Android Auto goes widescreen on some Hyundai vehicles with latest updates

Ben Schoon | May 3 2022 - 7:51 am PT

The infotainment system in your car isn’t a one-size-fits-all arrangement. There are numerous types of screens and setups in modern cars, and extra-wide displays have become fairly common. Thanks to recent updates, some Hyundai vehicles with widescreen layouts are getting better Android Auto support.

As first highlighted on Reddit, recent software updates made available by Hyundai have quietly unlocked the ability to use Android Auto in its widescreen form.

The example in question is in a 2021 Elantra, which has a wide screen along the top of the console. The Redditor’s vehicle was eligible for a new software update which unlocked the full 10.5-inch display to Android Auto, where before Google’s experience only took up around two-thirds of the display. In this case, the Redditor says that he’s using Android Auto in its wired form and had to ensure that the “enable split screen” developer option was enabled to get this wider design. He also mentioned that his wireless Android Auto adapter, AAWireless, didn’t work following the update until “passthrough” mode was enabled.

Google first added widescreen support to Android Auto in early 2021, with some Mazda, BMW, and Skoda vehicles immediately taking advantage of the wide canvas. For whatever reason, though, some Hyundai vehicles with wider displays couldn’t do the same thing. In its widescreen mode, Android Auto can show widgets for music as well as for Maps along the side of the display, while showing other apps on the main section. Navigation is also shifted to be vertical along the driver’s side of the car.

AutoEvolution claims that Hyundai owners aren’t alone in this new widescreen Android Auto update. Apparently, some Kia vehicles are also gaining support for wider aspect ratios for Android Auto as a result of updates to the car’s platform. However, and important to note, couldn’t find any information backing up that claim, though, so take that with a grain of salt. The latest update beyond a simple navigation map update rolled out last November, months before Hyundai added this support. Kia does share a similar infotainment system, though, so this wouldn’t be particularly surprising.

There’s no official list available, sadly, of what cars have been updated. However, it’s probably a safe bet that other 2021+ Hyundai vehicles with these wider displays are eligible for an update. If you’re a Hyundai owner, you can check for updates on the carmaker’s website, complete with instructions on how to perform the update. Kia has a nearly identical portal with the same update details.