Android Auto

Android Auto 7.9 now available in beta, as previous update rolls out widely

Ben Schoon | Jul 5 2022 - 7:10 am PT

Google is rolling out a new update for Android Auto with the version number 7.9, just in time for the previous update to finally be rolling out more widely.

Android Auto 7.9: Rolling out now, but what’s new?

Over the past few days, Google has started pushing Android Auto 7.9 to users signed up for the app’s public beta. Those enrolled through the Play Store may see version 7.9 as an available update, but it’s not available to everyone.

Unfortunately, Google never offers up much information on what’s new in a specific Android Auto version. With Android Auto 7.9, we simply don’t know what’s new just yet, and there are no obvious signs behind the scenes either.

But, we can assume that this version is continuing to work on Android Auto’s known issues such as problems with the Galaxy S22 series. There’s surely also work on the “Coolwalk” redesign, officially announced at I/O, still underway even though that redesign is not live with 7.9.

Meanwhile, Android Auto 7.8 is available for more users

Just as Google has released Android Auto 7.9 to its beta testers, more users in the stable update track are seeing the Android Auto 7.8 update available to their devices.

Like this latest update, it’s not entirely clear what Google addressed with the 7.8 update, as there’s no official changelog or immediately obvious effects after installing.

When the update was available in beta, Google was performing a test relating to the setup process. After installing 7.8, some received a notification asking for them to repeat setup in their cars. It’s still not clear what purpose that test filled.

Of course, there’s something important to keep in mind with Android Auto app updates. These updates are typically released at wildly different speeds for everyone.

While 7.8 appears to be rolling out relatively widely at this point, many users will still find Android Auto 7.7 at the latest version available for them in the Google Play Store, as is the case on one of our own devices. This does not prevent Android Auto from functioning properly, though.