“Don’t phone and drive”: Android Auto will lock apps and unlock them only after you’re parked

“Don’t drink and drive” and now here’s another rule: “Don’t call and don’t drive.” Since humans shouldn't be trusted with any of these rules, Android Auto will help us. It's unclear when exactly built-in breathalyzers will arrive in our vehicles, but Android Auto is now enforcing “Don't Phone and Drive” with its latest feature: it bans certain apps.Tom's Guide shares a discovery of German SmartDroid about the recently updated Android Auto version 11.4. Now, some “restricted” apps will display a small “P” bubble (like “Parked”) in the lower right corner of the app icon. Before that, users who tried to access stationary-only apps received an error message if their car was in motion, the story goes.

This “P” icon is appearing more and more frequently on gaming or video streaming apps on Android Auto, such as GameSnacks, a collection of touchscreen games for AA users.

Along with the launch of its version 11.4, Android Auto can now summarize long text messages that can be listened to while driving. The only caveat is that posts longer than 40 words will be paraphrased, while anything below will be read in its entirety.

Android Auto, powered by AI, can also suggest relevant responses and actions. So you can simply tap once to send a message, share your ETA, or start a call.

Let's say someone messages you “Where the hell are you?” while you are driving. Since you don't want to get distracted, you can simply press a button and your estimated time of arrival (ETA) will be sent to whoever is so obsessed with you.