I found Android Auto's hidden shortcut that automates any task in your car - and it's brilliant

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Android Auto's Custom Assistant is an underutilized shortcut.
• You tin trigger aggregate actions, and Gemini makes the shortcut much useful.
• Custom Assistant takes lone a infinitesimal to acceptable up.

Android Auto is simply a highly convenient, albeit underused, diagnostic disposable successful astir modern cars. Even if your conveyance doesn't enactment it natively, you tin bargain an inexpensive Android Auto show and bask your phone's features safely portion driving. A comparatively chartless shortcut, however, tin assistance you easy automate these mundane tasks from your car. 

While Android Auto gives you harmless entree to your phone's navigation, messages, calling, and much portion driving, utilizing the Custom Assistant shortcut lets you trigger preset actions and automations to power thing you tin bash with your phone.

Also: Having Android Auto issues? How users are handling persistent transportation drops lately

And the caller summation of Google Gemini to Android Auto makes the interface adjacent much utile for handling analyzable commands via shortcuts that are arsenic casual to tally arsenic pressing a button.   

Imagine driving astir and utilizing Android Auto to hole your location for your accomplishment by mounting the A/C to a cooler somesthesia and turning connected the lights. Here are immoderate examples of shortcuts you could make with this feature:

• "Navigate to the nearest X state station."
• "Play the latest occurrence of Y podcast."
• "Tell Z that I'm connected my way."
• "I'm coming home."
• "Navigate to work."

Also: You tin usage Google Meet with CarPlay now: How to articulation meetings safely successful your car

A elemental "I'm leaving for work" regular tin trigger your HVAC to spell into Eco oregon vigor redeeming mode, guarantee each your lights are off, and tally a robot vacuum portion you're out, for example. 

How to acceptable up the Custom Assistant connected Android Auto

The Custom Assistant shortcut is successful the settings, truthful galore radical aren't alert of it, but it lone takes a infinitesimal to acceptable up. 

1. On your Android phone, unfastened the Android Auto settings.
2. Select Customize launcher. 
3. Go to Add a shortcut.
4. Tap connected the Assistant action.
5. Enter a customized bid of your choosing.

To effort it out, conscionable link your telephone to your car oregon an Android Auto device, and you'll find the caller shortcut arsenic an app icon you tin pat to tally it. The shortcut should enactment arsenic intended, but you tin ever tweak your wording successful the settings if it doesn't. 

Also: Your Android Auto conscionable got 5 utile upgrades for escaped - and Google isn't done

Since these shortcuts are tied to your Google account, not your car oregon Android Auto display, they'll beryllium disposable successful immoderate conveyance wherever you usage Android Auto. 

Keep successful caput that these shortcuts necessitate a compartment signal, truthful they whitethorn neglect successful areas with nary coverage.