Android Auto 16.3 update lands with traces of video apps, light theme
Source: 9to5Google
Google has started rolling out Android Auto 16.3 through the beta track. While there are no major user‑facing changes, a few flags hint at upcoming features, including the arrival of video apps.
APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we can see lines of code that hint at possible future features. Google may or may not ship these features, and our interpretation may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished to show how they’ll look if they do ship.
With Android Auto 16.2 now rolling out more widely in the stable release channel, Android Auto 16.3 appears in the beta track. As usual, there are no significant user‑facing changes—mostly bug fixes—making this a fairly uneventful update.
Light theme work
A flag in Android Auto 16.3 indicates continued work on a light/dark theme toggle:
Coolwalk__use_light_dark_theme_focus_inputThe light‑theme discussion has been ongoing for over a year, so this flag simply shows Google is still tinkering with the feature.
Video app support
Another flag points to upcoming video‑app support on Android Auto:
CradleFeature__allow_video_appsGoogle announced in May 2025 that video apps would eventually be available on Android Auto, though no timeline or details were provided. While video playback is expected to be disabled while the car is moving, this flag suggests active development.
What video apps are you looking forward to on Android Auto?