Android Auto arrives frequently with many new features, some of which are used to improve the service by correcting errors and with additional functions such as the one that they have recently incorporated and that you will want to try as soon as possible.
If your mobile has Android Auto, or if you install the service in your vehicle to enjoy everything you need while driving safely, it is a perfect system to connect with your favorite services that you have on your mobile.
The recent update of the service comes with a novelty that for now has not given much to talk about, but could be key in the future. A key section that you may not have noticed is that it will also expand functionalities with respects related to your home.
Now lets you control IoT devices
The new update launched last December allows the use of Internet of Things apps , which means that we can control the house from the car. If you look at this update you will see that it includes this new update in the Play Store and has new criteria to accept apps that can do things that until now could not be done from it.
Developers will be able to launch new types of apps on the Play Store accessible from Android Auto, and there are some that are already doing so. In any case, at the moment Google has several limitations on the control of devices from the car to guarantee the safety of the home and the driver. Therefore, although in the future it could evolve considerably, today you cannot expect great functions or something excessively complete.
The apps cannot show you configuration or task programming or create new routines beyond those created from the mobile. You will not be able to access specific functions such as changing the color of the light or adjusting the temperature of the thermostat, but the ones that exist are not bad at a basic level.
What can you do with Android Auto?
You can do a lot of cool stuff though, like displaying the status of connected devices. You can see if the garage door is open from your screen. Although you can’t open or close the garage door at the moment, you can know how it is without getting out of the car to avoid having to check again. You will also be able to see if the security system is on or if the house lights are on.
Although the control of these devices is very limited, it is something that can already be done, and if we have improved in this aspect when it was not possible before, who knows what we can expect in the future. There are one-touch actions to turn functions on or off , like the thermostat, lights, or closing the shades. There are pre-programmed routines so you can activate multiple things at once with just one touch. The key is that you are aware of the road and not of the screen.
For this reason, we hope that manufacturers adapt their applications to Android Auto so that you can control your home from the car, even if it is a few basic tasks. Only what is there is already very practical for many people. For example, with Home Assistant you will have access to control garage doors, lights and buttons. What do you think of the idea of controlling various home functions from your vehicle?
