While there are over 200 car models from more than 50 brands that support Android Auto, chances are you haven't gotten around to trying it yet. More are still launching every day, but to regular middle-class folk a car upgrade is not a frequent occurrence.

This is why Google is now announcing Android Auto functionality for smartphones, allowing you to use any smartphone running Lollipop or later as a mini car dashboard. This is an update to the Android Auto app that gives your phone a driver-friendly interface with easy, glanceable access to everything you need on the road. From it, you can check directions, control your music or manage communications, all with as few distractions as possible for safe driving.

You can either place your phone in a mount or connect it to your car's display to turn your not-so-smart dashboard into a driver-friendly screen. Control your music with apps like Spotify or Play Music, make calls, and control Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation all with minimal interaction and even some hands-free voice commands. You can also start the app automatically when your phone pairs to a Bluetooth-supported car mount or the car itself. Finally, voice commands are getting enhanced in the coming weeks to make the experience more accessible, smoother and safer.

This is certainly the right way to go for Android Auto as a service going forward. Not being limited to expensive implementations in specific cars will allow everyone to get a better Android car experience. We can't wait to test the update ourselves, but in the mean time you can find the original Android Auto app on the Playstore to wait for the update or download the new APK (ARM64).

More than 30 countries (where Android Auto is currently available) are receiving the updates in the coming days. You can sign up on the Android Auto website to receive an email notification once it becomes available to your device!