- Google has rolled out Android Auto beta 15.5 to some devices
- Those running Android 8 will soon not be supported
- Older devices could soon find that Android Auto stops working
Google is preparing to push some major updates to its Android Auto system, and the beta version of the latest 15.5 software is already rolling out to early testers.
However, minimum system requirements are changing and the tech giant announced in the summer of last year that users will need Android 9 or later to run Android Auto in the car, both wired and wireless.
According to Auto Evolution, Google continued to support Android 8 users with updates, but that’s about to change as the latest version 15.5 of the software is introduced. For Android 8 users, this means the devices will not receive any new Android Auto updates. No new features, bug fixes, or design changes will be applied.
What’s more, it’s very likely that Google will stop supporting Android 8 users entirely, with some predicting this will happen in the summer of 2026.
This move is unlikely to affect many users, with the latest Android figures showing that only 4% were running Android 8 or Android 8.1 in April 2025. But if you want the latest features of the Android Auto OS, it’s worth checking out in case you need to update your software (or device).
Preparing for the AI era
Both Google and Apple are busy injecting more AI-enabled features into their smartphone mirroring services, with the former preparing to launch Gemini for drivers.
The company says the AI-powered assistant will replace the current generation of Google Assistant, allowing users to access deeper integration with apps, calendars and messages without taking their eyes off the road.
Simply put, older devices running Android 8 won’t be able to support these kinds of AI-based technological advances, as the operating system was first released in 2017, when this kind of thing was a mere footnote.
For those who don’t want to invest in a new Android smartphone, it will be possible to stay with Android 8 until it stops working completely. The updates will not be applied, but it should still be possible to continue using the current features until Google stops supporting them completely.
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