path: root/docs/html/distribute/essentials/quality/auto.jd

page.title=Auto App Quality
page.metaDescription=Auto apps integrate with the vehicle's input controls and display and minimize driver distraction to create a great experience.
page.image=/distribute/images/gp-auto-quality.png
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper"><div id="qv">
<h2>Quality Criteria</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="#core">Core App Quality</a></li>
    <li><a href="#ux">Visual Design and Interaction</a></li>
    <li><a href="#fn">Functionality</a></li>
    <li><a href="#faq">Frequently Asked Questions</a></li>
  </ol>

  <h2>You Should Also Read</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/core.html">
      Core App Quality</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/optimizing-your-app.html">
      Optimize Your App</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-audio-apps.pdf">Android Auto UX Guidelines
      for Audio Applications</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-messaging-apps.pdf">Android Auto UX Guidelines
      for Messaging Applications</a></li>
  </ol>
</div>
</div>


  <img src="{@docRoot}distribute/images/gp-auto-quality.png" style="width:480px;">


<p>When designing support for Android Auto in your app, avoid driver distraction above all else.
  Apps that work with the Auto user interface should minimize distractions faced by the driver
  through best practices such as voice commands and very simple visual design.
</p>

<p>
  Great auto experiences are predictive and predictable.  Apps that support Android Auto
  should show timely information to the driver only when it is relevant, and use
  simple, predictable patterns for common tasks.
</p>

<p class="caution">
  <strong>Important:</strong> The criteria listed in this page apply to your app's user interface
  and behavior when running on devices connected to an Android Auto screen. Apps must meet these
  criteria to qualify as an Android Auto app on Google Play.
</p>


<div class="headerLine">
  <h2 id="core">
  Core App Quality
  </h2>

<p>
 In addition to the Auto-specific criteria listed below, Auto apps should meet all relevant core app
 quality criteria for the Android platform, as detailed in the
  <a href="{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/core.html">Core App Quality</a> criteria. Test
  your app against those criteria to ensure that they meet Android standards for navigation and
  design. Then test your app against all Auto-specific criteria, keeping in mind
  that, when running on a device connected to Android auto, your app must meet the requirements
  listed in this page.



<div class="headerLine">
  <h2 id="ux">
  Visual Design and User Interaction
  </h2>

</div>

<p>
  These criteria ensure that your app follows critical design and interaction patterns
  to ensure a consistent, intuitive, and enjoyable user experience on Android Auto. Many elements,
  such as the navigation drawer, card backgrounds, fonts and icon colors, are set and rendered by
  the system. Your own app-specific design elements must meet the following criteria.
</p>

<table>

<tr>
  <th style="width:2px;">
    Type
  </th>
  <th style="width:54px;">
    Test
  </th>
  <th>
    Description
  </th>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td rowspan="5" id="safety">
    Driver Attention
  </td>

  <td id="AU-MV">
    AU-MV
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
      App does not display on the Auto screen animated elements such as animated graphics, games, video, or
      progress bars.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-VA">
    AU-VA
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App does not display any form of visual or text advertising on the Auto screen.  Only audio
      ads are acceptable.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-IM">
    AU-IM
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
    App elements do not display any images on the Auto screen. Exceptions include: app may display
    a single static image for
    content context in the background of the consumption screen, such as album art, and app may
    display icons in the content navigation drawer.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-DS">
    AU-DS
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
    App does not include any features that distract the driver.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-VI">
    AU-VI
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
    App never presents any form of visual information (notifications, toasts, video, images,
    advertising, etc.) on the phone screen while the app is active in Android Auto.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>



<tr>
  <td rowspan="3" id="layout">
    Layout
  </td>

  <td id="AU-SC">
    AU-SC
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App does not display automatically scrolling text.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>


<tr>
  <td id="AU-FT">
    AU-FT
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App displays all strings using the default Roboto fonts in two approved sizes.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-ST">
    AU-ST
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App does not display any individual string longer than 120 characters.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td rowspan="4" id="contrast">
    Visual Contrast
  </td>

  <td id="AU-DM">
    AU-DM
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App supports day mode, which renders dark text and controls on a light background.
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-custom-colors.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-NM">
    AU-NM
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App supports night mode, which renders light text and controls on a dark background.
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-custom-colors.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-WI">
    AU-WI
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App provides white icon sets that the system colorizes to provide automatic
     contrast compensation.
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-custom-colors.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-OC">
    AU-OC
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App provides colors that the system can optimize for easy in-vehicle readability.
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-custom-colors.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td rowspan="2" id="interaction">
    Interaction
  </td>

  <td id="AU-VC">
    AU-VC
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App must support voice commands.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-AB">
    AU-AB
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
      App-specific buttons respond to user actions with no more than a two-second delay.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

</table>


<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/essentials/autoqualityguidelines/visualdesign"
data-sortorder="-timestamp" data-cardsizes="9x3" data-maxresults="6">
</div>



<div class="headerLine">
  <h2 id="fn">
  Functionality
  </h2>


</div>

<p>
  These criteria ensure that your app is configured correctly and provides expected
  functional behavior.
</p>


<table>
<tr>
  <th style="width:2px;">
    Type
  </th>
  <th style="width:54px;">
    Test
  </th>
  <th>
    Description
  </th>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td rowspan="5" id="general">
   General
  </td>

  <td id="AU-LT">
    AU-LT
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App loads in no more than 10 seconds.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-FP">
    AU-FP
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     Auto app functionality works as expected or described in the app's Google Play Store listing.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-RL">
    AU-RL
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     When the app is relaunched from the home screen, the app restores the app state as closely as
     possible to the previous state.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-SS">
    AU-SS
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     No tasks in the app take more than six steps to complete.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-GO">
    AU-GO
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     Any app button which is non-functional or disabled must be grayed out.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>


<tr>
  <td rowspan="2" id="media">
    Media
  </td>


  <td id="AU-PA">
    AU-PA
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App has no more than four primary actions plus one optional action overflow toggle (or five if
     no action overflow is used).
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-audio-apps.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-SA">
    AU-SA
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App has no more than four optional secondary actions plus one action overflow toggle.
     (<a href="{@docRoot}shareables/auto/AndroidAuto-audio-apps.pdf">Learn How</a>)
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>


<tr>
  <td rowspan="2" id="notifications">
    Notifications
  </td>

  <td id="AU-NA">
    AU-NA
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
      App does not present advertisements through notifications.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

<tr>
  <td id="AU-NT">
    AU-NT
  </td>
  <td>
    <p style="margin-bottom:.5em;">
     App displays notifications only when relevant to the driver’s needs.
   </p>
   <p>
    Examples:<br />
    Good: Notifying the user that a new message has arrived.<br />
    Bad: Notifying the user about a new album release.
    </p>
  </td>
</tr>

</table>

<!--
<h3 class="rel-resources clearfloat">Related resources</h3>

<div class="resource-widget resource-flow-layout col-13" data-query=
"collection:distribute/essentials/autoqualityguidelines/functionality"
data-sortorder="-timestamp" data-cardsizes="9x3" data-maxresults="6">
</div>
-->

<div class="headerLine">
  <h2 id="faq">
  Frequently Asked Questions
  </h2>
</div>

<p style="margin-top:30px;">
  <strong>After I submit my app, how will find out if my app does not meet all
    the requirements for Android Auto?</strong>
</p>
<p>If you are planning to develop apps for Auto, you are encouraged to begin enabling and testing
  your apps now. However, Auto-enabled apps cannot be published at this time. Join the
 <a href="http://g.co/AndroidAutoDev" class="external-link">Auto
 Developers Google+ community</a> for updates on when you will be able to submit
 your Auto-enabled apps.</p>
</p>


<p style="margin-top:30px;">
  <strong>My app targets more than just Android Auto. If my app does not meet the Auto
  requirements, will my new or updated app still appear on Google Play for phones and
  tablets?</strong>
</p>
<p>
  No. When Google begins the approval process, your auto app will undergo a driver safety
  review, and will not be
  available for distribution until the app is approved. Because this is the same APK as
  for phones and tablets, your Play Store updates for those devices will not be available until the
  Auto approval process is complete.
</p>

<p class="caution">
  <strong>Important:</strong> Due to this restriction, you should not use your production APK
  for Auto support prototyping.
</p>