To add apps to Android Auto, install a compatible app on the phone you connect to your car, complete its setup, then check its checkbox in Customize launcher if needed. Android Auto gives you access to the app's supported features on the car display.
The app's developer must provide Android Auto support, so installing an ordinary Android app does not automatically make it compatible. Android Auto is integrated into supported phones, and you do not need to download a separate launcher.
The short version
- Find a compatible app: Browse Google's Android Auto app catalog in Google Play.
- Install on your phone: Download the app onto the phone you connect to Android Auto.
- Finish setup: Open the app on your phone and complete any required sign-in or subscription setup.
- Show it in your car: Select the app in Customize launcher, then restart Android Auto.
| What you need | Where to go | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Find a compatible app | Google Play's Android Auto catalog | Choose an app available for your phone |
| Install a new app | Its Google Play listing | Tap Install or select its price |
| Restore a previous app | Google Play's Manage tab | Select Install or Enable |
| Prepare a media app | The app on your phone | Complete sign-in and any required subscription |
| Show, hide, or rearrange an app | Customize launcher | Change its checkbox or position, then restart Android Auto |
| Open an installed app | The car's app launcher | Select the compatible app |
| Request an app action by voice | Gemini or Google Assistant | Say Hey Google and request the action |
| Hear or answer a message | Message notifications | Use Play aloud or Reply |
| Add a contact or assistant action | Add a shortcut to the launcher | Complete the setup offered by your phone |
| Restore a temporarily disabled app | The app on your phone | Open it, then check Android Auto again |
| Update a compatible app | Google Play's Updates available | Tap See details, then Update |
| Restore an archived app | Its faded phone icon | Tap the icon to reinstall it |
| Remove Android's unused-app restrictions | App Info > Unused apps | Turn off Pause app activity if unused |
| Remove a Galaxy app from sleeping lists | Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps | Select the app through Edit apps and tap Remove |
| Exclude a Galaxy app from sleeping | Never sleeping apps | Add the compatible app |
| Stop Galaxy apps from sleeping automatically | Background usage limits | Turn off Put unused apps to sleep |
| Use AntennaPod from F-Droid | Android Auto's Developer settings | Check Unknown sources |
Find an app that supports Android Auto
Open Google's Android Auto app catalog and select an app to view its listing. To see every compatible app in the catalog, you must be signed in to your Google Account with Play personalization turned on. The apps available to you depend on your phone, Google Account, and region. Choose an app that explicitly supports Android Auto, since updating an unsupported app or changing its launcher settings cannot add compatibility.
Check which car platform you use before choosing installation instructions. A car's own Play Store installs apps for Android Automotive OS or Google built-in, while projected Android Auto uses compatible apps installed on your connected phone.
Install the app on your connected phone
On the phone you use with Android Auto, open Google Play Store, find the compatible app, and open its listing. Tap Install, or select the displayed price and complete the purchase flow for a paid app.
To restore a previous download, use the Google Account that originally acquired it. Tap your Profile icon in Google Play, then open Manage apps & device > Manage. Select the app, or select This device > Not installed to find it if it is missing. Tap Install or Enable, depending on the action offered.
Complete the app's setup on your phone
Open an installed media app on your phone and sign in before starting Android Auto. Activate a subscription if the app requires one, then connect Android Auto and select the app from the car's app launcher. Sign-in and subscription screens differ between music, radio, audiobook, and podcast apps, so complete the setup offered by your app.
Show and organize apps in the launcher
On your phone, open Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > Android Auto > Customize launcher. If your phone uses a different layout, search Settings for Android Auto and open its settings.
On supported Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 13 with One UI 5 or later, open Settings > Connected devices > Android Auto. Open Customize launcher to manage your compatible apps.
Check the checkbox beside the app's name to show it in Android Auto. To rearrange apps, choose Custom order under Launcher sorting and drag an app's handle into position. Exit and restart Android Auto to apply your changes.
Uncheck an app's checkbox to hide it from the launcher without uninstalling it from your phone, then restart Android Auto. Some built-in entries have no hide checkbox, so you cannot hide them using this control.
Open apps and add useful shortcuts
Select an installed compatible app in Android Auto's app launcher on the car display. You can also say Hey Google, wait for the tone, and request an action in the app. Voice access uses Gemini or Google Assistant, with availability depending on your device, account, language, region, and rollout.
For compatible messaging apps, tap a message notification to hear it. To hear a missed message, open the notification center, select the message, and tap Play aloud. Tap Reply or the reply arrow to respond.
To add a contact or assistant action, open Android Auto settings > Customize launcher > Add a shortcut to the launcher, if that control is available. Complete the contact or assistant-action setup offered by your phone. This adds an action shortcut without installing another app.
Restore a compatible app that is missing
Open the missing app on your phone, then open Android Auto's app launcher again. Google says unused apps can be temporarily disabled, particularly on Samsung phones, and opening the app can re-enable it. Next, check its checkbox in Customize launcher and restart Android Auto after making changes.
Check for updates by opening Google Play Store > Profile icon > Manage apps & device. Under Updates available, tap See details, then tap Update beside the app. Repeat for Android Auto when an update is offered.
A faded app icon on your phone can mean the app has been archived. Tap that icon to reinstall the app before checking Android Auto again. Restoration requires the app to remain available from the store where it was originally installed.
If your phone exposes Android's unused-app controls, open the affected app's App Info > Unused apps and turn off Pause app activity if unused. This addresses background activity and notification restrictions; it cannot add Android Auto support to an incompatible app.
Keep Samsung from putting the app to sleep
If a compatible Galaxy app keeps disappearing after periods of disuse, open Settings > Battery > Background usage limits. On models with the older layout, open Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits.
Open Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps, then tap More options > Edit apps. Select the affected app and tap Remove. Open the app on your phone before checking Android Auto again. These steps apply to Galaxy versions with Edit apps; other versions use different removal controls.
To exclude that app from automatic sleeping, open Never sleeping apps within Background usage limits, tap +, select the app, and tap Add. Some newer Galaxy software calls this list Never auto sleeping apps. You can instead turn off Put unused apps to sleep in Background usage limits to stop automatic sleeping more broadly.
Set up the alternate AntennaPod edition
AntennaPod says its Google Play edition needs no additional Android Auto setup, while its F-Droid edition requires the developer setting for alternate sources. Choose your edition from the official AntennaPod download page. Follow the extra steps below only for the F-Droid edition.
Open Android Auto settings and, under About, tap Version. Tap Version and permission info 10 times, then tap OK at the Allow development settings? prompt. Open the three-dot menu, select Developer settings, and check Unknown sources.
This setting provides a restricted exception for supported apps from alternate sources. It cannot make arbitrary phone apps compatible with Android Auto, and Google's exception does not apply to apps built using the Android for Cars App Library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install Android Auto apps from a computer?
Yes, sign in at play.google.com with the Google Account used on your phone, open the compatible app's listing, and click Install. Choose the phone you connect to Android Auto from the device dropdown, then click Install again.
Can you add games to Android Auto?
Yes, supported games can run while parked on Android 15 or later with a compatible Android Auto setup. Install a game whose developer explicitly supports Android Auto, then select it in the launcher while parked. Google lists games as Android Auto's only supported parked-app category; its video and browser categories apply to Android Automotive OS.
Can you keep media controls visible while another app is full screen?
Enable Show quick controls for apps in Android Auto settings on your phone, if the setting is available. This keeps media controls and navigation directions alongside a full-screen app without installing anything else.
How do you stop a restored app from being automatically archived again?
Open Settings, select Apps, and choose the app. Turn off Manage app if unused to prevent automatic archiving. Some system-level archiving controls require Android 15 or later and supporting hardware.