When dealing with devices used in cars while driving, safety is still the foremost concern. This is why for the longest time, Google has been strict in dictating what can be used when pairing your phone to your head unit via Android Auto. Until recently, Google had restricted use of phones connected to Android Auto by preventing the phones to be unlocked and the user had to go through the head unit to do stuff on the phone. Not anymore, it seems.
One common complaint about this safety feature of Android Auto is this – that drivers can actually ask their passengers to do things on the phone in question, and they could do it faster than through the Android Auto interface. It seems that Google – in its quest for safety – had not considered this possibility. So recently, a “swipe to unlock” has been enabled on Android Auto.
Now, Android Auto users can swipe up on their phone to be able to see and use their home screen. This is Google saying to us that they trust the drivers will only be allowing passengers to use their phones and not them. You can now easily ask your passengers to make calls, send messages, or select music for you while you drive.
Again, we understand why Google has taken so long to enable this – because driver safety is a huge consideration. So we hope that users of Android Auto will be aware enough to make sure they keep safe while using their devices in their cars.
SOURCE: Android Police
