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Android Automotive OS (AAOS) includes 2 fully built, customizable reference
designs, accommodating both portrait and small landscape screens.
This section provides UX details for these two reference designs, which optimize
the AAOS system UI for
portrait
and
small landscape
screens. For more about the features of the reference designs and how to choose
between them, see below.
Choose a reference design
Car makers typically choose which reference design to use based on the display
format they're designing for:
portrait
or
small landscape.
The 2 reference designs share many design goals and features, with the larger
format of the portrait screen providing space for some extra capabilities.
Similarities
Both reference designs:
Include essential UI features such as navigation bar, status bar, and
media controls
Accommodate a range of screen configurations, adjusting for size,
reachability, aspect ratios, shapes, and number of displays. These designs
also accommodate various input methods and angles and bends on displays.
Allow customizations that reflect the car maker's brand and the
configurations of specific car models, while allowing some screen elements
to showcase app branding.
Differences
The main functional difference between the designs is that the portrait
reference design has space for more multitasking options. It can simultaneously
display a navigation app, a second app, and media controls. More features are
summarized below.
Small landscape reference design
Potrait reference design
Key features:
Optimized for smaller displays
Prioritizes a single-app experience (full frame)
Limited mutitasking via Home screen
Rotary enabled
Key features:
Optimized for portrait displays
Multliple-app experience, so navigation remains present
Robust multitasking, with media controls always available
[[["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complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2024-07-23 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eAndroid Automotive OS offers two customizable reference designs optimized for portrait and small landscape screens.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eBoth designs include essential UI features, accommodate various screen configurations and input methods, and allow for car maker customizations.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe portrait design provides robust multitasking, displaying navigation, a second app, and media controls concurrently.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eThe small landscape design prioritizes a single-app, full-frame experience with limited multitasking through the Home screen.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCar makers choose a design based on their display format, with the portrait design offering more features and available starting in Android 14.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Reference designs\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\nAndroid Automotive OS (AAOS) includes 2 fully built, customizable reference\ndesigns, accommodating both portrait and small landscape screens.\n\nThis section provides UX details for these two reference designs, which optimize\nthe AAOS system UI for\n[portrait](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/portrait-reference/overview)\nand\n[small landscape](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/small-landscape)\nscreens. For more about the features of the reference designs and how to choose\nbetween them, see below.\n\nChoose a reference design\n-------------------------\n\nCar makers typically choose which reference design to use based on the display\nformat they're designing for:\n[portrait](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/portrait-reference/overview)\nor\n[small landscape](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/small-landscape).\nThe 2 reference designs share many design goals and features, with the larger\nformat of the portrait screen providing space for some extra capabilities.\n\n### Similarities\n\nBoth reference designs:\n\n- **Include essential UI features** such as navigation bar, status bar, and media controls\n- **Accommodate a range of screen configurations**, adjusting for size, reachability, aspect ratios, shapes, and number of displays. These designs also accommodate various input methods and angles and bends on displays.\n- **Allow customizations** that reflect the car maker's brand and the configurations of specific car models, while allowing some screen elements to showcase app branding.\n\n### Differences\n\nThe main functional difference between the designs is that the portrait\nreference design has space for more multitasking options. It can simultaneously\ndisplay a navigation app, a second app, and media controls. More features are\nsummarized below.\n\n| Small landscape reference design | Potrait reference design |\n|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| | |\n| **Key features:** - Optimized for smaller displays - Prioritizes a single-app experience (full frame) - Limited mutitasking via Home screen - Rotary enabled | **Key features:** - Optimized for portrait displays - Multliple-app experience, so navigation remains present - Robust multitasking, with media controls always available - Available starting in Android 14 |\n| For more details, see [Small landscape reference design](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/small-landscape). | For more details, see [Portrait reference design](/cars/design/automotive-os/product-experience/system-ui/portrait-reference/overview). |"]]