Glanceable UI is a key pillar of in-car user experiences, especially in vehicles powered by Android Automotive OS (AAOS). With safety at the core, designing for “at-a-glance” interaction ensures drivers get the information they need with minimal distraction. In this blog post, we’ll explore: What Jetpack Glance is How it helps build Glanceable UIs for...
Imagine stepping into your car, and it feels just like using your smartphone — personalized apps, Google Assistant ready to help, Maps guiding you smoothly, and even YouTube available for in-vehicle entertainment. This isn’t a far-off dream anymore. Thanks to Google Automotive Services (GAS), the in-car digital experience is becoming smarter, more connected, and refreshingly user-friendly.
In this post, we’ll explore what Google Automotive Services (GAS) really is, how it’s different from Android Auto, and how it’s revolutionizing the way we interact with our vehicles — backed by real-world examples and developer insights.
Google Automotive Services (GAS) is a suite of Google applications and services built directly into vehicles that run on Android Automotive OS. Think of it as the full Google ecosystem embedded into your car — not just projected from your phone (like in Android Auto), but deeply integrated with your car’s infotainment system.
The core GAS package typically includes:
While Android Auto relies on your phone to run, Google Automotive Services (GAS) is embedded directly into the car’s hardware. That means:
In simple terms, GAS makes your car feel like a standalone smart device, similar to a smartphone or tablet — but tailor-made for driving.
Let’s break down how Google Automotive Services (GAS) is transforming the driving experience.
GAS makes your voice the ultimate command. From setting the cabin temperature to playing your favorite podcast — all you need is a simple “Hey Google.”
val intent = Intent(Intent.ACTION_VOICE_COMMAND).apply {
putExtra("command", "navigate to nearest EV charging station")
}
startActivity(intent)Explanation: This Kotlin snippet triggers a voice command that can be tied to Google Assistant in Android Automotive. It allows seamless voice navigation to places like gas stations, coffee shops, or EV chargers — essential while on the road.
Google Maps in GAS goes beyond standard navigation. It knows your car’s fuel or battery level and can suggest charging stations or gas stops along your route.
Benefits include:
Yes, you can install apps like Spotify, Audible, YouTube Music, and even weather apps — right from your dashboard. Developers can create and publish apps specifically for Android Automotive OS through the automotive category in Google Play.
Here’s a glimpse of how an app manifest looks for Android Automotive:
<application>
<meta-data
android:name="com.google.android.gms.car.application"
android:resource="@xml/automotive_app_desc" />
</application>And your automotive_app_desc.xml might contain:
<automotiveApp>
<uses name="media"/>
</automotiveApp>Explanation: This configuration ensures your media app is discoverable and installable in GAS-enabled cars. It tells the system that your app is designed for in-car use.
Thanks to GAS and Android Automotive, your car’s infotainment system gets regular over-the-air (OTA) updates — just like your smartphone. That means:
No more waiting for your next dealership visit to update your car’s software.
Leading brands like Volvo, Polestar, Honda, Renault, and General Motors are already integrating Google Automotive Services into their vehicles. Here’s why:
If you’re a developer, GAS opens new doors for building apps that directly enhance the in-car experience. From media and navigation to parking and weather apps, the automotive space is ripe for innovation.
Tip: Use Jetpack libraries and AndroidX support to build adaptive UIs for the in-car environment. Consider different screen sizes, rotary inputs, and driver distraction guidelines.
Example of media session using ExoPlayer:
val player = ExoPlayer.Builder(context).build().apply {
setMediaItem(MediaItem.fromUri("https://spotify.com/podcast.mp3"))
prepare()
playWhenReady = true
}Explanation: This code snippet uses ExoPlayer, a popular media library, to stream audio content. In GAS environments, you’d integrate this with your MediaBrowserService to create a complete playback experience.
As Google Automotive Services (GAS) continues to grow, expect deeper personalization, better third-party app support, and smarter interactions across all your devices. With cars becoming more like smartphones on wheels, the lines between mobile and automotive tech are blurring.
And GAS is at the center of this transformation.
Google Automotive Services (GAS) is not just about convenience — it’s about creating a smarter, safer, and more connected driving experience. Whether you’re a car buyer, developer, or automaker, GAS represents a major leap in how we think about cars and digital experiences.
If you’re driving a vehicle powered by GAS, you’re not just getting from point A to B. You’re stepping into a fully connected, intelligent ecosystem — powered by Google.
Q: Is Google Automotive Services (GAS) the same as Android Auto?
A: No, GAS is built into the car itself, while Android Auto mirrors your phone onto the infotainment screen.
Q: Can I install apps in GAS-powered cars?
A: Yes, you can download compatible apps directly from the Google Play Store built into your vehicle.
Q: Which car brands support Google Automotive Services (GAS)?
A: Volvo, Polestar, Renault, Honda, and several others are actively adopting GAS.
Q: Do I need an internet connection for GAS to work?
A: For most services like Maps and Play Store, yes. But many features have offline capabilities too.
For years, Android Auto has been the go-to solution for connecting smartphones to car infotainment systems. But there’s a new player in town — and it’s not just an upgrade; it’s a complete transformation. Say hello to Android Automotive OS.
This shift from Android Auto to Android Automotive OS isn’t just a tech tweak. It’s a fundamental change in how we interact with vehicles. Let’s break it down and explore why it’s such a game-changer for both carmakers and drivers.
Android Auto is basically your phone on your car’s screen. You plug it in (or go wireless), and it mirrors apps like Google Maps, Spotify, and WhatsApp. You control everything through your car’s touchscreen or voice commands, but your phone is doing all the heavy lifting.
Pros? Familiar interface. Easy setup. Solid voice control.
Cons? It relies heavily on your phone’s battery, signal, and data connection. And if your phone’s acting up, so is your car’s infotainment system.
Now imagine an operating system that doesn’t need your phone at all. That’s Android Automotive OS (AAOS). It runs natively on the car’s hardware, like the OS on your laptop or smart TV. Everything — from navigation to climate control to music — is handled directly through the car’s system.
It’s like giving your car its own brain.
Bottom line: Android Auto is phone-powered. Android Automotive OS is car-powered.
AAOS doesn’t just run apps — it connects to the car’s internal systems. That means you can adjust the AC, check tire pressure, or heat your seats, all through the same interface. No more jumping between menus or pushing awkward physical buttons.
Everything is built in. You get Google Maps, Google Assistant, and even YouTube Music, straight from the dashboard — no phone needed. Your car is online and independent.
With over-the-air (OTA) updates, your infotainment system can evolve just like your smartphone. Carmakers can push new features, security fixes, or design changes without you needing to visit a dealer.
AAOS provides a consistent, Google-designed interface. This means less confusion and a shorter learning curve for drivers. Plus, it supports multi-user profiles, so each driver gets personalized settings for seats, climate, music, and even app preferences.
Developing for Android Automotive OS isn’t the same as building a regular Android app. You’re now creating for a vehicle environment — where safety, focus, and usability matter more than flashy design.
Google offers the Car App Library, which gives developers templates that are optimized for in-car use. These include:
NavigationTemplate – For apps like Waze or MapQuest.ListTemplate – Perfect for music playlists or podcasts.PaneTemplate – Useful for displaying text and buttons with minimal distractions.Let’s say you’re building a simple music player for AAOS. Your AndroidManifest.xml might include:
<uses-feature
android:name="android.hardware.type.automotive"
android:required="true" />You’ll also declare your CarAppService like this:
<service
android:name=".YourCarAppService"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="androidx.car.app.CarAppService" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="androidx.car.app.car_app_service"
android:resource="@xml/automotive_app_desc" />
</service>This setup tells the system your app is designed for in-car use and sets up a safe, minimal user experience.
The key? Always design for hands-free, glanceable interactions. You’re not building for a smartphone — you’re building for a moving vehicle.
Big names are jumping on board:
What’s interesting? These automakers aren’t just slapping Google into their dashboards. They’re customizing the OS to reflect their own brand experiences — while still leveraging Google’s app ecosystem.
No waiting for your phone to connect. No dropped Bluetooth. Everything just works.
“Hey Google, take me to the nearest charging station.” Simple, natural, and hands-free.
Designed with safety in mind, the interface limits visual overload. You only see what you need, when you need it.
Since AAOS runs directly in the car, it can save preferences across profiles and adapt to whoever’s behind the wheel.
Of course, with great tech comes big questions: Who owns your data? What’s being tracked?
Google claims Android Automotive OS puts privacy controls in the driver’s hands. You can manage permissions and data sharing, much like on Android phones. Still, it’s something users — and automakers — need to stay transparent about.
Absolutely. The move from Android Auto to Android Automotive OS signals a clear trend: cars are becoming connected computers on wheels.
It benefits everyone:
This is just the beginning. As cars become more software-driven, Android Automotive OS is set to play a huge role in shaping that landscape.
The shift from Android Auto to Android Automotive OS isn’t just about replacing one tech with another. It’s a rethinking of what a car infotainment system can — and should — be.
If you’re a driver, expect a more intuitive, reliable, and smart driving experience.
If you’re a developer, there’s an exciting road ahead.
And if you’re an automaker? Buckle up. The future is here — and it’s running on Android.
In today’s connected car world, balancing functionality with driver safety is non-negotiable. That’s exactly why Android Automotive OS (AAOS) was designed with a “safety-first” philosophy. Unlike smartphones, AAOS runs directly on a vehicle’s infotainment system, where distractions can literally cost lives.
In this post, let’s explore how Android Automotive minimizes distractions and ensures road safety through thoughtful UX design, strict guidelines, and voice-first interactions.
At the heart of Android Automotive’s safety model is Google’s Driver Distraction Guidelines. These define what apps can and cannot do when the vehicle is in motion.
Google enforces these rules via the app review process and automated compliance checks.
Voice interaction is central to Android Automotive. Using Google Assistant, drivers can:
This reduces screen interaction and keeps eyes on the road.
AAOS requires apps to use specific, automotive-ready templates from the androidx.car.app library.
MediaTemplate: For media playersPaneTemplate: For text/info displayMessageTemplate: For short replies and confirmationsThese templates:
Apps can dynamically adapt based on the vehicle’s motion state using CarUxRestrictionsManager. For example, disable input fields when the car is moving.
val carUxRestrictionsManager = CarUxRestrictionsManager(context, listener)
val restrictions = carUxRestrictionsManager.currentCarUxRestrictions
if (restrictions.isRequiresDistractionOptimization) {
myEditText.isEnabled = false
}This ensures the app complies with driving-related UX restrictions in real-time.
Multitasking is a no-go in AAOS. Apps cannot:
This restriction minimizes visual clutter and interruptions.
Google provides tools to simulate restricted environments:
These tools help developers build safety-compliant apps faster.
Car manufacturers (OEMs) can customize Android Automotive OS, but Google mandates they preserve core safety layers.
Examples:
To prevent unsafe distractions, only specific app categories are allowed:
Any app outside these scopes is blocked from launching on Android Automotive.
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Driver Distraction Guidelines | Prevent complex, unsafe interactions |
| Voice-First with Google Assistant | Reduce screen time and distractions |
| Template-Based UI | Limit visual and cognitive load |
| Context-Aware Restrictions | Dynamically adjust UX during motion |
| No Floating Apps or Overlays | Eliminate unnecessary visual elements |
| OEM Safety Layers | Ensure compliance, even with customization |
| Limited App Categories | Allow only essential in-car functions |
By tightly coupling design constraints with smart APIs and voice-first architecture, Android Automotive OS ensures that developers create engaging apps without compromising safety. As vehicles become more digital, this balance will remain crucial—not just for compliance, but for saving lives.
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If you’re learning JavaScript, you’ve probably wondered what’s really happening when your code runs. What does the browser do with your console.log()? How does JavaScript know what to execute — and when? This post will break it all down in a simple way.
We’ll answer the big question: How JavaScript works behind the scenes
JavaScript is a high-level, interpreted programming language. It’s mostly used in web development to add interactivity — like animations, popups, and dynamic content — to websites.
It runs in the browser (like Chrome or Firefox) using something called a JavaScript engine. Every major browser has its own engine:
This is one of the most important things to understand.
JavaScript can only do one thing at a time. That’s what “single-threaded” means.
Think of it like a to-do list. JavaScript goes through it from top to bottom, step by step. If one item takes a while, the rest have to wait. This is why asynchronous code is so important in JavaScript — but we’ll get to that shortly.
So, how does JavaScript actually run?
JavaScript code runs in a specific process inside the browser. Here’s the simplified flow:
Let’s walk through a basic example.
function greet() {
console.log("Hello!");
}
greet();What’s going on here:
greet function and stores it.greet(), it calls the function.console.log("Hello!") and prints it to the console.Behind the scenes, the engine has parsed, compiled, and executed all of this.
To understand how JavaScript works, you need to know its foundational components:
This is where JavaScript stores data like variables, objects, and functions. It’s a general-purpose memory pool.
let user = { name: "amol" };Here, the object { name: "amol" } is stored in the heap.
This tracks which functions are currently being run. Think of it like a stack of dishes — you add one on top, and remove the top one when it’s done.
function sayHi() {
console.log("Hi");
}
function start() {
sayHi();
}
start();Call stack process:
start() is added to the stack.sayHi() is added.sayHi, console.log() is added.If something keeps calling itself and never finishes, the stack overflows.
Even though JavaScript runs one thing at a time, it can still handle tasks that take time — like waiting for a server response or a timer.
So how does JavaScript stay non-blocking?
This is the key component that manages async operations.
Here’s how it works:
setTimeout or fetch.console.log("Start");
setTimeout(() => {
console.log("Timeout finished");
}, 2000);
console.log("End");Output:
Start
End
Timeout finishedEven though setTimeout appears in the middle of the code, it runs last. Why? Because it’s asynchronous and handled by the browser in the background.
So far we’ve talked about engines. But there’s more to the story.
The JavaScript Runtime includes:
setTimeout, DOM, fetch)JavaScript itself doesn’t know how to wait or handle time. The browser (or Node.js) provides those abilities.
Let’s look at how JavaScript prioritizes tasks.
console.log("1");
setTimeout(() => {
console.log("2");
}, 0);
Promise.resolve().then(() => {
console.log("3");
});
console.log("4");Output:
1
4
3
2console.log("1") and console.log("4") run immediately.Promise.then() uses the microtask queue, which runs before the callback queue.setTimeout goes into the callback queue (macrotask) and waits its turn.This shows how JavaScript prioritizes tasks — synchronous first, then microtasks (promises), then callback tasks (timeouts, events). The event loop gives microtasks priority over macrotasks.
Understanding how JavaScript works under the hood helps you write better, faster, and safer code. Here’s a quick recap:
Q: Why is JavaScript single-threaded?
Because it was originally designed for simple web interactions. A single thread avoids complex race conditions and keeps the user experience smooth.
Q: What’s the difference between microtasks and macrotasks?
Microtasks (like promises) run before macrotasks (like setTimeout). They go into different queues, and the event loop checks microtasks first.
Q: Is JavaScript the same in Node.js and browsers?
The language is the same, but the runtime environment is different. Node.js uses V8 too, but its APIs are server-focused.
Now that you understand how JavaScript works behind the scenes, you’ll find it easier to debug, optimize, and write more efficient code. Whether you’re working in the browser or with Node.js, these principles are the foundation of how JavaScript runs your code.
If this helped clear things up, share it with a friend who’s still puzzled by setTimeout() delays and stack overflows 😉
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