Google built-in gets Firefox, a redesigned Play Store and YouTube background audio
Google is redesigning the in-car Play Store, adding Firefox and new entertainment apps, while YouTube Premium will allow audio to continue after driving begins.
Firefox is coming to Google Play in cars with Google built-in. At the same time, Google is preparing a major update to the in-car app store and a new YouTube mode: once the vehicle starts moving, video will switch off, but the video's audio can continue playing in the background. The latter feature requires a YouTube Premium subscription.
Google announced the changes on October 13 in an official company blog post. The redesigned store will begin rolling out automatically in the coming weeks, while a specific launch date for Firefox has not yet been announced.
More than 700 apps are already available through Google Play for cars. The redesigned interface is intended to make them easier to discover: the home screen will feature recommended and new apps, along with collections for audio, video, games and other categories. Apps can be installed with one tap. The interface will also adapt automatically to the size, shape and orientation of the vehicle's display.
Alongside Firefox, the in-car catalog will add the STARZ video service, the game Ludo King and the JioHotstar streaming platform. Browsers, video and games are intended primarily for use while parked so entertainment content does not distract the driver while the vehicle is moving.
YouTube gets a separate use case. A user can start watching a video while parked and, after the vehicle is shifted into drive, continue listening to its audio without the picture. Google says the parked-to-drive feature requires a YouTube Premium subscription.
Compatibility is an important limitation. The new features are intended for vehicles with Google built-in, meaning Android Automotive OS with Google services preinstalled. This is not the same as Android Auto, which runs through a connected smartphone and projects compatible apps onto the car's display.
As a result, updating Android Auto on a phone will not by itself add Firefox to a vehicle's native infotainment system. The Google built-in version of the app is installed directly in the car through Google Play and is distributed separately.
According to Google, vehicles with Google built-in are now offered by 16 brands across more than 100 models. The company has not yet published a complete list of vehicles that will receive Firefox first, nor has it confirmed identical rollout timing in every country. The redesigned Google Play store itself will begin rolling out automatically in the coming weeks.