Android Auto update brings support for “Ok Google” hotword

Google has issued a new update to the Android Auto app that brings “Ok Google” hotword detection. It’s baffling that the Android Auto app didn’t support this until this update and it doesn’t seem like it’s completely rolled out yet, as some people on reddit are reporting mixed results with getting the “Ok Google” phrase to work.

There are no patch notes to detail what this 2.06 update does other than activates the hotword recognition, while others are stating that the implementation isn’t that great. One user cites saying the keyword to open a Spotify playlist, but the app instead opens real Spotify and navigates away from Android Auto, which means you’re fiddling with your phone to get your navigation back.