YoutubeAuto For Android Auto Brings YouTube, Even Plex To Your Car

While Google has recently brought interesting new features to Android Auto, like Google Assistant and wireless pairing, there are still some things it refuses to add, more for safety than anything. Of course, that's not going to stop some very enterprising app developers, especially those with access to an unofficial Android Auto SDK. Take for example this all too obvious YoutubeAuto app, which, funnily enough, adds more than just YouTube to your Android Auto enabled vehicle.

There are pretty good, not to mention legal, reasons to not make video apps like YouTube or Plex to the dashboard. While you might be able to justify it as distraction for kids, it will also be a distraction for the driver. So, like with anything else in life, exercise common sense before using this app.

Safety considerations aside, using YoutubeAuto isn't as straightforward initially, which could serve as an intentional deterrent. The second step, after installing the app on your phone, is to enable Developer Mode in Android Auto before you connect your phone. Once that's done, you then have to allow installing apps from unknown sources, just like you would on Android. The next time you connect, you'll have YoutubeAuto on your list of apps.

While obviously developed for playing YouTube content, Redditor bhart81 was able to use the app to also play Plex videos. The process takes advantage of the fact that YoutubeAuto is pretty much a web browser wrapper. Unlike for YouTube, however, you have to do all the navigating, including logging into your Plex account, on the Android Auto dashboard.

YoutubeAuto would be useful for just playing music but, as proven, it can be circumvented to play more visually distracting content. Which is why Google will never allow the app on Google Play Store. And in case you still insist that you need it, the app will at least serve up a big warning, which you'll hopefully read when you're not driving.

SOURCE: Kiran Kumar