The Android Automotive OS 12L Update Is Huge!

The Android Automotive OS 12L update is now accessible for vehicles that operate on Android Automotive, like the Polestar 2 and the Volvo XC40 Recharge, to name a couple of.

So what is new with this 12L update for Android Automotive? Effectively, initial off, there are now Brief Controls out there. OEMs can include picked settings to these, like Bluetooth toggles, Standing bar or other program UI elements. This will allow for consumers to “change important options safely while driving, devoid of opening the Configurations app”. Which is very crucial. Of study course, this is going to rely on how motor vehicle makers undertake the new options. So they could differ by automobile.

Android Automotive gets a notification overhaul

New in 12L, Android Automotive notifications will get enhanced grouped notifications. There is also support for rotary controllers and some bug fixes.

Also incorporated in this update are some advancements for Bluetooth reconnection general performance. Auto OEMs will also be in a position to “preview from automotive camera expert services, though explained suppliers can now remotely permit ADB and other Android developer alternatives remotely”.

Overall, it is not a big consumer-going through update for Android Automotive, and that’s a great point. You don’t really want to do a substantial makeover to a technique that operates your cars. As that signifies folks need to relearn how to use it. And that is not anything you want in a motor vehicle.

It’s unclear how lengthy it’ll take for companies to begin rolling out this update to their vehicles. But Volvo and Polestar have been very fast to roll out Android Automotive updates in the past.

Here’s the complete developer changelog for Android Automotive OS 12L

Google also launched the whole developer changelog for Android Automotive OS 12L, which can be found underneath.

Procedure UI and main apps enhancements

• Brief Controls element. Enables OEMs to increase picked options (for case in point, Bluetooth toggles) to SysUI (for instance, the Position bar) to empower customers to adjust key settings safely and securely though driving, without the need of opening the Options application.
• Rotary help. Improvements and bug fixes.
• UI Customization. Enabled plugin architecture for custom made lessons. See Car UI Plugins for particulars.
• Notification visual overhaul. UX overhaul and grouped notifications enhancements.

Bluetooth

• Improved Bluetooth reconnection overall performance. Automatically join to equipment a lot more generally and beneath the appropriate circumstances. To master much more, see Bluetooth relationship management.
• Messaging databases. Support for utilizing a messaging databases by way of the Message Obtain Profile (MAP) to deliver additional adaptability to messaging applications that rely on Bluetooth.

Connectivity

• Per-Software Community Assortment (PANS). Enable the creation and enforcement of a dynamic community policy that decides which purposes can use OEM_Compensated networks.
• Twin STA. Enable the IVI to link to an OEM restricted Wi-Fi community, concurrently with a principal relationship to a Wi-Fi community.

Audio

• Audio ducking sign. Provides HAL with audio emphasis point out and information on what output units to duck.
• Volume enhancements. Enable for finer manage of quantity, which includes delivering and API to get active quantity teams.
• Muting per quantity group. Enable for every volume group muting and increase HAL and UI interaction about the mute states.
• AIDL migration for the AudioControl HAL. Migrated the AudioControl HAL from HIDL to AIDL to fully use AIDL features.
• Energy policy dealing with for Audio. Enabled power dealing with features for the vehicle audio assistance, which includes disable and empower aim requests, and mute and unmute volume teams on electrical power plan modifications for audio.

Digital camera

• CarEvsManager. Enables OEMs to apply Android Action that exhibits the preview from automotive digicam companies.

Process reliability and stability

• Automobile watchdog flash memory administration. Manages method flash memory by limiting the amount of money of information prepared to storage. Permits OEMs to determine the publish thresholds (for OEM, media, and maps deals) and collect studies for OEM applications. Disables and terminates non-vital applications and companies that exceed defined thresholds.

Safety

• Car or truck bound encryption. Android storage encryption can now be configured to retailer some essential encryption parameters on an exterior European. This stops the harvesting of knowledge by removing the head device from the automobile (for case in point, thanks to theft or relegated to a junkyard).
• Secure developer options. Android developer alternatives and ADB can be remotely enabled exclusively by an OEM. Reference implementation supplies crypto token accessibility mechanisms and remote web company.

Place

• Innovative driver-support methods (ADAS) place change. Access to device spot for applications used for ADAS can now be managed with a different place switch in the Settings app.

Telemetry

• Edge-dependent analytics functionality. Enables the capacity to accomplish far more edge-based metrics processing on Android Automotive devices. Android infotainment and automobile residence metrics can be configured in scripts prepared in the Lua language and processed on-machine to be sent to the backend of OEM deciding on.

Compliance

• Compliance fixes. A range of patches assure compliance with the Android certification exam suites. The Android 12L AAOS Release is 100% compliant on CTS, CTS-Verifier, and STS check suites on our internal reference system with no supplemental fixes wanted in the AOSP software.