Distribute to cars

You've got a great app, and Google Play can help you bring it to users in their vehicles. To get started, review this page to learn how build apps for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and distribute them through Google Play.

Understand guidelines and requirements

To prepare for a successful launch, start by reviewing the following table of guidelines and requirements for creating great experiences on Android for Cars.

All apps

Media apps

Communication apps

Templated apps

Parked apps

Prepare your app for distribution

Before your app can be made available to users in their cars, you must upload your app to the Play Console and update your store listing with Android Auto and AAOS screenshots and other information.

For general information about preparing for launch on Google Play, see the Launch Checklist.

Select an AAOS package name

If you have an existing app on the Google Play Store for Android mobile devices, you can continue to use the same package name for your Android Automotive OS app. We strongly recommend that you use the same package name for your Android mobile app and AAOS app for the following reasons:

• Doing so makes it easier for you to manage your store listings and releases for both apps. You can reuse your app description and other assets from your mobile app for your AAOS app. You can use a dedicated AAOS track to control the release of your AAOS app separately from your mobile app.
• If your parked app is built using adaptive app principles, or should you ever decide to do so in the future, using the same package name for both apps lets you update your app to support different form factors using a single app bundle.

Declare the AAOS hardware feature

For AAOS apps, depending on which track type you choose and your app's category, there are different restrictions for the required automotive hardware <uses-feature> element:

<manifest ...>
  ...
  <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.type.automotive" ...>
  ...
</manifest>

Opt in to form factors

You must also opt in to the other form factors by completing the following steps in the Google Play Console:

Choose a track type for Android Automotive OS

You can always distribute your app to Android Automotive OS vehicles by using the dedicated Android Automotive OS track type. Depending on your app's category, you may also have the alternative to distribute your app to Android Automotive OS devices using the mobile release track.

All else being equal, we recommend that you use the dedicated track. Doing so makes it possible to:

• Roll out releases independent of the mobile track
• Configure different testers and country targeting for testing tracks

Opt out

If you decide to no longer support one or both form factors, you can opt out from the Form factors tab of the Advanced Settings page as follows:

• Android Auto: Remove Android Auto support from all of the active artifacts across tracks. You can then click the Remove button to remove Android Auto from the list of form factors on the page.
• Android Automotive OS: Opt out of Android Automotive OS by clicking the Manage button. You can then click the Remove button to remove Android Automotive OS from the list of form factors on the page. Users will no longer be able to find your app on Google Play or receive updates.

App review depends on release track type

While opted-in for distribution to Android Auto or Android Automotive OS, when you make a submission to Google Play that includes an Android Auto or Android Automotive OS compatible artifact, your app is reviewed for compliance with the car app quality guidelines. This detailed review process might take more time than you are accustomed to when distributing only to phones and tablets.

Depending on the type of track(s) containing Android Auto or Android Automotive OS compatible artifacts in your submission, the impact of the review result may vary. For example, if a submission contains a non-compliant build in a closed testing track, you will be notified that the build is non-compliant but the submission will still be approved. If the same build was in a production track, the submission would be rejected.

When the review is complete, you receive an email sent to your developer account address that lets you know whether your app was approved or rejected. If your app was not approved, the email has a summary of the areas that you need to address. When you finish the necessary adjustments, including removal of any rejected artifacts, you can upload a new version of your app for review.

Ensure your app can be reviewed

To make the app review process as straightforward as possible, take the following into account as you prepare to submit your app for review:

• If your app requires users to sign in to access all of its features, you must submit test account details in the Google Play Console. See App Access for instructions on how to do this.
  • If your point of interest app lets users make a booking, this test account must be able to make a booking without being charged funds.
• If your navigation or point of interest app is not available in the United States, you must permit users to use a mock GPS location app so that a reviewer can test the app.