Android Auto Inches Closer to a Home Screen Widget Experience

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Google has been working to bring home-screen widgets to Android Auto for quite some time. The feature now appears ready for launch as “Car widgets,” letting users customize their car dashboard. The company could debut it at Google I/O 2026, which kicks off on May 19.

You will soon be able to add widgets to Android Auto’s dashboard

Last year, we learned that Google was quietly developing a home-screen widget feature for Android Auto under the codename “Earth.” At the time, the project was in early development, suggesting how the feature could work. Now, Google appears to have made a lot of progress, with the settings page and UI looking final.

While digging through Android Auto version 16.8.161804-release.daily, folks over at Android Authority spotted clear signs that the feature is nearing completion. The feature is no longer hidden behind internal names. Instead, the company labeled it as “Car widgets,” with a description that reads “show glanceable information with quick controls.”

If you tap the new label, a widget picker appears, letting you search available widgets. The browse tab shows app names alongside the number of widgets each app has. There is a featured section that should display your favorite widgets. Picking any widget gives you a preview so you can see how it fits your needs before adding it to the dashboard.

However, it remains unclear when Google will make “Car widgets” available on Android Auto. The outlet expects the upcoming Google I/O to be the perfect event to present the feature. This means we are just a little under three weeks away from a possible launch.

At the moment, Android Auto offers limited customization features, including “Taskbar Widgets” and “Customize launcher.” The former provides quick controls for media playback at the bottom of the screen, while the latter lets users add shortcuts for actions such as calling a contact. However, the upcoming “Car widgets” will take the customization experience to the next level.

Written by

Binay Konwar

Binay Konwar started his blogging journey in 2014 and has since written plenty of tech articles. At present, he is working as a News Writer at SammyGuru, covering everything about Samsung. He holds a Master's degree in Mathematics, but his real passion lies in tech and writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and watching movies.

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