Automakers to Release Android Auto in 2026: Here’s Why

Since 2015, consumers and automakers have had a handshake deal: we’ll buy their cars if they let us connect our smartphones to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. For a decade or so, it worked like a charm. We get seamless access to our music, maps and communications, while automakers outsource key infotainment system technology to Google or Apple.

Recently, however, that equation has changed. One of the world’s largest automakers, General Motors, has announced that it will roll out Android Auto to its EVs, and plans to roll it out to all of its vehicles in the near future. In its place, GM will offer its own chat-based system that will use Google’s Gemini AI.

Some manufacturers never offered Android Auto in the first place, notably Rivian and Tesla. And while most 2026 car models still offer the technology, that could soon change for a number of reasons — and you might not like any of them.

To understand how Android Auto came to dominate car dashboards, a brief history lesson is in order. Android Auto began, like CarPlay, as a simple display app, allowing you to connect your phone to the car via USB to get a ready-to-drive version of the infotainment screen. The manufacturer’s discovery was not immediate. Toyota and Ford tried to make their own system and BMW even tried to charge users $80 a year for CarPlay (while not supporting Android Auto at all until 2020).

Car buyers didn’t want that. Instead, they liked the idea of ​​connecting their phones and having all their tunes, contacts and addresses available without hassle or expense. Gradually, car manufacturers started to offer it as an option alongside their in-house infotainment systems. Google has made that very easy by not charging for integration.

Google made a new play in 2017 with Android Automotive OS (AAOS), which debuted with Polestar 2 in 2020. That supports Android Auto, but also provides an Android-based car operating system that doesn’t require your phone’s processing power. This came at a good time, as traditional car manufacturers like Volkswagen discovered that making an OS for a car is not the same as building a transaxle. Many gave up and adopted AAOS in some or all of their models, starting with Volvo and a few Stellantis and GM brands.

For added convenience, Google helps itself to a lot of data you generate while driving. On top of the general information collected, it also captures GPS and map data that it can use to help advertisers target you. Since we use our cars to go places and buy things, this information is obviously important.

However, none of this data goes to car manufacturers. Most aren’t looking to sell that data to advertisers — in fact, GM is prohibited from doing so after violating California privacy laws and paying a $12.75 million fine. Instead, others like Rivian and GM say it deprives them of valuable data they can use to improve their vehicles and retain customers.

For example, GM said it needed sat nav data to improve the EV charging experience. “With Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, the vehicle’s power model or road segment data sends energy consumption and everything else related to it to the phone, and it’s very difficult to get it off the phone,” said GM’s infotainment manager. GM authority in 2023. The company said its system will allow for intelligent EV routing that takes into account charging status, range and availability of charging stations, as well as integration with its Super Cruise driver assistant.

Still running Google’s AAOS, GM says it will act as your phone for things like calls and streaming from contacts and apps. You’ll also be able to use built-in assistants like Siri and Google Assistant using Bluetooth pass-through. All that will happen smoothly too, the company says, thanks to the built-in responsive hardware.

GM adds that its infotainment system will deliver features that “go beyond what’s possible with just a phone projection,” it said. MotorTrend. It cited Dolby Atmos on Amazon Music as an example of that, calling that experience “impossible” with simple phone projections.

Rivian and Tesla are two companies that haven’t used Android Auto in the first place, both saying they want more control over driver information. Rivian, whose operating system is built on top of AAOS, also believes that phone mirroring systems are unnecessary, given what is possible with AI these days. “The possibilities now for deep AI integration in the car make the entire CarPlay debate obsolete,” the company said. The Verge last month.

There are caveats, however. GM also acknowledged that there are “subscription revenue opportunities” available through its infotainment systems. That’s what got BMW into trouble in the past, when it wanted to charge $18 a month for heated seats in certain areas.

Built-in apps require the car to have an active cellular connection, as your phone is redundant. Although GM’s latest vehicles come with eight years of OnStar connected services, it’s unclear what will happen after that. Rivian offers its own premium data service, Rivian Connect+ which costs $150 per year. Tesla, which also uses Android Auto to its system’s advantage, also charges $150 a year for its Connect+ premium mobile data service. Then again, even manufacturers like Kia that fully support Android Auto end up adding features like remote locking after a trial subscription that eventually has to be paid for.

Car buyers may be the biggest obstacle. GM’s announcement that it is removing Android Auto from its vehicles caused blowback, as many Engadget readers for example said they would not buy a car without it. There’s also a movement against subscription services of all kinds these days, and paying for one in your car has pissed off a lot of people.

Fortunately, Android Auto and CarPlay are still available in most cars. Traditional automakers have also proven to be exceptionally bad at building their own infotainment systems. So despite the disappearance of Android Auto from a few brands, many others will continue to support the system, and it should continue to get better and smarter.