A redesigned Play Store is coming to cars with Google built-in

The Google Play Store is getting a big update for cars with Google built-in. On Tuesday, the company announced that the Play Store’s layout will now automatically adapt to the size and layout of your car’s screen while making it easier to find and download new apps. The update, which is rolling out in the coming weeks, will put featured apps on the Play Store’s homepage and allow you to download them with a single tap. It also comes with what Google says is a “streamlined navigation” menu that puts “Apps,” “Games,” “Search,” and “More” options on the left side of your screen (or on the top if your car’s screen has a vertical orientation). [Image: The Play Store can now adapt to a screen’s vertical orientation as well. Cars with Google built-in differ from the company’s infotainment operating system, Android Automotive, in that it allows vehicle manufacturers to integrate Google’s services and support for native Android apps directly into their vehicles. The company brought an early version of its software integration to the Polestar 2, before rolling it out to the Honda Accord Touring in 2023. Along with an overhauled Play Store, Google is also adding new apps, like Starz, Firefox, Ludo King, and JioHotstar, that you can use while parked. Google will also allow you to watch YouTube videos on your dashboard when parked and continue listening to audio while driving, though this feature is only available to YouTube Premium subscribers. Google has been gradually adding more apps and features to cars with Google built-in and recently replaced Google Assistant with Gemini AI across a range of supported vehicles from Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan, Volvo, and others.