Android Auto could soon get its own Quick Settings tiles, one toggle at a time

Google has already made bold claims about a major Android Auto redesign and promised to deliver it by the end of the year. The refresh brings a borderless design that adapts better to a variety of screen shapes, widget support, and a media player that doesn’t hog more space than it needs. These changes make the Android Auto interface comparable to Apple’s CarPlay and are expected to roll out in batches through the end of the year.

While we await the big redesign, Google is experimenting with smaller changes, including the new Android Auto icon it quietly switched to earlier today. Along with it, Google is also testing new Android Auto features, and we dug them up for you.

With the latest beta (version 17.6.663424) of the Android Auto app, we’ve discovered new UI changes, including a new weather animation featuring a raccoon. Along with that, we have discovered new Quick Settings tiles in Android Auto. These are similar to Quick Settings tiles on Android phones and should let you change key settings in a jiffy, without digging around in Settings.

Like Android, these Quick Settings tiles appear at the top of the notifications shade, which you can access by tapping the battery and signal strength icons (not by swiping down from the top edge of the screen).

Currently, we only see the option to add a “Do Not Disturb” tile at the top of the notifications panel. This option can be used to toggle DND on the phone connected to the car.

Meanwhile, the tile also adopts the system’s accent color to mark that it’s activated.

We also see a Settings button at the top, right next to the Quick Settings. As on an Android phone or tablet, this button can be used to open Android Auto Settings from the car’s screen.

It’s worth emphasizing that Quick Settings on Android Auto are only being tested by Google and aren’t available to users just yet. We’ll ensure informing you when they’re updated further or start rolling out.