Android Auto 16.0: New media player, known bugs
Android Auto 16.0 is here and is gradually rolling out to Android smartphones. Google has not yet fixed some known bugs.
Android Auto.
(Image: TY Lim / Shutterstock.com)
Google has started rolling out Android Auto to version 16.0.660224. The update primarily brings a revised media player that was promised back in May 2025. However, Google has not yet addressed some known issues.
New media player
After Google began replacing the Google Assistant with Gemini in November, as announced in May, the new-design media player is now making its way into Android Auto. As 9to5 Google reports, Google has been preparing the new look for some time and made it available to beta testers first.
(Image:Â Google)
The new design slightly rearranges the user interface: the play/pause button is now in the bottom left corner, with the track control and other functions next to it. The new layout is intended to improve operation while driving, among other things.
Changes are also being introduced in apps like Spotify and Pocket Casts with the update. Spotify, for instance, gets new Material You design elements and adopts the respective colors of the currently playing album covers according to the dynamic app theme.
Support for video and browser apps
Google also announced Android Auto support for video and browser apps at the I/O conference. This should allow users to browse the web and watch movies or series via the car's infotainment screen. These apps will only function under specific conditions due to legal security requirements.
The company has not yet fulfilled this promise. At the time, however, the company did not provide a specific timeframe, only a “coming soon.” On the plus side, the Spotify Jam feature for Android Auto, also announced in May, has been available since July 2025. This feature allows drivers to create music playlists together with their passengers.
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Bugs on Google's list
While new features are usually welcome, bug fixes are just as important. And here, Google seems to still have a lot to do with Android Auto. In Google's support forum, the list of Android Auto bugs still to be addressed includes connection problems with the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 smartphone models, and voice commands with Google's latest smartphone generation are also said not to work consistently.
Furthermore, the TomTom sidebar is reportedly not displayed when using Android Auto. It can also happen that the assistant responds with the error message “Oops, something went wrong.” It is unclear when Google will fix these errors.
Google is rolling out the current update to Android 16.0 gradually. It usually takes some time for all users to receive it. An editorial device, for example, is still running Android Auto version 15.9.655114.
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