Android Auto has been taking off in a fairly big way lately, finding its way into tons of new vehicles that are coming off the assembly lines. It’s not hard to see why; Android Auto integrates with your existing Android device quite nicely and is far superior to most onboard operating systems for vehicles. Not everyone gets to reap the benefits of having Android Auto helping out on the road, however; there is a large swath of 2016 and older model buyers without the functionality. For owners of a few certain 2016 Chevrolet models, however, this can be changed. Chevrolet has announced that they’ll be giving owners of certain 2016 models a free upgrade to Android Auto, but there are a few caveats.
For starters, this is a software upgrade only. This means the vehicle must already have a compatible terminal, in this case the 8 inch version of Chevy’s MyLink system. Owners of the 7 inch version are not eligible, since their system reportedly already supports Android Auto. Of the 2016 models sporting the 8 inch system, only the regular Malibu, not the limited edition, along with the Camaro and its convertible ilk, Volt, Impala, Corvette and Corvette Convertible, Colorado, Silverado, Silverado HD, Tahoe and Suburban qualify. Owners of qualifying models will be receiving a communication of some sort from Chevrolet in the near future with details as to how to go about getting the free update.
Chevrolet has reportedly been hard at work with their dealers to make the update as quick and painless as possible for owners, reducing the time frame for the full process to about thirty minutes. It should be noted that the 2016 Cruze sports the 8 inch system, but will be showing up on dealership floors with Android Auto already intact as an option. Those on the other side of the fence, so to speak, can disregard this announcement, however, as Apple CarPlay is already included in all of the MyLink systems for the 2016 models that have them, both the 7 inch and 8 inch flavors. For Android Auto to work, owners will need an Android device running at least version 5.0 Lollipop. For Apple CarPlay, an iPhone 5 or newer is required.