Latest Android Auto Update Transforms Car Screen Into Gaming Console

Tech giant Google is set to roll out a new Android Auto update that transforms the car's screen into a gaming console.

Google revealed that Android Auto users would soon be able to launch GameSnacks app on their car screens. The games are available under a new icon found on the home screen.

Users simply need to launch the game just like regular apps. The new Android Auto update is expected to introduce eight titles. Some of these are popular games like "Bubble Woods," "Unblock That" and "2048."

It is worth noting that this upcoming feature is only accessible when the vehicle is parked. Google has not revealed the release date of this new feature. However, it said it is expected to roll out in the "next few weeks."

Through an upcoming Android Auto update, car owners would also be able to switch between their phone's personal and business profiles using voice commands. Moreover, it will allow users to configure a custom launch screen on their vehicles, which is different from their phone's standard screen and available only in the car.

Android Auto is a system that allows Android phones to interface with the vehicle's infotainment system. This technology enables drivers to control their smartphones using voice commands as well as the car's touchscreen.

Drivers can send and receive messages with the help of Google Assistant, reading them aloud. They can also control music, manage calendars and access navigation apps without the need to stop or take their hands off the wheel.

Aside from GameSnacks coming to Android Auto, the upcoming update will also introduce a range of interface enhancements like news, music and podcast recommendations from Google Assistant. Google also plans to introduce contactless payment using Google Pay.

"When it's time to fill up at the gas station, you can now put away your credit card or cash and say, "Hey Google, pay for gas" on Android Auto or from your Android phone. Select your pump number and complete contactless payment with Google Pay. This will be available at over 32,500 gas stations across the U.S. starting with Exxon and Mobil, Conoco, Phillips 66 and 76 stations," the company announced in a blog.