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The Android Auto navigation bar provides quick access to apps, notifications,
and the digital assistant.
Anatomy
The navigation bar is always visible when Android Auto is running.
It appears at the bottom or side of the screen, depending on the screen
dimensions and the type of controls in the vehicle.
Anatomy of the navigation bar.
Apps launcher – Shows all apps available in the car (replaced by a dashboard
icon when the app launcher is displayed in the content area).
Assistant button – Opens Assistant for voice interaction.
App dock – Displays shortcuts to recently used apps.
Notification Center badge – Displays how many
notifications are waiting in the Notification Center.
Status elements – Displays elements like the clock, signal,
and battery status
Design variations
The horizontal navigation bar shown in the previous section is typically used
for left-hand-drive vehicles with standard-width screens.
Other configurations include:
A flipped horizontal navigation bar for right-hand-drive vehicles
A vertical navigation bar for widescreen or touchpad-supported vehicles
Flipped horizontal nav bar
For right-hand drive vehicles, items in the navigation bar are reversed:
right to left instead of left to right. Reversing the order keeps the most
important elements closest to the driver.
Navigation bar for right-hand drive vehicles
Vertical nav bar
The vertical version of the navigation bar appears on one side of the screen
and is used in vehicles with widescreen or touchpad inputs.
On widescreen head units, the navigation bar appears on the side of the screen
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-05-28 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eThe Android Auto navigation bar provides quick access to apps, notifications, the Assistant, and a multitasking widget.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe nav bar adapts to different screen sizes and vehicle configurations with horizontal and vertical layouts.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eOn widescreen layouts, the system widget can appear in a secondary space, providing more information.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe nav bar's elements are rearranged for right-hand-drive vehicles, prioritizing driver accessibility.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Navigation bar\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nThe Android Auto navigation bar provides quick access to apps, notifications,\nand the digital assistant.\n\nAnatomy\n-------\n\nThe navigation bar is always visible when Android Auto is running.\nIt appears at the bottom or side of the screen, depending on the screen\ndimensions and the type of controls in the vehicle.\nAnatomy of the navigation bar.\n\n1. **Apps launcher** -- Shows all apps available in the car (replaced by a dashboard icon when the app launcher is displayed in the content area). \n2. **Assistant button** -- Opens Assistant for voice interaction. \n3. **App dock** -- Displays shortcuts to recently used apps. \n4. **Notification Center badge** -- Displays how many notifications are waiting in the Notification Center.\n5. **Status elements** -- Displays elements like the clock, signal, and battery status\n\n| **Note:** In Japan, the status elements can also include an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) icon. This icon indicates a connection with the wireless system.\n\n*** ** * ** ***\n\nDesign variations\n-----------------\n\nThe horizontal navigation bar shown in the previous section is typically used\nfor left-hand-drive vehicles with standard-width screens.\nOther configurations include:\n\n- A flipped horizontal navigation bar for right-hand-drive vehicles\n- A vertical navigation bar for widescreen or touchpad-supported vehicles\n\n### Flipped horizontal nav bar\n\nFor right-hand drive vehicles, items in the navigation bar are reversed:\nright to left instead of left to right. Reversing the order keeps the most\nimportant elements closest to the driver.\nNavigation bar for right-hand drive vehicles\n\n### Vertical nav bar\n\nThe vertical version of the navigation bar appears on one side of the screen\nand is used in vehicles with widescreen or touchpad inputs.\nOn widescreen head units, the navigation bar appears on the side of the screen"]]
