Safety is the whole design
Android Auto apps don't give you a free canvas. Google enforces strict, template-based UIs so drivers aren't reading or tapping through complex screens at 70 mph. You build within approved templates — lists, grids, messages, navigation, playback — designed to minimize glance time.
This is a feature, not a limitation. The constraint is what keeps the app safe and gets it approved. Interaction leans on voice, large controls, and minimal steps, and anything that would distract a driver simply isn't allowed.
- Template-based UI within Google's Car App Library — no custom free-form screens
- Strict limits on text, actions, and steps to reduce driver distraction
- Voice interaction and large, simple controls over typing and reading
- Approved app categories: navigation, points-of-interest, and media/messaging types
- Behavior that changes appropriately between parked and driving states
Getting an Auto app approved and shipped
Android Auto apps go through an additional Google review focused on driver safety and adherence to the templates, on top of standard Play review. Apps that try to bend the templates or add distracting elements don't pass, so we build to the guidelines from the start.
We also determine early whether your idea fits an approved Android Auto category — the platform is deliberately limited to app types that make sense while driving. If it fits, we scope the templates you'll need; if it doesn't, we'll tell you honestly rather than build something that can't ship.
- Built on the Car App Library to Google's driver-distraction guidelines
- Confirmation up front that your app fits an approved Auto category
- The extra Android Auto review and quality checks planned into the timeline
- Testing with the Desktop Head Unit and, where possible, real head units
- Companion phone app that hosts the Auto experience
More on android apps
Frequently asked questions
Can any app be added to Android Auto?
No. Google restricts Android Auto to specific categories — chiefly navigation, points-of-interest, and media/messaging-style apps — and enforces safety templates. If your idea falls outside those, it won't be approved, and we'll tell you that before you invest.
Why can't my Auto app look however I want?
Because it's used while driving. Google mandates standardized templates specifically to limit how long a driver's eyes leave the road. Custom, free-form screens are disallowed by design. We work within the templates to make your app clear and on-brand where the rules allow.
Does Android Auto need a separate app?
The Auto experience is delivered through your phone app using the Car App Library, not as a wholly separate product. The car interface is a distinct, template-based surface of the same app. We'll scope how that fits your existing or planned Android app.