MyRadar, the popular weather app, has recently added support for Android Auto, allowing drivers to access full weather information on their infotainment screens. The app, which was previously available on CarPlay, is now expanding its reach to Android Automotive as well.
One of the standout features of MyRadar is its innovative RouteCast system. This component analyzes your route and provides advanced insight into weather conditions as you drive. It takes into account factors such as road temperature, cross-wind alerts, and other potential hazards, in addition to the expected weather temperature and conditions. With this data, it can calculate your drive time and provide forecast updates every 15 minutes. MyRadar even offers departure time suggestions based on the expected weather for your configured route.
The app also includes a radar and warnings for severe weather, which are available for free. However, the RouteCast feature is only accessible through the premium package, which requires payment.
In addition to the Android Auto and CarPlay versions, MyRadar is also working on an Android Automotive (AAOS) version. Android Automotive is Google’s embedded operating system for cars, and it doesn’t require a mobile device to run. MyRadar has been enrolled in the Android Early Access Program, indicating that the AAOS version is already in development. While there is no specific launch date provided, more information is expected later this year.
With these updates, MyRadar is demonstrating its commitment to providing weather information to drivers. The RouteCast feature, in particular, enhances the driving experience by offering personalized weather forecasts based on the user’s route. It is likely that MyRadar will also work on a CarPlay 2.0 version in the future, as Apple’s reinvented car platform is set to debut on vehicles later this year.
The addition of full weather apps to Android Auto is a positive development for the app ecosystem in cars. It also highlights the importance of addressing user requests for this feature. Google should not overlook the demand for weather information on its automotive platforms.
Google’s Android Auto has made some changes to its weather information feature, leaving many users disappointed. The original version had a dedicated weather widget on the home screen, which was great for those whose infotainment systems didn’t display weather information. However, when the new version debuted in 2019, the widget disappeared, leaving users in the dark.
Fortunately, Google listened to user feedback and brought back weather information, although not in the form of a widget. The current temperature and a weather condition icon now appear in the status bar at the top of the screen, allowing users to easily view the information within the Android Auto UI.
However, things took a turn with the introduction of the Coolwalk redesign. The multi-view app screen removed the status bar, relocating battery information, signal strength, and time to the lower part of the screen. Unfortunately, this change also removed the weather data. Google attempted to compensate by launching a dedicated card on the Coolwalk screen for temperature and conditions, but there’s a catch.
The weather card is only available on portrait screens and does not support landscape infotainment units. Given that landscape displays are more common in the infotainment space, this means that a significant portion of Android Auto users are left without access to weather information.
Despite promises from Google to address this issue and bring a weather card to the Coolwalk UI for all aspect ratios, no update has been released. It seems that the company is ignoring this important feature request, leaving many Android Auto users frustrated and unable to access weather information.
This is why the introduction of MyRadar on Android Auto is significant. With this app, users can now access weather details that Google has neglected to provide.
It remains to be seen whether Google will eventually address this feature request, but it’s clear that they have the technical capability to do so. The bottom bar of the screen has enough space to accommodate weather information, and adding a dedicated card on the Coolwalk screen would not overly clutter the interface.
Unfortunately, Google has not provided any updates on their progress in this area, so it’s best not to hold your breath for weather updates on Android Auto.
