Android Auto 9.1 Stable Build is Now Available
Update March 15: Google has started the public rollout of an Android Auto 9.1 build. The update is rolling out for everyone through the Google Play Store in stages. It does not bring any noticeable changes for Coolwalk users.
Android Auto 9.1 does not have an official changelog of bug fixes. However, this is a stability update. The main focus is apparently on refinement and optimisation.
Recently, we saw the launch of Android Auto 9.0, which recently left the beta testing stage, and everyone can officially download it from the Google Play Store starting on 27th February 2023.
Android Auto 9.0 didn’t bring anything significant to the table. There was no official changelog, so we can’t tell if the past bugs got fixed. The only thing Android Auto 9 brought was slight animation refinements and Coolwalk for some users.
The changes are once more negligible with the new Android Auto 9.1 version. It’s rather hard to find the differences.
Some people report improvements to the Do Not Disturb feature. The Dark Mode interface on the car now works independently of the smartphone app.
Toggling one to light mode will not automatically change the colour scheme of the other. There are some extra dashboard layout options too. There are some improvements to navigation and media and some smoothness refinements.
Android Auto 9.1 didn’t roll out as a public build on the Google Play Store. Unless you’re a developer or beta-tester, we don’t see a point in updating the app.
Beta software is prone to stability problems and bugs, and users must take full responsibility when using beta apps. There’s a higher associated risk with Android Auto since it’s a car companion app that helps you with navigation.
If you’re a developer, we don’t recommend heavily relying on beta software for navigation.
Like all Android Auto updates, this one’s extremely incremental. Since Android Auto is software that heavily assists many people in driving, bugs can be catastrophic.
Extreme stability is essential for this app, so Google is in no rush to make dramatic changes or roll out Coolwalk UI to everyone faster. They still control that with a server-side switch. You can only get Coolwalk UI randomly if Google wants you to.
Updating to Android Auto 9.1 does not guarantee the new Coolwalk UI. Since Google didn’t tie the new UI to a specific version number, you’ll probably have to wait longer if you still didn’t get it.
Coolwalk UI was supposed to roll out a long time ago, in the summer of 2022. According to the official announcement, it’s a new design with the Material You theme, and the entire UI/ UX feels a lot more modern and takes inspirational cues from Apple Carplay.
It’s an exciting and more innovative way to interact with your car since it comes with better multitasking, a new media player design, more extensive maps and navigation, a new dock at the bottom to conveniently switch between apps, and a better Google Assistant.
The update, however, is happening at a relatively slow pace. It makes sense for Google since they don’t want to roll out something half-baked to the public.
It reduces the risk of a wider rollout happening with significant bugs. Some people are getting the new UI faster than others, but it’ll eventually roll out to everyone soon.
It depends on how many reliable bug reports Google gets and how long they take to fix them.
Once Android Auto 9.1 exits the developer phase, we’ll see it roll out to all devices in a few weeks.
If you want to install it now, you can grab the latest APK from a trustable site like APK Mirror. Alternatively, you can try signing up officially for Google’s Android Auto app testing beta program.
