Android Auto is an invaluable tool for drivers, and today at Google I/O 2021 we got a glimpse of what is coming soon.

Changes will be made to both Android Auto and the Android Automotive OS, a version of Android that will be built directly into the car's infotainment system. Here is everything we now know about what will happen next.

According to Google, Android Auto is currently available in over 100 million cars on the planet and is supported by nearly every major automaker with a car on the road. That includes Porsche, which just announced that Google will ship the 2022 Porsche 911 with Android Auto when it goes on sale later this year.

As useful as Android Auto is, it could always be better. Because having to constantly connect your phone to your car is not particularly fun.

Google also plans to integrate Android Auto into the car's instrument cluster, starting with the BMW iX. This would allow drivers to look forward and use their phones instead of looking at a screen in the middle of the car.

The Android Automotive OS is much newer than Android Auto and provides many of the same apps and experiences in the car without having to connect the phone. The same Android available on cell phones and tablets will run on the car.

The Polestar 2, Volvo XC40 Recharge, and Volvo X60 already have access to Android Automotive today. Google also promises that 10 more cars will have access by the end of 2021, including the GMC Hummer EV.

But the system is nothing without apps, so Google recently made its Android for Cars app library available through its Jetpack suite. Developers could already use Jetpack to create Android Auto-compatible apps, but Google is extending that support to Android Automotive.

This means that it will be easier for developers to create apps that are compatible with Android phones, Android Auto, and Android Automotive and work across systems. Of course, the easier it is for developers, the better it is for users who can access more app libraries in their cars.