Google to Introduce Home Screen Widgets in Android Auto

Google is working on a new feature for Android Auto to make your car dashboard much more useful. The smart driving companion will let you add widgets to the home screen, so you can see quick information and control apps right from the car’s display. The feature is currently in development, so you can’t experience it right away.

Home screen widgets are coming to Android Auto

According to a report from Android Authority, the new widgets feature for Android Auto is codenamed Earth. The publication discovered the feature in the beta version of the app (5.6.154404-release.daily) and managed to activate it. We now have a fair idea of what to expect when Google rolls it out publicly.

When you access the Android Auto settings, you will see a new option labeled Customize Earth. This will open a new section called Widget Companion, which is a control center for your widgets. Below that, there’s also a scale slider that lets you adjust the display size of the selected widget.

When you tap the plus button (located on the right side of the header), you will see a list of apps available for widgets. Tapping an app name expands its available widgets, and from there you can pick the one you want to add to your Android Auto dashboard. Once you select the widget, the Widget Companion screen will show up again. The screen will display the name of your chosen widget, along with the Delete button.

After adding a widget, your Android Auto home screen will be divided into two main sections. The widget panel occupies around 35-40% of the screen width, while the right side panel takes up about 60–65%. As you can see in the first image below, the Spotify widget appears on the left side of the home screen, showing playback controls like Play, Pause, and Next. The publication also tested widgets from other apps, including Gemini, Clock, and Pixel Weather. Note that the feature lets you add only one home-screen widget at a time.