Gemini AI comes to Android Auto: smarter navigation, message edits and summaries, Gmail and calendar voice control, better music picks, and a hands‑free chat.
© A. Krivonosov
Google is rolling out a major update to Android Auto, with Gemini AI taking center stage. Drivers who switch from Google Assistant to Gemini on their phones get a noticeably smarter, more flexible, and more natural in-car helper. Instead of flashy demos, the focus is on smoother control of navigation, messaging, and routine tasks that keep attention where it belongs—on the road.
Navigation is the headline upgrade. Gemini understands everyday speech and can surface places from genuinely human requests. Drivers no longer have to guess the exact command: they can ask for a café that’s open now, a spot that welcomes dogs, or where to find the best ramen along the route. The AI weighs opening hours, ratings, and popular dishes, then offers options right away—cutting out the usual fiddling with manual search.
Conversations on the move are getting a rethink, too. Gemini lets you edit messages as you dictate, so a single misheard word doesn’t force a do-over. It can automatically drop in your arrival time, add emojis, or translate text into more than 40 languages. When the inbox gets busy, the AI compiles a short summary and helps craft a quick reply—exactly the kind of small assist that eases mental load in traffic.
For the first time, Android Auto also brings full voice access to Gmail and other apps. Drivers can ask the system to pull an address from an email and send it to Maps, hear a brief rundown of new messages, check the calendar, or create a note. Google Calendar, Google Keep, Tasks, plus Samsung Notes and Reminder are supported at launch, and Google says more apps will follow.
Music requests now sound more natural as well. It’s enough to ask for something calm for a rainy day, a playlist for a long drive, or songs for kids—no need to recall exact titles. Gemini curates tracks from Spotify, YouTube Music, and other services. Another addition is the Live with Gemini mode: once the driver uses the command to start a live conversation, a continuous dialog begins without repeating a wake phrase. The assistant can help plan a trip, bounce around ideas, or even coach speaking practice, turning into a genuine conversational partner.
The Gemini update for Android Auto starts rolling out globally today. Drivers will see a notification on the car’s display, and they can activate the assistant by voice, with the microphone button, or by long-pressing the steering wheel control.