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As vehicles evolve into digital experiences, the need for glanceable, fast, and distraction-free interfaces becomes paramount. In Android Automotive OS (AAOS), this demand has led to the emergence of the Jetpack Glance framework — a powerful tool for creating UI surfaces that are lightweight, fast to load, and safe for drivers to interact with.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how Jetpack Glance can be used to build a media playback card for Android Automotive OS. From setting up dependencies to implementing a full-featured glanceable media widget with play/pause/skip functionality — we’ll walk through the full picture with code, context, and best practices.
What is Jetpack Glance?
Jetpack Glance is a declarative UI library designed for building remote user interfaces, including:
App widgets (for Android homescreens)
Glanceable UIs for wearables (e.g., Tiles)
Future-facing vehicle dashboards and clusters in Android Automotive
Think of Glance as the Compose-inspired sibling of RemoteViews, but tailored for rendering quickly, efficiently, and safely on surfaces with strict interaction rules — like a car’s infotainment screen.
Why Use Glance in Android Automotive?
Using Glance in AAOS allows developers to:
Create lightweight UIs for media, navigation, or vehicle info
Ensure low distraction by adhering to system-level constraints
Maintain fast rendering even on constrained hardware
Leverage Jetpack Compose-like syntax without full Compose overhead
Key Use Cases in AAOS
Use Case
Description
Media Cards
Display now-playing info and basic playback controls
Navigation Previews
Show turn-by-turn summaries or route cards
Vehicle Status
Fuel, tire pressure, battery charge level
Contextual Alerts
Door open, low fuel, safety notifications
Setting Up Jetpack Glance in Your Project
Add Required Dependencies
Update your build.gradle with the latest Glance libraries:
Jetpack Glance is quickly becoming a go-to tool for developers looking to build safe, fast, and flexible UI surfaces across Android form factors. In the automotive space, it shines by helping deliver minimalist, glanceable media controls that respect both performance and safety constraints.
As AAOS continues to evolve, expect more OEM support for Glance in clusters, dashboards, and center displays — especially with the push toward custom car launchers and immersive media experiences
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