Unbundled apps release notes

Unbundled apps are those not included in the Android Automotive OS (AAOS) system image (they're listed on this page). To learn how to integrate unbundled apps into vehicles, see the Integration guide.

Car-apps-release-18

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20250722

AppCards:

  • ImageAppCard can simultaneously support images, buttons, and the progress bar.

Bug Report tool:

  • Fixed an issue that truncated the screen in SDK 35 and higher.
  • Updated the version format to sync with other unbundled apps.
  • Resolved an issue with auto-upload.

Dashcam:

  • Added fixes for on-boot startup.

DriverUI:

  • For DriverUI, updated Design Compose to 0.37.1.
  • Redesigned Cluster to showcase complex UI implementations.

Media:

  • Fixed a rare null pointer exception (NPE) in MediaSource and updated ImageFetcher to protect against invalid URIs.

Test Media:

  • Applied numerous fixes across Media1 and Media3

Car-apps-release-17

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20250609

Dashcam

Dashcam:

  • Addressed a rotation issue with camera2.
  • Allow thumbnails from surface sinks.
  • Remove unused frame callback APIs.
  • Addressed an ongoing issue with recording duration.
  • Addressed an issue that occurred when a long running record operation would crash.
  • Added frame rate configuration.
  • Added surface support to camera preview.

Design Compose

  • Updated Design Compose to version 0.34.2 for DriverUI.

Driver UI

  • Updated the Java ARchive (JAR) file for the SDV client library.

Media

  • Updated the ID for the playing media1 item.
  • OEMs should remove browse_mini_bar from RROs.
  • Addressed the issue of the recycler view scrolling back whenever an item was updated.

CAL Media

  • Added a new TmaMediaCalApp to aaos-apps-gradle-project.
  • When using MediaSession on supported devices, added a TestMediaCalApp to aaos-apps-gradle-project to demonstrate the use of CarAppLibrary to browse and play media.

AppCards

  • Removed the minimum update rate restrictions from AppCards. Now, AppCard host owners can define the update rate.

Car UI Library

  • Added required privileged permissions.

Car-apps-release-16

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20250418

Dashcam, Driver UI, and Media

Numerous issues addressed.

Driver UI

Driver UI is updated with the latest Design Compose 0.34 and these additional improvements:

Additional enhancements

  • Added a new Launcher icon.
  • Reverted player from single MP4 to playlist support.
  • Handled end of stream so share can properly CONCAT segments.
  • Show the Start button on the first run.
  • Make heads up notification when recording to satisfy privacy indicator.
  • Handled external removable storage.
  • Addressed an NPE crash when onLiveClicked.
  • TunerSession doesn't discard duplicate metadata.
  • Added an optional loading view indicator to the PlaybackCardController.
  • Updated Driver UI to Design Compose 0.33.
  • Removed duplicate thumbnails.

Car-apps-release-15

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20250219

Camera

New feature

  • Dashcam. A reference dashcam experience that uses vehicle cameras (including conventional dashcams, surround view, and in-cabin cameras) to securely record, store, and share video footage of a vehicle.

Car-apps-release-14

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20241205

Media

New feature

  • Advanced audio attribution. Added a universal audio formatting attribution label to clearly identify advanced audio capabilities while you browse.

Alternative App controls

  • While driving, allow users to control non-media center audio, specifically from communication apps.

Issues addressed

  • You can now use the Sign in button to sign in to Spotify and other media apps.

Radio

Issues addressed

  • The Radio app no longer crashes.

Bug Report tool

Issues addressed

  • The Bug Report tool no longer crashes when launched from an app or long pressed in Notifications.

Car-apps-release-13

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20240924

Media

Issues addressed

  • Added support for background playback of video and other apps.
  • Addressed a crash that occurred during the unbundled apps process in messengerapptest_gradle_unit

Car-apps-release-12

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20240731

New feature

App card. OEMs can now create and customize a UI element that can be populated with information provided by the OEM or first party (1P) apps.

Messaging

Issues addressed

  • No content appears after a reboot and upcoming messages are designated as Unknown.
  • All messages are designated as Unknown in the SMS app.
  • Android Automotive Car Messenger app is 2.66MB larger than the previous version.
  • MMS displays null for the recipient name.

Media

Issues addressed

  • The News app launches in Home.
  • An empty media widget is displayed after a reboot with the TestMedia APK.

Media center

Issues addressed

  • A white dot is displayed on the Media page when playing the first song after a reboot.

Car-apps-release-11

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20240521

Media Center

Issues addressed

  • Playing a music station on YouTube Music no longer fails to display the music on the head unit.
  • Bluetooth media continuity playback now appears.
  • Group headers now work.

Media

Issues addressed

  • The Headset icon is not longer displayed in Recents for Media apps.
  • Custom Actions dialog for analytics to report only the visible IDs.
  • Media session no longer crashes.
  • com.android.car.carlauncher no longer crashes with com.android.car.media.common.source.

Dialer

Issues addressed

  • Audio options Switch Phone Audio to Headset & Car Speakers now displays.

Car-apps-release-10

Tag: ub-automotive-master-240314

Media Center

Issues addressed

  • Podcast no longer shows the Assistant icon in Media Center.
  • Media Center no longer crashes when Media plays on a full screen and when Day mode is toggled to Night mode (and vice versa).

Car-apps-release-9

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20240125

Media Center

New features

Car media analytics. Media Center analytics now provide third-party Media apps metrics to help provide a better media experience to users. Analytics enables third-party apps to receive real-time feedback on user behavior.

Issues addressed

  • NullPointer exception no longer occurs when a menu is selected from the Overflow menu.
  • Analytics: Queue items visibility change is now reported when closing or opening.
  • Analytics: Queue list reported as browse and now reports hiding items.
  • Analytics: Incorrect data is no longer sent when tapping a search result.
  • Analytics now appear after clearing a search query.
  • Refactor from single to multiple media activities each with its own media source.
  • MediaCenter no longer crashes from the user interface.
  • Reinstalling the TestMediaApp no longer causes MediaCenter to crash.
  • Adding a fade vertical scrollbar to browse_nodeCannot no longer switches to Bluetooth audio after playing the radio.

Calendar

Issues addressed

  • Calendar no longer crashes after enabling sync on an iPhone.

Car-apps-release-8

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20231102

Media Center

Issues addressed

  • Opening an app doesn't switch to the browser view from the NPV Dialer.

Dialer

Issues addressed

  • The Microphone and Ongoing Phone call user interfaces don't display when a vehicle is started.

Car-apps-release-7

Tag: ub-automotive-master-20231011

Media Center

Issues addressed

  • A song selected in Spotify plays but NPV still shows the previous app.
  • CarMediaService now informs MediaConnectorService which component to start.

Media

Issues addressed

  • Tapping a category grid has been improved.

Messaging

Issues addressed

  • The message "Bluetooth disconnected" is displayed in the SMS app when a device is paired.
  • When a Bluetooth device is connected, the SMS app displays a misleading message that Bluetooth is disconnected.

Car-apps-release-6

Dialer

Issues addressed

  • When the Home Phone card and Dialer are switched multiple times, the phone call in progress on a full screen no longer displays the Dialer Contacts page.

Media Center

Issues addressed

  • The linear progress bar in the Now Playing view now displays.

Car-apps-release-5

Car Settings

Issues addressed

  • The Add Network page crashes when the Network name is tapped.

Chassis

Issues addressed

  • On the Google Play page, Assistant doesn't display some pages even when the user is signed in.
  • After a reboot, the Home page and Apps launcher don't launch com.android.car.carlauncher.

Dialer

Issues addressed

  • On the Dialer contact profile, the Back (>) icon goes to Contacts when toggling between Day and Night modes.

Media

Issues addressed

  • The Now Playing view is slow to update to a new media source.
  • Album art and Nature files display invisible links.
  • The Playlist button should not be dimmed by default.

Media Center

New features

  • Implement playback view links.

Issues addressed

  • Regression. The TMA browse tree shows content even when the account type is none.
  • Reinstalling TestMediaApp no longer causes Media Center to crash.
  • The Media Center shows "No Title" in the Media bar when switching from Radio to BT audio.
  • The current song is not displayed in the Media Center.
  • Spotify. The selected song doesn't play.

SMS

Issues addressed

  • The SMS app crashes and can't be launched.
  • MMS header. Neither the from: contact nor the third contact are displayed.

Car-apps-release-4

Dialer

Issues addressed

Fixed issue where the Dialer was launching multiple UI contents that wasn't localized to RTL.

Media center

New features

  • Added Custom Browse Action Constants for Media 1 in androidx.media.

Issues addressed

  • Fixed an issue where users had to select a song on the phone when driving.

Car-apps-release-3

All apps

Issues addressed

Car Launcher crashing when launching AllApps and Dialer from the Facet bar.

Car UI library

Issues addressed

Fixed a bug that caused the Google Play app to crash.

Chassis

Issues addressed

Added new chassis (car-ui-lib) proxy classes.

Dialer

Issues addressed

Fixed issue where the contacts avatar wasn't displaying properly in Dialer, Contacts, and Favorites.

Media center

Issues addressed

  • Fixed an issue where a YouTube Music message displays in a Spotify message.
  • Fixed an issue with the News app not showing content.
  • Fixed an issue that wasn't displaying the Top of Media tree to all apps.
  • Fixed an issue causing app content to not appear after switching from Bluetooth to any media app.

Car-apps-release-2

Car rotary library

Issues addressed

Fix the corners and the buttons as described in the specifications for the Permission dialog.

Dialer

Issues addressed

  • Fix Dialer's Gradle lint errors.
  • Added ProGuard to Dialer's Gradle release builds.
  • Launch the Dialer in call UI from the system status bar when Active Call is turned off in Phone Settings.
  • Fix failing unit tests due to Resources$NotFoundException.

Media

Issues addressed

  • Android Automotive Media Player ignores METADATA_KEY_DISPLAY_SUBTITLE and METADATA_KEY_DISPLAY_DESCRIPTION.
  • Media continuity:
    • How to handle media sources without playable items.
    • Investigate and implement independent playback in Media.

Car-apps-release-1

Dialer

New features

  • Added a Message button to missed call notification to use Direct Send to reply a missed call.
  • Testing build supports the adding of contacts with an ADB command.
  • Testing build supports the simulation of a fake Bluetooth connection when the user clicks Connect to Bluetooth.
  • Show the phone number for contacts in the incoming call heads-up notification.

Issues addressed

  • Accelerated the speed at which contacts and call logs are loaded and fix the contacts mismatch with different locales between a phone and the head unit.
  • Proguard Dialer APK to speed up on a cold start when built with tapas.
  • When no phones are connected, sped up cold start by moving the No Bluetooth Connection error page away from Dialog.
  • Fixed a crash when the percent sign (%) was entered in the Search box.
  • Enhanced support for Right-to-Left (RTL).
  • Fix duplicate incoming call HUNs if projected becomes active when an incoming call is ringing.
  • Remove android: resources and fixed a dial pad layout issue in which numbers were missing.

Media

New features

  • Added support for Car App library powered third party settings and error (such as sign-in) pages.
  • Added support for per-item content styles.
  • Added optional progress bars for media items in the Browse screen.

Issues addressed

  • Fixed NPE in MediaActivityController.
  • Fixed NPE in PlaybackViewModel.
  • Fixed IllegalArgumentException when the list of tabs changes after navigating into browse node.
  • When switching to a new app from the playback screen, don't send media IDs from the old app to the new app.
  • Keep focus on the same Media button even when its action changes.
  • Add the projection app to the default custom_media_packages list.
  • Moved Menu Items from code to XML for use in RROs.
  • BrowseAdapter#generateViewData no longer creates empty items.

SMS

New features

  • Internationalization: Added string translations.
  • Updated the UI and UX to provide more clarity.
  • Updated the app icon.

Issues addressed

  • Created a testing build and set up unit tests, bringing test coverage to about 25%.
  • Exited the app instead of popping up the only fragment on the Back button, which displays a blank screen.
  • Fixed message preview overlapping other elements.
  • Fixed old messages being notified of in an HUN.
  • Fixed order dependent tests.
  • Remove trailing whitespaces in conversations.
  • Fixed muted conversations not updating in the Notification center after receiving a new message.
  • Fixed messages not appearing in notifications.
  • Fixed the conversation list not updating messages when the app is running in background.