New update: Android Auto 12.6 now available for download

Google has just started rolling out a new Android Auto update to production devices, just days after the search giant shipped the same version to testers for testing purposes.

Android Auto 12.6 landed in beta earlier this week, but it looks like testers didn't find any major issues, so Google released it to non-beta devices a few hours ago. The new version is rolling out in waves via the Google Play Store, with the process taking up to several weeks.

This means that Android devices will not receive the new update at the same time, so if you are not included in the first wave, the only way to update to version 12.6 today is to sideload the APK build on your device.

You can download the Android Auto 12.6 APK installer on your smartphone, navigate to its location and tap on the file to start the update.

As per its usual practice, Google has not shared a changelog for the new update and the release notes published on the Play Store refer to the general “bug fixes and other improvements” mentioned with each new build.

Google has remained tight-lipped about its long-term Android Auto strategy, but the company has recently been seen working on several big changes, including radio station integration. The company wants to avoid users having to leave the Android Auto interface to listen to a radio station, so Google wants to bring the entire experience into the app.

In the meantime, Google is improving the Android Auto experience on other fronts as well.

The company recently released support for incident reporting in Google Maps on Android Auto, just weeks after the same feature was introduced on CarPlay. Google announced support for incident reporting in Android Auto back in 2019, but the feature remained reserved for smartphones.

The expansion to phone mirroring systems began with CarPlay in July, and Google later confirmed that the same feature would also be available on Android Auto. With this feature, Google Maps is expanding into Waze's territory, meaning that users who previously installed Waze specifically to send and receive alerts about traffic hazards can now switch to Google Maps. Google will also display Waze traffic reports in Google Maps.

Android Auto 12.6 could also fix some of the recently reported glitches. One of the most widespread issues involved the ability to make calls, as users complained that using voice commands to make calls didn't work as expected. While the Google app enables voice commands and is generally responsible for everything related to hands-free interaction with the app, users claim the feature was broken by a recent Android Auto update.

You can download the Android Auto 12.6 APK installer today if you don't want to wait for the update, or stick with automatic deployment via the Google Play Store if you don't mind sticking with your current version for a few more weeks.