Android Auto's light mode is closer than ever, according to new code

Android Auto 18.2 update inches closer to a light mode that’s taking ages to arrive Published Nov 13, 2026, 4:37 PM EST Timi is the news and deals reporter for Android Police, who has been reporting on technology since 2008. He has worked in tech retail and also the IT space, providing hardware and software support, which gives him a unique perspective on the tech that he covers. This allows him to effectively break down complex subjects into easy-to-read pieces that even casual readers can enjoy. Before joining Android Police, he was a news writer for XDA, where he eventually transitioned to covering deals. He also worked as an editor and reporter for Neowin, where he covered news and attended major tech events like CES. He also reviewed phones, tablets, PC products, and other devices. In addition, he also created video content for the Neowin YouTube channel. Sign in to your Android Police account Android Auto 18.2 started rolling out today for beta users, and while it doesn't appears to have any noteworthy inclusions on the surface, the underlying code shows that Google is still continuing work on the light mode menu system, which has been talked about for many years now. Not much to see here 9to5Google took some time to look through the code of the latest beta release and shared what they found. The news outlets highlighted that Google "updated over 100 assets within the Android Auto app in preparation of light mode support." The focus seems to be on UI elements like buttons, which means that we're inching just a touch closer to an eventual release. While we wish we could get more excited about what was found, the reality is that light mode on Android Auto has been in the talks for years now. At this point, it almost seems like this feature won't ever find its way to a public release. And to be honest, that could be the case. Google doesn't need to release this feature, and since this is just something found in code, it could end up being nothing. That said, we know that with every new release of Android Auto, those curious will continue to look through the code to find new things. Sometimes there will be some hits, and other times there are going to be misses. This is what really matters We will say that Google has brought some more impressive features to Android Auto over the past few months. Perhaps the most recent addition has been the availability of Gemini Intelligence. While exclusive to Pixel phones, it's still a feature that's worth talking about. It seamlessly ties everything together to make your AI assistant really work for you. It's one of those things that we've talked about for years, but now it's becoming a reality. Even with Personal Intelligence, you're getting something that makes your life easier. It's not all perfect Naturally, there are still a lot of things that need to change with Android Auto, but that doesn't mean we can't take some proactive moves to make it better ourselves. We've experimented with different looks and settings and found that these five settings are absolutely essential. We also recommend applying these tweaks in order to further refine your Android Auto experience. While a new UI would be great, I'll take these kinds of updates over just plain visuals any day of the week. That said, like many, I'll continue to wait for Android Auto's light mode.