Android Auto users rejoice: top app gets long-awaited update

Android Auto has made significant progress on all key fronts, as the app not only receives new updates on a regular basis, but also makes its way to more cars and integrates with more big-name developers.

The Android Auto ecosystem is growing at a rapid pace, and Beeper is the latest leading brand to use Google solutions in cars.

Beeper is an app that simplifies messaging on your mobile device by combining all the popular platforms under one roof. You can connect your WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Messenger, and Google accounts. It also supports social platforms like Instagram and X, and users can connect Discord and Slack accounts.

Once everything is set up, you can chat with your contacts across all platforms using the same user interface. No need for separate apps.

Beeper originally supported Android Auto, but the in-car experience was removed when the parent company moved on to a major project. Work to bring it back to Android Auto has been underway, and earlier this month, the company confirmed that Beeper was returning to cars with its latest update.

However, the first thing anyone needs to know as they rush out to update Beeper specifically for Android Auto support is that the in-car experience is still a bit of a work in progress. The company says it only supports receiving and replying to messages that land on your phone. You can’t start new conversations, but the company says that’s just the current behavior, likely because it’s working on improving it by adding support for composing new messages in an upcoming update.

Otherwise, the new version of Beeper — version 4.12.7 — includes a major overhaul of search. The parent company explains that users can filter searches by network and attachment type. It also introduces experimental image recognition and other improvements for Discord Server and Slack Workspace.

Messaging is key for Android Auto users, allowing drivers to focus on the road without losing access to messaging apps. Reading and replying to incoming messages is handled by Google Assistant, the voice assistant included with Android that is also available in Android Auto.

Meanwhile, Android Auto is also receiving new updates, with the app recently reaching version 12.4 in beta. The pre-release version lets users try out the update before Google begins rolling it out to production devices, though it shouldn’t be used as a daily driver due to the increased chance of glitches.

If everything works as expected and no major issues are found in this beta, Google should begin rolling it out to production devices by the end of this week. Devices set up to receive updates automatically will receive the new Android Auto update in phases, while the APK installer will allow anyone to sideload the new version without waiting for the automatic distribution model.