving its testers new instructions on how to use the beta version of Waze for Android Auto. Through a Play Store beta, the app will be available to those testers with feedback being collected via Centercode. The email asks testers to update their Centercode profiles, and lists which Android Auto device they will be testing (note: not Android devices with the Android Auto app).

The email also notes that users will need to be using Android Lollipop and up, as well as ensuring that they are using a hardwired connection (although Android Auto requires this anyway). Further, this reveals that the Waze app for Android Auto will be intentionally stripped of some features simply to keep the interface optimized for car dashboards.

It’s still unclear when Waze will publicly land on Android Auto, but this shows that progress is at least being made…

Beta testing for Waze on Android Auto (AA) is getting closer!! :) Please read everything below if you’re interested in testing.

Make sure to complete the following steps:

1. Make sure to update your Centercode profile with the details of your AA device via this link (ensure that you have an Android Auto compatible car; note: this isn’t the same as an in-car Android device).
2. If AA is available in your country and you haven’t already registered for testing, fill out this registration form carefully and make sure to submit the (Gmail) email address you use with your device.
3. Ensure that you have an Android phone with OS L+ (M/N preferred).

Please note:

• This integration has been optimized to work with the car dashboard and as such, many Waze features are intentionally excluded.
• All beta versions will be accessible via the Play Store Beta Channel, and feedback will be collected via Centercode – more details in the upcoming weeks.
• You cannot use Waze on AA without connecting your mobile phone to your AA enabled car with a USB cable.
• We know you’re all excited and we can’t wait to read your feedback. We also received several complaints regarding spam messages in the forum threads – so please note that irrelevant comments will be deleted..