Navigation bar

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.

Nav bar anatomy
Anatomy of the navigation bar.
  1. Apps launcher – Shows all apps available in the car (replaced by a dashboard icon when the app launcher is displayed in the content area).
  2. Assistant button – Opens Assistant for voice interaction.
  3. App dock – Displays shortcuts to recently used apps.
  4. Notification Center badge – Displays how many notifications are waiting in the Notification Center.
  5. 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
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.

Vertical navigation bar on left side of screen
On widescreen head units, the navigation bar appears on the side of the screen