The hidden Android Auto feature that transformed my driving experience - Android Police

The hidden Android Auto feature that transformed my driving experience

After a year behind the wheel, Android Auto became my must-have co-pilot—and it wasn’t because of split-screen. The real upgrade was a buried setting: taskbar widgets. Turning it on reshaped how I use maps and media, cutting clutter and keeping my focus on the road.

What taskbar widgets are
Taskbar widgets are compact, live controls for your running apps that sit in the Android Auto taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Think of them like your phone’s media controls—shrunk down but always within reach. Instead of juggling full apps, you get the essentials in a glance-friendly strip.

How to enable them

• Open Settings on your phone
• Go to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto
• Toggle on Taskbar widgets

Why they beat split-screen (most of the time)
Split-screen is useful, but it disappears the moment you tap into one app. Open your map full-screen and your music controls vanish. Open Spotify and you lose turn-by-turn visuals. With taskbar widgets, both stay accessible:

• Open Maps? Your media controls compress into the taskbar.
• Open Spotify? Your navigation mini-widget stays visible in the taskbar.
  You keep full-screen maps when you need them, plus quick-access media controls (play/pause, skip) without bouncing between apps.

Real-world payoff

• Fewer distractions: No need to constantly switch views
• Full-screen navigation: The map gets maximum space when it matters
• Instant control: One tap to pause, skip, or expand to the full app
• Flexible setup: Use alongside split-screen when it makes sense, or let the widget do the heavy lifting

Bottom line
Taskbar widgets simplify Android Auto in the best way. I now skip split-screen more often, keep maps full-screen, and let the widget cover everything else. It’s cleaner, safer, and surprisingly easy to miss—don’t.

Source: https://www.androidpolice.com/the-android-auto-move-that-cut-through-my-usual-driving-chaos/