Google Play Store to Feature Apps Optimized for Tablets and Cars Soon

Modern vehicles are equipped with advanced technology and come with fewer physical buttons than in the past. Now, a prominent touchscreen resembling a tablet occupies the center console, which may have minimal or no traditional controls. It’s preferable to have specific buttons for key functionalities, but increasingly, all controls are integrated into this large display.

This touchscreen not only manages vital functions of the vehicle but also supports numerous applications through Android Auto or Android Automotive. You can easily access navigation tools or music streaming services to ensure an enjoyable ride.

Given that the central console effectively acts as a tablet, it stands to reason that it should also support standard applications you would typically enjoy on a regular Android tablet. Google appears to share this vision and may soon begin to promote applications in the Play Store that are suitable for both tablets and automobiles.

A recent APK Teardown has uncovered a string in Google Play Store version 43.0.18-31 that would facilitate user identification of apps tailored for automotive use. The upcoming notification reads:

This app was designed for tablets and is compatible with your car.

Keep in mind that features hinted at in APK Teardowns are not guaranteed to appear in the final version. These are merely speculative functions.

As reported by Android Authority, this initiative could be linked to Google’s Car-ready mobile apps program, which was introduced during the Google I/O 2024 conference. Google aims to expand the library of applications available for vehicles by implementing a three-tier system:

These upcoming applications might fall under the Tier-3 “Car ready”initiative, intended to adapt tablet-optimized applications for use in vehicles. This would remove obstacles for developers and allow apps originally designed for tablets to be used safely in parked vehicles equipped with compatible screens.

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