Android Auto 18.1 update rolling out with additional prep for light mode and redesign

Google is rolling out Android Auto 18.1 to the masses and, while there are no major changes, the update continues to work on upcoming changes. Following Android Auto 18.0’s release in mid-October, Google released v18.1 to the beta track in late October. As of this week, the update is now rolling out to stable users. As far as we’ve been able to tell thus far, there are no user-facing updates here, but there are a few things going on behind the scenes. About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on. In a teardown of the latest Android Auto 18.1 update, we’ll start off by saying there’s nothing groundbreaking going on here. There’s a growing trend of making a really big deal out of any little Android Auto change or feature lately, but we’ll say right up front that there’s nothing major happening in this update. Rather, Google continues to build out its redesign and its light mode, which at this point seems to be arriving with that redesign. Strings that caught our eye in this update include assets specific to Samsung devices that include “dark_mode” and “light_mode” variants, though these seem to be applicable to non-Samsung devices as well. Android Auto already makes UI tweaks when you’re using a Samsung phone versus a Pixel or other Android device, so these assets are likely just being built out for the upcoming redesign. Specifically, we believe these are being prepared for Android Auto’s upcoming Quick Settings tiles which will presumably include some Samsung-specific icons or designs. “Cielo,” the apparent codename for Android Auto’s widget-filled redesign, continues to appear in updates. In v18.1, we’re seeing mentions of map scaling and apparent animations used for the dashboard “slide in” and “slide out” effects. These aren’t a surprise as we saw them in early hands-on demos back in May. ic_samsung_light_mode.xml ic_samsung_light_mode_auto.xml cielo_map_scale_out.xml cielo_dashboard_scale_fade_enter_widescreen.xml cielo_launcher_no_op_exit.xml cielo_notification_center_app_scale_fade_in.xml cielo_launcher_app_scale_enter.xml cielo_dashboard_slide_out_to_left.xml cielo_dashboard_slide_in_from_right.xml There’s still no sign of exactly when Android Auto’s “Cielo” redesign may go live, but Google is clearly building everything out behind the scenes, implying it may come sooner than later. More on Android Auto: Google says Android Auto video apps are still ‘coming soon’ as deadline nears Someone is bringing Android Auto back to your phone’s screen, and it actually works [Gallery] Android Auto ‘Work Account’ support would allow for easy switching in work vehicles Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.