There’s nothing worst than renting or borrowing a friend’s car, using Android Auto, then forgetting to remove all your contacts, messages, and information. That situation is even worse with Android Automotive OS that integrates with the in-car infotainment system on many newer vehicles.

Android Auto and the Android Automotive OS are two different things for those unaware. The former runs off your smartphone, while Google’s Android Automotive OS is built into the vehicle. With the release of the latest Android Automotive 13, Google made several improvements to the overall system, experience, connectivity, and privacy, and one of those will make using Android Auto on a rental better than ever.

The latest Android Automotive 13 release improved projection support for in-vehicle infotainment systems. And while it’s not new, Google offers car manufacturers an app called Android Auto Receiver. What is that, exactly? It allows users to project (or cast) the mobile Android Auto experience to vehicles that have Android Automotive. And while that may sound confusing, it’s helpful for several reasons.

When you’re driving a rental car and don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up and syncing your account to Android Automotive, now you can project it to the car from your phone. This way, you don’t have to remember to remove your account when you’re done with the rental. The same situation applies while borrowing a vehicle.

Additionally, when some of the apps you want to use aren’t yet available for the built-in Android Automotive OS, you can still access them by using your phone.

It’s worth noting that the Android Auto Receiver app doesn’t install on your phone. It’s included with Google’s Android Automotive OS inside vehicles, and you can fire it up and cast your mobile Android Auto experience to the car. Confusing, we know, but it’ll undoubtedly make rentals easier than before.

via XDA Developers