AutoZen, alternative to Android Auto if a car does not have it

This application seeks to become the new substitute for Android Auto, a tool with which you can enjoy the best functions of your phone while driving, but which in recent years has fallen into disuse due to the many alternatives that have emerged. However, this is an app that is quite limited, since it can only be configured in those vehicles that have the Android operating system incorporated as standard. At the moment, there are only 400 car models that support it, so it is not really useful yet. Therefore, AutoZen can be a very good solution.

AutoZen vs Android Auto: differences

First of all, AutoZen is a very complete application that is still under development, which does not mean that it will work incorrectly. In fact, it is quite the opposite, since it is completely reliable and suitable for use since it was launched in mid-2020. In addition, it includes a lot of functions to use while driving without taking your eyes off the road. Little by little they will be polishing and adding new tools to make driving much easier, but as we say, we can now drive very safely with it.

The main idea of ​​this app is that we can use the applications and the basic options of our mobile while we drive in complete safety, without putting ourselves in danger at any time. Its appearance and interface are quite similar to Android Auto, but the advantage of this is that we can use it in any vehicleIt does not matter if it is a car, a motorcycle or a bicycle. But where we can get the most out of it is in the car, since here we have access to all the functions it offers in a simpler and safer way.

When we open the application, the first thing we see is an easily accessible navigation bar, located at the bottom of the screen. Here we can find the button to open the phone application and make calls, several widgets in which we can play music, view the browser instructions, a button to say voice commands and a button to check the notifications that are coming to us, among many other options. In addition, when we are driving, we can configure messages that are played automatically to inform our contacts that we are driving.

Functions of this app to use the mobile in the car

First of all, the browser included in the app is compatible with the maps of Mapbox Y OpenStreetMap, although to start a journey we must start an application from our terminal, such as Waze or Google maps. In fact, it has a very similar design to the latter, but with more customization possibilities. If we have an appointment configured in our calendars, we can click on a reminder and it will immediately launch the navigation to the place where we have stayed. Another of its advantages is that if we want to make another option while browsing, it will not get out of this way.

When we run the voice commands, these also present a Interface identical to that of the Google application, and if we look closely, a priori it seems that we are giving command to the Google Assistant. But nothing could be further from the truth, since this system is proprietary, so we cannot take advantage of all the possibilities of this. In addition, the buttons are large and comfortable to press to maintain attention at all times while driving.

When we open a app In the app menu, the interface of this will be the same as if we are not using AutoZen. This can have a double yardstick, since on the one hand we must not adapt to another interface, but on the other hand it is not optimized for driving, so we must do it carefully and not lose sight of the road. Of course, in music applications, such as Youtube or Spotify, once we have opened them we can interact from the main screen of the app very easily, changing the song or raising the volume.

Other utilities

On the other hand, one of the most positive aspects is the speed of use it offers us. It is significantly faster than Android Auto, and that is reflected both in the navigation through the menus and in the use of all the available functions. But not everything is as beautiful as it seems, since the notification panel still has aspects to improve. Sometimes, when we receive a message, the alert may not reach us, and depending on the applications, sometimes we cannot read and interact with them. However, according to the app they are working to improve this aspect.

In addition to all this, it shows us the radars traffic on the highway, and sends us alerts as we approach. It also shows us the Speed ​​limits of all roads, although a warning is missing when we exceed the allowed speed. We can check the weather, date and time, as well as the battery level of our device. Finally, we have the possibility to edit the application menu to always have our favorites at hand, assign our favorite contacts and configure the dark mode.

AutoZen can be downloaded for free from the store Google play, and it has a paid version with more advanced options, such as playing music automatically when we connect the car or activating the do not disturb mode. If we want to enjoy the premium service for life, we must pay 23.99 €. We can also do it annually for 10.99 or semester, paying 7.49.