Google has hinted that Android Auto could be redesigned to last forever. The redesign was leaked months before it was announced at Google I/O in May 2022, and although it had a summer release window, it only started rolling out a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the new update is still proving elusive.
Codenamed “Coolwalk,” the design refinement was supposed to be released as part of Android Auto 8.7, which had just started rolling out through Google Play.However, according to 9to5Google (opens in new tab)the Coolwalk redesign is missing for many.
The update reportedly only features behind-the-scenes bug fixes, not a particularly noteworthy upgrade. (opens in new tab) 90% of its readers found that Coolwalk’s redesign was inaccessible.Similar research on r/Android Auto subreddit (opens in new tab) We also found that 2,200 out of 2,600 voters were unable to access the upgrade.
What’s interesting about this is that Coolwalk is showing up for some people even though they don’t have Android Auto version 8.7.Acura RDX owner (opens in new tab) discovered that an update rolled out over the recent Chinese New Year weekend, even though the phone is running Android Auto 8.6.Some Reddit users (opens in new tab) It also mentions that phones running Android Auto 8.5 variants have the Coolwalk update.
In short, this whole rollout is incredibly confusing and the Coolwalk redesign seems to hit people at random. I can’t.
Unfortunately, the slow pace of the rollout has made that situation all the more frustrating.Even if you ignore the leaks that started in September 2021, Google announced the upgrade almost nine months ago, and the summer promised to be released on
I was hoping that this month’s announcement that the Coolwalk upgrade is now generally available would be the end of it. Instead, many users, myself included, will have to wait for Google to deliver on its promises.
We hope to see more of this redesign by the time Google I/O 2023 kicks off in four months. Until then, it looks like we’re in a strange Android Auto maze.