Android Auto puts supported phone apps on your car display with large buttons and voice control. Plug in with USB or connect wirelessly, then open apps from the launcher without touching your phone.
We rechecked every app on this list in October 2026: each one is live on Google Play, was updated in the last few weeks, and works on the Android Auto screen.
- Google Maps and Waze cover navigation; Organic Maps and TomTom GO Expert are the offline picks.
- Spotify, YouTube Music, Pocket Casts, Audible and iHeart handle music, podcasts, audiobooks and live radio.
- WhatsApp and Google Messages are the reliable messaging apps; official Telegram has been missing from Android Auto since mid 2026.
- Zoom joins meetings audio-only, Fuelio logs fill-ups, and ChargePoint finds EV chargers from the dash.
Voice control on Android Auto now runs through Gemini, which replaced Google Assistant in the car from late 2025, so it is not listed as a separate app. If Android Auto will not connect, start with our Android Auto troubleshooting guide. For a tour of the split-screen layout, see our Android Auto Coolwalk review.
Quick picks
| App | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Everyday navigation | Free |
| Waze | Live hazard and police reports | Free |
| TomTom GO Expert | Offline maps, lane guidance | Subscription, free trial |
| Organic Maps | Free offline navigation | Free, open source |
| Spotify | Music and podcasts | Free with ads, or Premium |
| YouTube Music | Music, covers and live versions | Free or Premium |
| Pocket Casts | Podcasts | Free, Plus optional |
| Audible | Audiobooks | Membership or purchases |
| iHeart | Live AM/FM radio | Free, paid tiers |
| Messaging | Free | |
| Google Messages | SMS and RCS | Free |
| Zoom Workplace | Audio-only meetings | Free, paid plans |
| Fuelio | Fuel prices and fill-up log | Free, Pro optional |
| ChargePoint | EV charging | Free app, pay per charge |
Navigation
Google Maps
The default navigation pick for most drivers. Search by voice for addresses and businesses, follow live traffic, and let the map switch between light and dark themes on its own.
Free with no subscription. Google keeps adding car features here first, including the newer immersive navigation view that is rolling out through 2026.
Waze
Waze relies on driver reports for hazards, police, speed cameras and road closures. It needs a data connection, but live rerouting is excellent in busy cities.
Owned by Google and fully integrated with Android Auto voice controls.
TomTom GO Expert
This is the app formerly called TomTom GO Navigation. TomTom renamed it GO Expert and now pitches it at truck drivers, but the same app still handles car navigation depending on your subscription.
You get downloadable offline maps, lane guidance, speed-camera alerts and live traffic on the car screen. New users get a free trial, then a subscription billed through Google Play (pricing varies by region). Pick it when you regularly drive through areas with weak mobile data.
Organic Maps
Organic Maps is a free, open-source navigation app built on OpenStreetMap data. Download a country or region once, and turn-by-turn directions work with no signal at all. There are no ads and no tracking.
Android Auto is supported, so you get the offline maps on the car display too. It lacks live traffic, so pair it with Google Maps or Waze for rush-hour commutes.
Music, podcasts and radio
Spotify
Stream music, podcasts and audiobooks from one app. The free tier works on Android Auto with ads; Premium removes ads and unlocks offline downloads on your phone.
Spotify is one of the apps Google names for upcoming Dolby Atmos playback in supported cars. Want to practise voice commands before you drive? Try Google Assistant on your computer.
YouTube Music
Google's own music app is a strong Spotify alternative, especially if you want live versions, covers and remixes that only exist on YouTube. Your library, playlists and mixes show up on the car screen, and you can ask Gemini to play an artist or playlist by voice.
YouTube Music Premium (included with YouTube Premium) removes ads and adds downloads for drives through dead zones.
Pocket Casts
Built for podcast listeners who want folders, queues, playlists and sync across devices. Android Auto shows your library, playback speed and skip controls.
If the icon is missing, open Android Auto settings, tap Customize launcher, and enable Pocket Casts. Open the phone app once before driving so new episodes sync. More options in our best podcast apps roundup.
Audible
Amazon's audiobook library syncs progress across devices. Start a book from the car display, jump between chapters, and pick up where you left off on your phone later.
Requires an Audible account and purchased or included titles. Great for long commutes when you want something longer than a podcast episode.
iHeart
iHeart streams thousands of live AM/FM stations, including local news, sports talk and traffic reports, plus podcasts and artist radio. It is the easiest way to keep your home-town station on a long road trip.
The free tier covers live radio. Paid tiers add on-demand playback and unlimited skips.
Messaging and calls
Hear new chats read aloud and reply by voice without picking up your phone. WhatsApp calls also work through the car's speakers and microphone.
Official Telegram stopped appearing on Android Auto around June 2026, and the bug was still open on Telegram's tracker in late summer. Until it is fixed, use WhatsApp or Google Messages in the car.
Google Messages
The default texting app on most Android phones covers SMS and RCS chats. On Android Auto, incoming messages are read out and you reply by voice or with a quick reply.
With Gemini in the car, you can also have incoming and outgoing messages translated, which helps when friends or family text in another language.
Zoom Workplace
Zoom is one of the apps Google lists for Android Auto. Join a scheduled meeting from the car screen and take part with audio only, so your eyes stay on the road.
Handy for commuters who keep getting stuck in traffic during the morning stand-up.
Fuel and EV charging
Fuelio
Fuelio shows crowdsourced station prices, logs fill-ups and tracks mileage and running costs over time. Grant location permission so the app can find stations near you.
The Android Auto view lets you check nearby stations and add a fill-up from the dash, which beats keeping paper receipts.
ChargePoint
For EV drivers, ChargePoint finds nearby chargers, shows which ones are free, and gives turn-by-turn directions to the station on Android Auto. Once you arrive, start and pay for a session from the app.
It works across ChargePoint stations and partner networks, so one account covers most stops on a road trip.
- Gemini replaced Google Assistant as the voice assistant, so you can speak naturally and ask follow-up questions.
- Games while parked: titles like Candy Crush and Angry Birds now appear on the car screen when the car is stopped.
- Video apps such as YouTube are coming to supported cars later in 2026, switching to audio-only once you start driving.
- Dolby Atmos audio is arriving in supported apps and cars.
Dropped from this list
- Scanner Radio: we could not confirm current Android Auto support for the Android app, so it is out. iHeart covers live radio instead.
- Telegram: missing from Android Auto since mid 2026 (see the note above).
Do I need a subscription for Android Auto apps?
Can I use Telegram on Android Auto?
How do I add an app to the Android Auto launcher?
Which Android Auto navigation app works offline?
Is Spotify free on Android Auto?
Does Android Auto still use Google Assistant?
I write as a writer, as someone very familiar with the Internet, as someone who is completely at ease with current technology and the way it is transforming the social fabric of the globe, the business world in particular.
