Google doesn’t want you to download Android Auto apps. I did it anyway

I’ve seen a lot of people invest deeply in Android Auto, but I never did, because I assumed it was little more than a navigation system and a media player controller. Sure, you can have the messages read aloud or receive Google Meet callsbut that seemed all. Whatever Google allows, that’s what you get.

But I recently discovered that is not the case. You can go far beyond what Android Auto offers out of the box and even install third-party apps outside of the Google Play Store.

Google imposes strict limits on what Android Auto can do, but it’s capable of much more. Here’s how you can download third-party apps on Android Auto and make them much more useful than the ones Google includes by default.

I’m sure most of you have used only the apps on Android Auto that Google provides out of the box, like YouTube Music, Spotify, Google Maps, the phone app, etc. But I bet you’ve also wished you could play a YouTube video or stream an episode of a show while you’re stuck in traffic.

A few days ago, I discovered that you can download apps on Android Auto and the process is surprisingly simple. You don’t need to root your phone or do anything particularly complicated. The steps can be broken down into three simple parts.

Step 1. Enable Developer Mode on your Android phone

First, you will need unlock Developer Mode on your Android phone. Go to Settings appgo to About sectionand tap the build number seven times. Once this is done, you will receive a system notification confirming that Developer Settings has been enabled.

Next, you’ll need to enable installing apps from unknown sources within Android Auto, and that’s only possible once Developer Mode is active.

To do this, go to Settingsselect Applicationsand then select Android Auto. On the Android Auto app information page, tap Additional settings in the app. On the next screen, scroll all the way to the Version information and permissions section and play it ten times.

Once enabled, you will receive a toast notification confirming Developer mode is unlocked for Android Auto. Now it’s time three point menu at the top right and select Developer Settings. From there, scroll to the end and enable unknown sources.

The last step is to install an app called Android Auto Apps Downloader (AAAD). Basically, this app serves as an unofficial store for third-party Android Auto apps, allowing you to download and install them directly on your phone so that they appear on your car’s screen.

Since AAAD is not available on the Google Play Store, you will need to download the APK from developer’s GitHub releases page and install it manually. It’s worth noting that there are known issues with Google Pixel, OnePlus, Realme, and Oppo devices. For these, the developer offers a separate solution that you will also need to install.

You may also need to allow installation from unknown sources on your Android phone for this to work.

Once AAAD is installed, open it and go through the setup process. You’ll need to grant some permissions along the way, including installing unknown apps, notifications, and disabling Google Play Protect.

One more thing: the free version of AAAD limits you to installing one app every 30 days. You’ll probably want to purchase the Pro version, which unlocks unlimited downloads for a one-time payment of $4.

Once you have access to AAAD, you will be able to download all the third-party apps that developers have created for Android Auto. This means your car’s Android Auto can now do much more than what Google officially offers.

One of the best apps, in my opinion, is CarStream, which unlocks the ability to watch YouTube videos on your car screen. Google is bringing native YouTube streaming to Android Auto on compatible cars from BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and others later this year, but that will only work when the car is parked.

CarStream works even when the car is moving (which, of course, you shouldn’t be doing in the first place) and lets you watch YouTube videos on your car’s screen like any other screen. The interface is easy to navigate using your phone and you can use your phone’s keyboard to search. You can also sign in with your Google account to access YouTube Premium features.

Another app that I found quite useful is one called AAMirror. It allows you to mirror your Android phone screen directly on your car dashboard. It may seem unnecessary at first, but it’s actually useful for playing videos saved on your device or streaming content from a web browser.

Although if you were downloading just one app from the third-party store for Android Auto, it would be Fermata Auto. It’s an all-in-one multimedia app that covers pretty much everything: streaming YouTube videos, playing locally stored videos, screen mirroring, watching TV over IPTV links, and even running a web browser on Android Auto.

Through that browser, you can access services like Prime Video and Netflix directly on your car screen. It’s practically a one-stop shop for all the multimedia features you’d want on your Android Auto unit.

That said, is installing third-party apps on Android Auto really a good idea?

So is this something you should try yourself? Probably not.

There’s a reason Google doesn’t officially allow most of these apps on Android Auto. They can be distracting, and watching videos or browsing the Internet while driving is a terrible idea. There’s really no discussion about it.

Sure, discovering that Android Auto can run YouTube, a web browser, and even screen mirroring completely changed the way I view my car’s screen. But honestly, most people are perfectly fine using Android Auto exactly as Google intended. Maps, music, calls, messages and that’s it.

It’s also worth noting that Google periodically patches app downloads on Android Auto. If you end up paying for AAAD, it may stop working before you can even take advantage of it. Plus, there’s a 50% chance that the recent Android update on your phone has already fixed the issue, which could prevent all of this from working to begin with.

So, again, to be clear: it is possible to download apps on Android Auto, but I wouldn’t recommend it for most people. It’s fun to know, but it’s probably best to leave it at that.