New Android Auto 13.8 update hits devices

Google has started sending out the Android Auto 13.8 update to users after testing it in beta earlier this month. If you’re hoping for big surprises, though, don’t get too excited—this one’s pretty small. Updates for Android Auto usually pop up every month or so, and version 13.8 seems like a light touch-up. Google doesn’t share a detailed list of what’s new, but it’s safe to say this patch mostly fixes bugs and makes tiny improvements under the hood.

When we gave it a quick try, nothing major stood out. No flashy new features caught our eye—at least not yet. Still, there’s some interesting stuff happening behind the scenes. Digging into the code of Android Auto 13.8, we spotted more clues about “new parked apps.”

This idea first showed up in the 13.7 update earlier this month. It looks like Google is working on bringing more apps to both Android Auto and Android Automotive, the system built into some cars. Just last week, Google shared that “dozens” of new streaming and gaming apps are now available for Android Automotive cars. They’ve also hinted that these goodies will come to Android Auto sometime later.

In the 13.8 update, there are fresh bits of code tied to apps you can use when your car is parked. For example, lines like “Tap to open” and “Open while parked” popped up. These aren’t ready for users to try just yet, but they show Google’s cooking something up. For now, Android Auto 13.8 feels like a quiet update—mostly smoothing things out while setting the stage for bigger things down the road. Keep an eye out; those parked apps might shake things up soon!