Do you have the Android Auto ‘Coolwalk’ redesign yet? [Poll]

Ben Schoon | Jan 16 2023 - 7:06 am PT

After some heavy delays, Google finally launched its latest major redesign of Android Auto, codenamed “Coolwalk,” to the general public early this month. But many users still have yet to get the update – have you?

What is “Coolwalk” anyway?

As a quick summary, what is this latest Android Auto redesign?

Google’s updated take on the platform that serves as an extension of your smartphone in the car is to give Android Auto a “dashboard.” This allows displays of any sizes to show two or more “cards” at a time, with each card containing information relevant to your drive. This always includes a music widget and your navigation app, but can also include commonly chosen destinations, current weather conditions, and more. One of the big ideas behind this is to better serve new screen sizes, but it also brings benefits to those on smaller, more traditional infotainment systems.

Another new feature in “Coolwalk” is the taskbar, which can show a few of your most used apps for easy access, as well as widgets for music or mapping if you turn that feature on. Other new features included with the Android Auto “Coolwalk” redesign consist of splashes of Material You-esque theming in music apps, as well as a new seek bar for easily moving through music or podcasts.

Many Android Auto users don’t yet have the redesign

Top comment by Jonathan McHatton

Liked by 18 people

I get why they do this super slow rollout but if you want the update you should be able to get it. Give us an opt-in.

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However, despite Google having publicly announced the stable rollout of Android Auto’s redesign in early January, it seems that the vast majority of folks have yet to get that update.

Google is, as is common in these sorts of upgrades, delivering “Coolwalk” as a server-side update. It appears to be account-based rather than tied to a specific app version, which can be a bit annoying as users have virtually no control over when the update might arrive. Many users on Reddit have voiced their frustration with not yet seeing the update.

Of course, Google launched Android Auto’s “Coolwalk” redesign first in beta, where the update was available in a matter of hours for users enrolled in the beta program, which was full for the most part.

But have you been able to get in on the latest version of Android Auto? Let us know in the poll, and share your story in the comments!