Devs can now emulate in-car experience with Android Auto Desktop Head Unit

One of our chief complaints about Android Auto when we reviewed it last month was the lack of third-party apps. OK, perhaps this isn't particularly surprising since the infotainment platform is only just starting to trickle into car showrooms, but our poking around under Android Auto's hood suggested a lot more functionality waiting to be unlocked.

Yesterday, Google announced the Android Auto Desktop Head Unit, or DHU, so that developers can emulate the in-car experience on their workstations.

DHU allows Android Auto developers to test their apps without having to shuttle off to the car to try it out. Until now that might have been the preserve of OEM developers, whose workstations come equipped with naked infotainment systems and car instrument clusters as well as the usual monitors and keyboards. Apps need to be compiled and run from an Android phone running at least Lollipop and Android Auto.