Akshay Bhalla was the former game guides editor for Screen Rant and the technology editor at MensXP. He has previously written about smartphones, apps, streaming, gadgets and games for print, digital, and TV media outlets. When he isn’t writing about tech, he can often be found playing JRPGs, listening to music or playing with his three dogs.

Google has finally heard the plight of many Android Auto users and is bringing support for playing YouTube videos.

Earlier, there was no way to watch YouTube videos in Android Auto unless you sideloaded third-party apps. But the problem with a sideloaded app that played YouTube was that it was never really reliable.

Thankfully, Google’s native support for YouTube video playback solves that problem and will make waiting in my car slightly more bearable.

I will no longer get bored waiting in my car Android Auto is stepping up its game

Android Auto is getting one of its most significant updates, and I am really excited.

The new update will bring Material You Expressive design. You can now customize your interface with smoother animations, custom fonts, wallpapers, and customizable at-a-glance widgets.

But the feature that I am most excited about is playing YouTube videos on the infotainment screen.

In the past, I’ve sideloaded Android Auto apps like Fermata to play YouTube videos on the infotainment system but deemed it unsafe and not worth the hassle.

While Fermata was a great solution for playing YouTube videos earlier, I would forget to close the app when I started driving, with the video still occupying part of my car’s screen.

Don’t get me wrong, Fermata is still an incredible app to use, but it’s not as reliable and often breaks after an update.

There were times when I would only see the playback buttons and no video playback, making me go back to my phone to entertain myself.

Needless to say, this became annoying after a point, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the upcoming Android Auto update.

Now that Android Auto will support YouTube video playback natively, I don’t have to worry about any of that.

With the new update, I’ll be able to watch YouTube videos when parked with video quality up to 60 fps full HD (FHD).

This will be a game changer for me while I’m waiting to pick up my partner from her workplace or when I’m stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours.

What’s neat is that I don’t have to worry about the video turning off the moment I put my car into drive.

Android Auto will automatically transition the video to audio-only mode and play it in the background while I drive.

This feature isn’t exclusive to YouTube. It could work with other apps that support background audio, and with time, we might see more apps pop up with this feature.

I can already see myself catching up on my favorite podcasts, movies, sports highlights, and Warhammer: 40K lore videos on a screen that was previously unused.

It’s also handy for users with kids. Instead of handing them a phone or tablet, parents can use the screen to display cartoons or other educational content while waiting in cars.

The future looks rocky but bright Unlocking true potential

There’s no doubt that YouTube’s latest video playback feature for Android Auto has a bright future.

We can expect other apps to start taking advantage of the same feature and roll it out in the near future.

The first app that comes to mind is Spotify, especially for users who watch video podcasts on the platform.

Currently, Spotify limits video podcasts to audio-only on Android Auto, but we could see Spotify borrow YouTube’s idea in the near future.

Likewise, I can see streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime rolling out this feature.

I can already see myself catching up on my favorite Netflix shows while waiting in a parking lot or catching up on video podcasts that are exclusive to Spotify.

While the future looks bright, the rollout of this upcoming feature isn’t as universal as I thought. Depending on your phone and car, you may not receive this update promptly.

The latest Android Auto update and its latest YouTube video playback feature depend on OEM updates.

Currently, only a handful of car manufacturers are confirmed to roll out this update, and there’s no specific timeline.

While it isn’t confirmed, you might also need a phone running Android 16 or later; something that users with older phones might not appreciate.

If you would like to know whether Android Auto is updated on your device, here’s how to find out:

1. Open the Play Store on your phone.
2. Search for Android Auto.
3. Tap Update if you see the option.

If the update fails, you may have to go through a few extra steps to update Android Auto. To get started, open Settings > Apps > Android Auto. Select Storage & Cache and tap Clear Cache.

When the cache is cleared, restart your phone and check for the update on Android Auto’s page on the Play Store again.

There are other concerns I’m worried about when using YouTube video playback in my car wirelessly.

Streaming video content on the car’s screen will still use the phone’s data and power.

When using Android Auto wirelessly, streaming content over 5G will cause your phone’s battery to drain rapidly.

There’s also a chance the video quality over a wireless connection may not be ideal if you plan to watch movies or TV shows.

So it’s advised to use a wired connection for better video quality or have a charged power bank if you plan to stream videos via a 5G connection for a long duration.

The infotainment screen finally gets more practical

I am really excited about Android Auto’s parked YouTube support. It will make my car’s screen more useful than ever.

What I’m most grateful for, though, is that a car’s infotainment screen can be used more practically by families with kids.

If you’re one of the many people who don’t meet the requirements for Android Auto’s latest update, there are other ways to watch videos on Android Auto and take advantage of a screen that doesn’t live up to its full potential.