Android Auto is one step closer to controlling your car's built-in radio tuner

Google is putting a lot of work into making Android Auto a holistic in-car control solution, as it continues to work on support for radio controls. It’s been at this for several months now, but it now appears the feature is inching ever closer to primetime.

Per our investigation of Android Auto’s latest app version, Google has included the following new strings that point to a radio station search feature.

<string name="empty_radio_tab_action_label">Search for stations</string>

<string name="empty_radio_tab_message">There are no stations available right now</string>

Such a feature could allow travelers to find and tune to their favorite channels using Android Auto, rather than their in-car tuners.

This find dovetails with the discovery of a new HD Radio image found within this version. HD Radio, mentions of which we spotted in previous teardowns, is effectively a digital mirror of existing analog stations used predominantly across North America. Millions of cars from various automakers currently support this technology, too.

Interestingly, there’s also the mention of a “Radio tab,” which could serve as a hub for the platform’s radio features. It’s unclear how this might be presented to users.

Android Auto has allowed travelers access to radio apps in the past via the Google Play Store, effectively bridging the gap between analog radio and Auto’s lack of native digital radio support. However, with built-in radio controls seemingly on the way, users would likely be able to skip third-party solutions entirely.

The latest radio control news for Android Auto comes hot on the heels of its ongoing development of video support for the platform, which still doesn’t have a confirmed arrival date.