I Found Android Auto's Hidden Shortcut That Automates Any Task In Your Car - And It's Brilliant

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Android Auto's Custom Assistant is an underutilized shortcut.
• You tin trigger aggregate actions, and Gemini makes nan shortcut much useful.
• Custom Assistant takes only a infinitesimal to group up.

Android Auto is simply a highly convenient, albeit underused, characteristic disposable successful astir modern cars. Even if your conveyance doesn't support it natively, you tin bargain an inexpensive Android Auto show and bask your phone's features safely while driving. A comparatively chartless shortcut, however, tin thief you easy automate these mundane tasks from your car. 

While Android Auto gives you safe entree to your phone's navigation, messages, calling, and much while driving, utilizing nan Custom Assistant shortcut lets you trigger preset actions and automations to power thing you tin do pinch your phone.

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And nan caller summation of Google Gemini to Android Auto makes nan interface moreover much useful for handling analyzable commands via shortcuts that are arsenic easy to tally arsenic pressing a button.   

Imagine driving astir and utilizing Android Auto to hole your location for your presence by mounting nan A/C to a cooler somesthesia and turning connected nan lights. Here are immoderate examples of shortcuts you could create pinch this feature:

• "Navigate to nan nearest X state station."
• "Play nan latest section of Y podcast."
• "Tell Z that I'm connected my way."
• "I'm coming home."
• "Navigate to work."

Also: You tin usage Google Meet pinch CarPlay now: How to subordinate meetings safely successful your car

A elemental "I'm leaving for work" regular tin trigger your HVAC to spell into Eco aliases power redeeming mode, guarantee each your lights are off, and tally a robot vacuum while you're out, for example. 

How to group up nan Custom Assistant connected Android Auto

The Custom Assistant shortcut is successful nan settings, truthful galore group aren't alert of it, but it only takes a infinitesimal to group up. 

1. On your Android phone, unfastened nan Android Auto settings.
2. Select Customize launcher. 
3. Go to Add a shortcut.
4. Tap connected nan Assistant action.
5. Enter a civilization bid of your choosing.

To effort it out, conscionable link your telephone to your car aliases an Android Auto device, and you'll find nan caller shortcut arsenic an app icon you tin pat to tally it. The shortcut should activity arsenic intended, but you tin ever tweak your wording successful nan settings if it doesn't. 

Also: Your Android Auto conscionable sewage 5 useful upgrades for free - and Google isn't done

Since these shortcuts are tied to your Google account, not your car aliases Android Auto display, they'll beryllium disposable successful immoderate conveyance wherever you usage Android Auto. 

Keep successful mind that these shortcuts require a compartment signal, truthful they whitethorn neglect successful areas pinch nary coverage.