14 DAY TRIAL // Google is a lot more committed to Android Auto right now than it was a year ago, and this translates to more frequent updates that really make the app overall substantially more refined.
The latest update for the app introduces a new option that allows users to customize the app drawer, which essentially means that everyone can decide what apps they want to show in the drawer.
It goes without saying that this is a super-helpful feature because every app drawer can thus adapt to what the user expects in the first place, without Android Auto choosing the layout by default.
The bad news is that not all apps can be removed from the app drawer. For example, you can’t remove Google Maps, Play Music, Settings, and Phone, which many might really consider a drawback given that they use other apps. I, for one, use Spotify instead of Google Play Music, so I see no reason to keep Google’s app in the app drawer since I never launch it in the first place.
Weather temperature indicator also available
On the other hand, what users could is disable Google Play Music on their phones as well. Doing this removes the app from the Android Auto app drawer as well, although it goes without saying this isn’t necessarily the most convenient workaround.
At the same time, the latest update also brought a weather indicator in the status bar, displaying the current temperature for your location. Originally, Android Auto included a weather widget that was displayed on the home screen, and while this widget is gone, the weather indicator is still an easy way to check the temperature without having to close Android Auto.
For now, these improvements appear to be just a server-side switch, so if you didn’t get them already, just wait for a few more days until Google enables them for your too.