Android Auto 18.2 enters beta with further work on light mode
The update retains Android 9 compatibility, although Google has confirmed a future minimum requirement of Android 11.
Google has begun sending version 18.2 of Android Auto to beta users. No visible interface changes have been identified, but an examination of the app’s files found further preparations for a light mode that has yet to become available.
More than 100 assets were revised as part of that work, mostly involving button designs. The changes follow similar development in recent updates, though there is no confirmed date for the feature’s arrival.
Compatibility requirements remain unchanged in this version: phones running Android 9 are still supported. Google has confirmed that Android 11 will become the minimum supported version, but version 18.2 does not yet impose that requirement.
The light mode findings come from decompiling the app package uploaded to the Play Store. Such inspections can reveal work on potential features, but those features may never reach users, and interpretations of the underlying code can be imperfect.
