Someone made a YouTube app for Android Auto, and that's a terrible idea

Android Auto had a surprisingly big presence at this year's CES. Wireless connectivity and full Google Assistant support are the two main features that are coming to Android Auto, and now there's an app you can download that lets you watch YouTube videos while in the car.

The app is called "YouTubeAuto" and it was created by developer Kiran Kumar. You can browse all the latest trending videos, check out new uploads from channels you're subscribed to, and search through YouTube's entire catalog of clips. It's essentially a port of the regular YouTube app for Android phones and tablets, and while some of the UI looks a bit stretched off and janky, you do have access to just about every YouTube feature that you'd find in the mobile app.

I certainly don't recommend watching YouTube videos while driving, and this something you'll see a warning for every time you open the app. With that said, if there's a podcast, song, or other video that you can just listen to in the background, this might be worth checking out.

YouTubeAuto isn't available in the Play Store as it violates Android Auto's guidelines — and in fact sideloaded apps don't work by default on Android Auto, which is why you have to jump through a couple hoops to get this to work at all. But if you still want to take a look, you can download the APK file now from Kumar's website.

Android Auto is fantastic with the addition of Google Assistant and wireless connectivity

Joe Maring

Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.