While Android Auto is my favorite infotainment system for cars, it has room for improvement, and one of the things I’d like to see is for it to allow you to do more things when you’re parked. Think camping, a van where you can sleep, waiting when you’ve got someone to meet up with, or if you need to kill time until your daughter gets home from soccer class: in that scenario it would be ideal. be able to watch videos on Android Auto.
Well, let’s see, technically you can watch videos on Android Auto, but the main video and streaming apps are not compatible, I’m talking about YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Max… the ideal thing would be to be able to take advantage of that screen on the front of your car to watch whatever you want, from your favorite series to your team’s league match, without too many special complications (because yes, watching Netflix on Android Auto is possible but it’s a pain in the ass). However, I have found a good balance between ease of installation and a good experience with utility: This is how I watch DTT and YouTube channels on my Android Auto screen.
Watch YouTube on Android Auto
To watch YouTube on Android Auto you Simpler, more functional and without having to root or anything weird is to have the system updated and use the open source application Android Auto Apps Downloader. To have it on your phone, just go to GitHub and download the APK after accepting the relevant permissions. AAAD allows you to launch other apps suitable for the Google infotainment system but not certified for Android Auto.
Of the AAAD apps available, the one to use for watching YouTube on Android Auto is CarStream. You simply select a version from the list and the installation begins without much mystery beyond granting permissions. In general, it always works well and is safe, but you may have some problems with the software and it may not work as it should (in that case, try installing another version. Afterwards, You will see CarStream in the Android Auto interface with the YouTube logo When you connect your mobile to the car: you can now play your videos.
Watch DTT channels on Android Auto
As per se It is not possible to watch TV on Android Auto, you have to resort to an alternative application platform, in this case AAStore. The procedure is similar to the previous one: go to its GitHub repository and download the latest stable version, in APK format, after accepting the permissions for installing from unknown sources.
Once you have AASTore installed on your phone, you will see a list of available applications: the one we are interested in this time is IPcarTV. We enter, tap on ‘Install’ and after accepting permissions, we have The app that lets you read IPTV lists on Android Autowhich is the true origin of these channels.
There is a long list of IPTV lists that you can add (excuse the redundancy), but I particularly like the one from TDT Channels or the very complete IPTV org, which is available on GitHub. You only need to copy and paste its link into IPCarTV.
Within IPCarTV we are going to ‘Playlist and favorite channel manager‘, and inside the ‘+’ we give it a name and paste the link. Then click on ‘Next‘ and that’s it: the next time you open IPCarTV on Android Auto, you’ll have the channels to watch on the car’s screen. This app works well, it’s fluid and the audiovisual experience is neat (although it doesn’t play content in full screen, leaving a bottom bar).
Cover | Eva Rodríguez de Luis with Movie icons created by Freepik – Flaticon