Toyota could soon allow Android Auto to work in its cars, according to Bloomberg. An official announcement reportedly could come as soon as next month.
The giant Japanese carmaker was one of the last major automakers to announce CarPlay compatibility. After holding out for years, Toyota announced this past January that Apple’s own in-car infotainment service would show up in its cars starting with the 2019 Avalon.
However, the company has continued to eschew Android Auto, with security concerns being cited as one of the reasons for the delayed adoption. In the meantime, Toyota has spent the last few years building its in-car infotainment experience around the Ford-born SmartDeviceLink platform, which allows some iOS and Android apps to be mirrored on a vehicle’s screen.
A representative for Toyota would not confirm the report. “We understand there is demand for Android Auto and we have not forgotten our Android customers,” they said. “If we offer this feature, or any other features, in the future, we will do so with confidence that consumer privacy and data security have been addressed to Toyota’s high standards.”
A spokesperson for Google said the company is “not commenting on rumors or speculation.”
Android Auto is compatible with nearly 50 different car brands around the globe, which is slightly behind the 60 or so that Apple has made deals with. Google has been working hard to push automakers in a different direction, though it will soon provide Volvo with an entire Android-powered infotainment operating system, and recently announced plans to do the same for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance.
