Last updated: August 19th, 2024 at 06:40 UTC+02:00
If you have a Galaxy phone and drive any recent car, chances are that you use Android Auto while driving. Over the past couple of years, Android Auto has received several new features and a new design. Google is bringing a new design to Google Assistant that is surprisingly similar to Apple’s Siri.
Google Assistant gets Siri-like design on Android Auto
Google has started rolling out a new design for Google Assistant on Android Auto. It looks highly similar to Apple’s Siri, for better or worse. This UI appears when Google Assistant is waiting for a reply from you. It is visible when Google Assistant or you speak but goes away when the request is processed.
Since Google Assistant already has a multi-color animation on the bottom bar of Android Auto, Google could have continued using the same, but it brought a separate circle-shaped UI just above the bottom bar. This new design is reportedly visible on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 running Android Auto v12.5. If you also have this new version of Android Auto and run One UI 6.1 or One UI 6.1.1, you may also get this new design.
Over the past couple of years, Samsung has worked closely with Google. It brought the SmartThings app to Android Auto, letting you control your smart home devices. When a Samsung phone is connected to an Android Auto infotainment unit, squircle-shaped app icons have started showing up. Android Auto will soon use AI to automatically summarize messages you have received on your phone for less distraction while driving.
A few months ago, Android Auto received a new feature that lets electric vehicles share real-time battery information with Google Maps, showing the amount of battery left by the time you arrive at your destination.