Android Auto is deliberately restrictive. Google only permits a few categories on the car display, because anything demanding sustained attention has no business on a screen you glance at while driving. That is why your favourite app is probably not there, and it is the right decision even when it is annoying.
Android Auto supports navigation, audio, messaging and a small set of driving related tools. That is close to the whole list. Video, games, social feeds and general browsing are not permitted while driving, and no setting unlocks them.
Apps also have to be built specifically for the car interface. A developer cannot simply mirror the phone version; they build a separate constrained interface with large targets and voice control. This is why an app can be excellent on the phone and absent from the car entirely.
Google Maps is the default and earns it: clear lane guidance, reliable live traffic, and searching for fuel or charging on the move works without much interaction.
Waze is the community option. Other drivers report incidents, closures and hazards in real time, which makes it noticeably better in heavy commuter traffic. Busier to look at, which is the trade.
Organic Maps is the privacy and offline choice. Maps download to the phone in full and work with no connection, which matters abroad and in coverage gaps. Less polished, no live traffic, but it asks nothing of your data.
A Better Routeplanner is close to essential in an electric car. It plans charging stops into the route and predicts battery state using speed, weather and elevation, which general navigation apps do not do properly.
Note on speed camera alert apps: these are popular in some countries and restricted or illegal in others. Check the law where you drive before installing one, and be aware the rules can differ between neighbouring countries on the same trip.
Spotify remains the cleanest music experience on the car display: large artwork, easy playlist switching, and personalised mixes that need no input once started.
YouTube Music fits neatly into the Google ecosystem and its automatic stations keep playing without you reaching for anything.
Amazon Music is worth knowing about if you already pay for Prime, since a substantial catalogue comes with it at no extra cost.
Audible makes long drives shorter. Large skip controls, a sleep timer, and position syncing with the phone so you carry on where you stopped walking to the car.
Pocket Casts is the pick for podcasts: clear layout, automatic downloads of new episodes so nothing depends on signal, and adjustable playback speed.
Messaging on Android Auto is deliberately voice first. You do not read messages on the car screen; they are read aloud, and you reply by dictating. There is no view that shows a conversation as text while driving, by design.
WhatsApp and Telegram both work this way. Incoming messages are announced and read out, and replies are dictated.
Honest framing: this is safer than picking up the phone and it is not free of cost. Composing a reply in your head while driving still takes attention. For anything that needs thought, the right answer is still to stop.
Wired works on essentially every Android Auto head unit and is the more reliable option. Use a good quality data cable, since charge only cables and worn cables are the single most common cause of a connection that keeps dropping.
Wireless needs support from both the car and the phone. It is more convenient and somewhat less reliable, and it uses more battery, so a charger is still worth having. If wireless keeps disconnecting, we have a separate guide on fixing wireless Android Auto connection problems.
If your car has no Android Auto at all, an aftermarket head unit is the usual route, and a phone mount with a good voice setup is the cheap one.
Work through these in order.
For fuel and running cost apps specifically, see our guide on fuel and efficiency apps for Android Auto.
Navigation, audio, messaging and a few driving related tools. Developers must build a separate car interface, so an app being good on the phone does not mean it appears in the car. Video, games and social feeds are not permitted while driving.
Both, depending on the car and phone. Wired works with essentially every head unit and is more reliable; use a proper data cable, as cheap or worn cables cause most dropouts. Wireless needs support at both ends and uses more battery.
The navigation apps are. Audio apps are generally free with advertising and paid tiers that remove it and allow offline downloads, which is worth having for areas with poor signal. Route planning for electric cars has free and paid tiers.
Safer than handling the phone, since messages are read aloud and replies are dictated with no text on screen. It still takes attention to compose a reply. For anything that needs thought, stop the car.
An aftermarket head unit with Android Auto is the usual upgrade. Otherwise a decent phone mount plus voice control covers navigation and audio, which is most of what the car interface provides anyway.
Usually it has no Android Auto version. Otherwise check the app is up to date, since car support often arrives in an update, and check the Android Auto settings on your phone for which apps are set to appear.