Android Auto launches 'Suggested Media' feature – and you might've missed it

Android Auto has announced a new 'suggested media' feature – and you might've missed it.  

What we love about Android Auto isn’t just the rapid rollout of new user features to keep your in-car setup fresh, but it's also the small hidden features that invariably get spotted by eagle-eyed internet users. 

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First spotted by a group of Reddit users, Android Auto has quietly introduced a ‘Suggested Media’ button. When pressed, it isn’t merely just another run-of-the-mill suggestion feature that churns out random Spotify suggestions. Rather, this feature draws upon a mixture of entertainment services when forming its recommendations.

Android Auto's media suggestions can range from, say, a podcast to stick on your car stereo, music, or even news from the likes of Google News. With the new feature, you can now easily dine out on a medley of audio-based entertainment options, as you happily drive along. 

According to Auto Evolution, the new feature is visually pleasing as well, utilizing a dedicated "new UI that uses the entire screen, with large thumbnails to let you easily choose content to listen to." All of this means it should be fairly easy to use when in-situ of a vehicle, especially when traveling in busy, congested environments. 

Spice up your media suggestions

One caveat here is that the feature isn’t yet available for everyone, with it currently still in its experimental stage over at Google. User access to the feature is reportedly dependent on a "server-side switch," meaning that the current version of Android Auto you're running doesn't actually impact its availability. Google itself presides over who gets the feature – for now, at least.

If you're hungry for more Android Auto news, there've been several other hyper-recent improvements to Android Auto's UI, including a new Android Auto dashboard update and improved messaging controls when using the platform inside your car.