4 minute read

Not yet on Android Auto itself. Google announced on May 12, 2026 that video apps such as YouTube would come to Android Auto this year, but only for watching while parked and only on select cars. At its Android Dev Summit in late October, Google still listed video apps for Android Auto as “coming soon,” according to 9to5Google. Netflix has not been named by Google. While you drive, video does not play, and sound continues only in apps that support background audio.

Checked November 3, 2026 against Google’s May announcement, the Android Developers Blog, 9to5Google’s October 30 report, autoevolution’s October 31 and November 2 reports and several other outlets.

What Google has said

Google’s May 12 post says that for the first time in Android Auto you will be able to watch videos on apps like YouTube, in 60fps full HD in supported cars “later this year.” It lists BMW, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Mahindra, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Škoda, Tata and Volvo as the first brands. When you shift from parked to drive, Google says videos switch to audio-only in apps that support background audio, so you can keep listening to something like a video podcast.

The Android Developers Blog says video apps that are already adaptive need minimal effort to be made available for parked use in cars, and it points developers to a form to express interest. Google’s post names YouTube as the example and does not name Netflix.

Where it stands now

  • Google’s latest update. 9to5Google reported on October 30 that, at the Android Dev Summit that week, Google said video and browser apps for Android Auto are still “coming soon.” The same report says video apps are now open on Android Automotive, the system in cars with Google built-in, with browser apps in beta there, while the phone-projected Android Auto is still waiting.
  • A timing estimate, not a promise. autoevolution wrote on October 31 that Google gave no date, and guessed from how earlier Android Auto features launched that beta users might see video apps in the last weeks of 2026 and everyone else in the first quarter of 2027. That is the outlet’s own inference. Its November 2 article says Android Auto 18.1 is rolling out gradually without a changelog.
  • Reports that disagree. Ubergizmo wrote in August that Google had begun rolling out native YouTube support, and MakeUseOf published a hands-on style piece about it. Google’s October update still lists the feature as coming soon, and we could not reconcile the two, so treat any claim that it is already available on your phone and car as unconfirmed.

How it is meant to work

  • Parked only. The Drive reported that Google decides whether the car is parked from the phone’s GPS plus signals from the carmaker’s integration, including driving state, selected gear and speed. It also reported that specific makes and models need to be allowed first, so supported cars will vary.
  • Audio while driving. Engadget says Google’s announcement video describes listening to YouTube while driving as exclusive to YouTube Premium. autoevolution says the same for YouTube’s background play. Other video apps need to support audio-only mode themselves.
  • Phone requirement. In 2025, Android Authority quoted Google as saying video apps would be supported starting with phones running Android 16 on select compatible cars. We did not find a newer requirement.

Netflix

Google’s own announcement mentions YouTube and does not mention Netflix. Motor1 wrote that Netflix is expected to follow YouTube, which is the outlet’s expectation and not something we found Google saying.

What you can do today

  • Audio from YouTube. Engadget says picking a YouTube video on your phone lets you play only its audio through Android Auto while driving.
  • Cars with Google built-in. Google’s post says these cars run an ecosystem of apps that includes video apps and games directly on the car screen. autoevolution says streaming apps such as Prime Video can be installed from the car’s own app store.
  • Unofficial apps. Engadget mentions Fermata Auto and AA Browser as ways to get video while parked, with mixed results, and autoevolution says some of these bypass the parked restriction. MakeUseOf advises avoiding third-party methods because of the safety risk. We do not cover them here.

For Android Auto’s other recent changes, see our guide to Gemini in Android Auto.

What we could not confirm

  • When video apps will reach Android Auto, and on which cars. autoevolution’s timing is an estimate.
  • Whether the Android 16 requirement from 2025 still applies.
  • Whether Netflix is planned. No source we checked quotes Google on it.
  • Whether the earlier rollout reports describe a real early release or a beta.

Sources:

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