Android Auto, Android Automotive and Google built-in all put Google software in cars, but they differ. Android Auto projects your phone. Android Automotive is the car's own operating system. Google built-in is a set of Google apps a carmaker can license. We did not test any car or phone. Reported facts are attributed; our advice is labelled.

The short answer

  • Android Auto: runs from your phone and shows on the car screen. The phone must be connected.
  • Android Automotive: an operating system that runs on the car's own hardware.
  • Google built-in: a car that runs Android Automotive and comes with Google apps, such as Maps and Gemini. NeoTeo says it is not a separate operating system; Google's developer page says these cars run Android Automotive.

Engadget says both Android Automotive and Google built-in run without your phone. Android Auto does not. They are not either-or: Google's developer page says a car can run Android Automotive and also support Android Auto.

Android Auto

Android Auto is phone projection. Engadget says it "simply project[s] your phone's display onto your car's dashboard." Google says you connect your phone by USB cable or wirelessly over Bluetooth, and Android Auto starts within a few seconds.

Google's FAQ lists Android 9.0 or higher for most wired connections, and Android 11.0 or higher for wireless and select newer vehicles. Wireless also needs a compatible car, or a supported aftermarket stereo from JVC, Kenwood or Pioneer.

Gemini is replacing Google Assistant in Android Auto through a server-side update that Google is rolling out over time. Google says Gemini Live is coming "in a future update." Separately, users report voice calls failing on some closed foldables: see our report.

Our advice: if your car supports Android Auto, set it up once at home before a long trip. Google says to park with the infotainment system on.

Android Automotive

Android Automotive is a base Android platform that carmakers use to build infotainment systems. Google's documentation says it is the same codebase as Android on phones, and that it is free and open source. It runs directly on the car's hardware and can run apps built for Android and for Android Auto.

Engadget says carmakers use it to run the radio, climate control, cameras, mirrors, lighting, seat adjustments and instrument clusters. Carmakers can customize it. Engadget's example is Rivian, which builds its Rivian OS on the same architecture and shows no Google branding.

Google's documentation also names Google Automotive Services (GAS), a set of apps carmakers can license. We could not confirm whether GAS is the same product Engadget calls Google built-in.

Google built-in

Google's developer page says cars with Google built-in run Android Automotive and come with Google apps and services including Google Play, Gemini, Google Assistant and Google Maps. Engadget describes it as a group of apps carmakers license into their Android-based systems. It debuted in 2020 and gives drivers Google Maps and Gemini. Drivers can also download apps such as Spotify and YouTube from Google Play.

Google says Maps plans routes around your car's needs and suggests charging stops on long trips. Voice control can adjust settings such as seat heaters and temperature. Google also says these cars get automatic updates while parked or on the move, and that a subscription or internet connection may be required.

Which one do I have

Google says a car with Google built-in runs Android Automotive, so the two are not rival systems. Android Automotive without Google's apps is also possible: NeoTeo, citing Engadget, notes Rivian OS uses the same architecture without Google branding. We could not confirm a single on-screen test that tells which kind a car is.

Our advice:

  • Plug your phone in. If Android Auto starts, your car supports it. That does not rule out a built-in system, because Google says a car can have both. Google's Help page says to check your vehicle manual or contact the manufacturer if it does not connect.
  • If the car runs its own maps and apps without a phone, check the owner's manual or the carmaker's website to see which system it uses. Engadget's Rivian example shows a system with no Google branding, so the logo is not a reliable test.

Which cars

  • Android Auto: Google's compatibility page lists brands with "Models from" years. Examples are Honda from 2016, Ford from 2017, Volvo from 2017 and BYD from 2022. Google says Android Auto works with over 500 models. The page lists brands, not models. Dacia, Koenigsegg, Lada and Lifan are marked "Coming soon."
  • Google built-in: Engadget says 16 brands have access, "including Honda, Volvo, Chevy, Nissan, Ford, BYD, and Renault." The Google car page we read has no list in its text, so we could not confirm the full list.
  • GM: Engadget says GM has moved from Android Auto to Google built-in since 2023.

Our advice: a brand on the Android Auto list does not tell you the model has Google built-in. Check the specific model.

What we could not confirm

  • The full list of Google built-in brands and models.
  • Which models run Android Automotive without Google's apps and which have Google built-in.
  • Whether Google Automotive Services (GAS), named in Android's open-source docs, is the same product as Google built-in. The developer page we read does not name GAS.
  • When Gemini reaches your account or your car. Google says the rollout is over time.
  • Which subscriptions Google built-in may need, and what they cost.
  • How any car performs. We did not test one.