I love the Android Auto experience, especially in its wired, USB-powered form. Out of the box, the feature is preconfigured quite well, but as ever with Android, a bit of customization goes a long way. Whenever I initially connect a new Android smartphone to my vehicle, I always tinker with a variety of settings to make things look and feel just right.

By and large, there are three overarching settings I always adjust on Android Auto right from the get-go. Even if I leave all the other options in their default state, these three customization settings are non-negotiable in my eyes. Here are all three main changes I make to unlock the absolute perfect auto dashboard configuration.

Developer

Google

Subscription cost

No

Android Auto is a platform that works with Android smartphones. It integrates into your car’s infotainment system to display compatible software applications on your screen.

Customize the launcher

Reorder your dashboard home screen

Right of the bat, the first thing I adjust within my Android Auto setup is the home screen itself. I like to organize my apps based on how frequently I use them, while opting to hide the apps I don’t ever interact with. This helps streamline the entire dashboard, while, importantly, allowing me to keep my eyes on the road at all times.

Customizing the Android Auto launcher is something you have to do through your phone, and it can only be done while stationary and disconnected. To organize your apps, follow these steps:

1. Launch Settings.
2. Navigate to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto.
3. Next, go to Display > Customize launcher.
4. From here, you can rearrange, enable, or disable all compatible Android Auto apps with ease. You can also choose to sort the launcher alphabetically if you prefer that setup.

Quick controls for your favorite applications

I love Android home screen widgets, and they’re just as useful within Android Auto as they are on mobile. Widgets offer glanceable snippets of information right on your dashboard, all without the need to launch directly into applications themselves. To enable taskbar widgets within Android Auto, follow these steps:

1. ​​​​​​​Launch Settings.
2. Navigate to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto.
3. From here, go to Display and then toggle on Taskbar widgets.

With taskbar widgets enabled, it’s easy to control music playback while within, say, a full-screen navigation app. The feature set is rather limited at the moment, but Google is reportedly working on bringing full-fledged pinnable app widgets to the dashboard in a future update.

Add a shortcut to the launcher

Call a contact or invoke a Gemini action

Aside from basic app icons, you can also pin shortcuts to the Android Auto home screen launcher. In particular, you can pin a favorite contact for quick access, or pin a Gemini action (such as ‘open garage’ or ‘read my messages’). These shortcuts then live conveniently on your car’s infotainment display at all times, which, without question, can come in handy while out on the road.

To set up launcher shortcuts within Android Auto, follow these steps:

1. ​​​​​​​Launch Settings.
2. Navigate to Connected devices > Connection preferences > Android Auto.
3. Next, go to Display > Customize launcher.
4. From here, tap or click on Add a shortcut to the launcher.
5. A prompt will appear on-screen, allowing you to pick between Call a contact and A Gemini action.