YouTube is rolling out support for Android Auto, but it has quite a few drawbacks, and it could be another way to get you to sign up for Premium.

• YouTube has implemented support for Android Auto with playback controls
• The problem is that it doesn’t play videos and you can only stream audio.
• You also need YouTube Premium for it to work, as it’s essentially background playback.

YouTube is finally rolling out support for Android Auto, the app that lets you mirror your smartphone screen on your car’s dashboard, but before your excitement takes over, you should be aware that it comes with a number of limitations.

However, the video platform has been pretty quiet about this release, and instead of formally announcing the integration, online users found it themselves, like in this Reddit post. As it stands, Android Auto is pretty strict about what you can and can’t do while your car is moving, which, when it comes to eliminating visual distractions while driving, is a safety no-brainer. That said, YouTube on Android Auto is not the YouTube you know and love.

For starters, Android Auto removes one of the key elements of YouTube and that is its video player, so you won’t be able to watch anything and can only listen to the audio playback like the best music streaming services. In theory, you can play any type of content you want, but you will only be able to listen to its audio, which won’t be a big setback if you exclusively listen to podcast episodes or videos that are ideal for audio-only listening.

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Although it removes YouTube’s most important functionality, it’s not a huge surprise and is arguably the most sensible thing to do to ensure safe driving. Not only that, it doesn’t offer full-screen viewing or the option to search for content, and playback controls are also limited.