Basically, it's all about the audio right now.

With this latest update, YouTube pops up in your Android Auto media controls. You can play, pause, and skip videos, just like you would with any music app on your car's dashboard. But remember, you cannot actually watch the videos on the infotainment screen, there's zero visual playback.

This feature is designed purely for 'background listening.' Think of it as treating YouTube like a podcast or music app. It's super useful for those long discussions, interviews, or anything where you don't really need to see the screen. Plus, the steering wheel controls work perfectly, so you can change tracks safely while driving. No tension.

However, the features are quite basic. You can't fast-forward within a video , you can't freely browse everything, and you won't see any thumbnails. When you skip, it just jumps straight to the next video, not ahead in the same one. It's definitely more of a simple music player experience than a full video app.

The catch

Also, here's the catch, you need a subscription for this to work. Background playback is only available if you have YouTube Premium or the lighter Premium Lite plan. If you don't have it, sorry, this feature won't work for you.

So, for now, while you won't be watching movies on your car screen, you can at least tune into your favourite YouTube content on the highway, with easy-peasy controls right there in your car system.