Google works with two groups of partners to create the Android Automotive OS experience: car makers (and some of their suppliers) and app developers. Each has a distinct role in contributing to the overall design, just as Google does.
Here’s an overview of these roles:
| Car maker’s design role |
Google’s design role |
App developer’s design role |
- Builds infotainment systems based on Google’s software and specs
- Customizes the UI to reflect own brand and configurations of specific cars
|
- Provides UI foundations, including system apps and templates for third-party apps
- Provides design guidelines for car makers customizing the UI
- Updates UI designs as cars evolve
- Works with app developers to update app templates with new features
|
- Creates versions of apps with auto-specific services, logic, and content based on Google’s guidelines and templates
- Provides design elements such as app icons, accent color, and custom actions
|
For details of what these roles involve for media apps, visit Division of roles in the media apps overview.