Google and Apple get pleasure from taking one another on in as many various arenas as attainable: cellphones, maps, cloud storage, music streaming, photograph administration, be aware taking, good assistants, tablets, smartwatches, calendars, internet browsers, phrase processors, e mail, and extra apart from. In automobiles, we’ve Android Auto and Apple CarPlay vying for management of your dashboard.
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We felt it was time to take a deep dive into the present state of play on these two platforms—which apps and which options can be found on every, the place the strengths and weaknesses are on each, and which is the higher selection once you’re driving. It could be a small a part of the Google vs Apple battle, however for normal drivers, it’s an necessary one.
Feel and look: Pretty related
On the time of writing, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay each have an identical look once they’re in your dashboard—maybe there are solely so some ways to arrange an interface like this. Usually, you’ll have your maps app in a big widget, your media app in a small widget, and fast navigation shortcuts in one other small widget.
Each platforms allow you to put any app full display screen in the event you want a greater take a look at the route you’re taking or the music that you simply’re at the moment taking part in. You additionally get indications of your cellphone’s sign energy and battery stage when you’re driving in each Auto and CarPlay, which is useful to know when you’re on the go. Solely CarPlay really reveals the time, however we’re assuming your automobile’s built-in devices have that coated.
Screenshot: Android Auto
In each the Apple and Google interfaces, you’ll discover a sidebar with fast hyperlinks to your most lately used apps, and you’ll change to a full drawer of apps with a single faucet if you must launch one thing else. Scrolling and navigating is all very easy, which after all it must be.
The same old aesthetic variations between Android and iOS are additionally evident in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay: The previous is barely extra chunky and easy, and the latter is barely extra detailed and refined, on the subject of the textual content and the icons used. Nonetheless, you received’t be confused in any respect if you must change between them commonly. They work in practically an identical methods.
Screenshot: Apple CarPlay
Android Auto does provide you with a bit extra by way of customizing the structure: You’ll be able to put fast controls for apps down on the backside of the display screen if you wish to, in a taskbar-style widget. In different phrases, playback controls on your media app can nonetheless be seen when your mapping app is taking over the remainder of the display screen.
That’s not attainable on Apple CarPlay, apart from on the default multi-widget structure. It’s a small distinction, but it surely makes life barely extra handy if you need your navigation system maps as large as attainable whereas maintaining your media playback controls accessible (that mentioned, chances are you’ll nicely have bodily controls on the steering wheel in any case).
Apps and options
You’ve obtained an identical set of apps out there on each Android Auto and Apple CarPlay—the standard suspects within the maps and media classes. Google Maps and Apple Maps are each out there on Apple CarPlay, although you received’t discover Apple Maps on Android Auto, which is unlikely to bother you in the event you don’t have an iPhone. If you happen to’re a Waze person, then you definitely’re coated on each platforms.
Apple Music is out there on Android Auto, as it’s on Android. You’ll additionally discover Spotify, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, and many extra. You get a smattering of messaging apps as nicely, together with WhatsApp, Fb Messenger, and Google Chat. Neither platform helps video streaming apps, for apparent causes.
Screenshot: Android Auto
Over on Apple CarPlay, there are all the identical audio apps that we’ve simply talked about. There’s much less assist for third-party messaging apps—WhatsApp is the most effective third-party possibility by way of CarPlay assist, however you may’t browse an inventory of messages and might solely work together with the app by way of Siri. Whereas Android Auto solely reveals messages in third-party apps which have arrived when you’ve been driving, it’s simpler to overview them, and extra third-party apps are supported.
Each platforms provide the skill to select and select which appropriate apps out of your cellphone present up in your automobile dashboard. In different phrases, if there’s an app that you simply use in your cellphone however not in your automobile, you don’t must have it displaying up within the Android Auto or CarPlay dashboard—and app order might be custom-made in each instances as nicely.
Screenshot: Apple CarPlay
One plus for Apple CarPlay is the Now Enjoying icon within the app drawer, which is a helpful shortcut to whichever media app is at the moment taking part in—it means you don’t must dig by means of an inventory of apps to seek out the one which’s lively. There’s no such display screen on Android Auto, so you must delve into particular person apps every time.
Each Google Assistant and Siri are current on their respective platforms, able to take motion in your voice instructions: Navigate to an handle, cease the music taking part in, let you know the climate forecast, make a name, ship a message. By way of in-car use, they’re each fairly nicely matched and might handle the identical type of duties.
Settings and customization
Android is often considered extra customizable than iOS, and it’s honest to say Android Auto provides just a few extra settings than Apple CarPlay does. For instance, you may set whether or not or not Android Auto begins up mechanically together with your automobile, and whether or not or not audio out of your most lately used app begins taking part in immediately—customization options you don’t get with Apple CarPlay.
Android Auto additionally allows you to select whether or not or to not present previews of incoming messages on display screen, how maps ought to change between day and evening mode, and whether or not the navigation or media playback controls needs to be closest to the motive force. These similar settings might be accessed by means of your Android cellphone as nicely, in the event you discover that extra handy.
Screenshot: Android Auto
Over on the Apple facet, you may select between a number of wallpapers, you may power darkish mode or have it set mechanically based mostly on the time of day, and decide to have the Driving Focus mode enabled each time CarPlay is activated—that provides you loads of management over which apps and which individuals can distract you when you’re on the transfer.
iOS additionally allows you to select which apps set off notifications on the CarPlay dashboard and which don’t—on Android Auto, you don’t get that stage of management, and the identical notification settings might be used in your cellphone as in your automobile dashboard. It’s attainable to have Do Not Disturb on Android enabled each time Android Auto begins up, but it surely’s not fairly as straightforward to configure as it’s with CarPlay and an iPhone.
Screenshot: Apple CarPlay
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are at the moment very evenly matched on the subject of how they appear and the options they provide. There are small variations, however nothing meaning one platform is considerably forward of the opposite by way of what you’re in a position to do within the automobile.
It’s value mentioning that Apple has a major improve for CarPlay within the works for late 2023. The corporate introduced it plans to combine CarPlay additional with the devices fitted to your car, in addition to providing extra widgets, assist for a number of shows, and a built-in FM radio app. We’ll have to attend and see when these options roll out, and the way broadly they’re going to be supported.