At Google IO this year, the Google Assistant team announced a slew of updates and new features including a new ‘Driving mode’ that would automatically launch an Android Auto like UI when you were driving. If a recent video that Google put up – then hid – on their YouTube channel is any indication, perhaps it’s getting ready to launch.
Thanks to Feedly, we caught a glimpse of that video, or at least the remnants of its RSS feed entry.
The text in the RSS makes reference things we knew Assistant’s Driving Mode would include.
Get hands-free help where you need it most — in the car. Send texts, play podcasts, and fund places nearby all while keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.
There’s not a lot to see here beyond that fact that a video was made about using Google Assistant in the car. We haven’t seen the video, but the UI can see in the thumbnail looks similar to what we saw at IO.
Driving mode is expected to eventually replace Android Auto on devices, whether it ends up replacing the look and feel of in dash Android Auto systems is unclear. We expect that they might merge, even if Google keeps the Android Auto marketing name for in-dash systems.
The feature was said to arrive in the US summer, which it turns out started a few weeks back with the equinox. Technically Google still has about 10 weeks left.
