Looking for the best apps for Android Auto? If you have an Android phone and a car, you should know how to use Android Auto for a better experience on the road. Even if your car doesn't have support for the app, you can still use its features on your phone's display.

Most of the available Android Auto apps fit into a few categories. Let's take a look at some of the best apps for Android Auto that you can use while driving. Keep in mind that you must open most of these apps and log in to your account before they'll work properly in Android Auto.

Download: Android Auto | Android Auto for Phone Screens (Free)

The Best Android Auto Apps for Music

The right tunes make driving a lot better. Choose from the Android Auto music apps below, depending on your preferences and what services you might already use.

Once you have a few installed, you can switch between them by tapping the Headphones icon when you're already on the music tab. All media apps, including podcasts and radio, will show up under this menu.

1. Pandora

The service that popularized internet radio is right at home in Android Auto. Once you've signed into your account in the standard app, you can slide out the left sidebar to pick one of your stations. It will continually play music as you drive.

Tap the arrow to show more the Thumbs Up/Down buttons, which let you influence the station. There are Replay and Skip buttons at the bottom, too. It's a simple interface, making Pandora is a great option when you just want to start some music and get going. Like most streaming services now, it also offers podcasts.

Download: Pandora (Free, subscription available)

2. Spotify

One of the most popular music streaming apps, Spotify lets you access all the music you love in the car too. Slide out the left panel to access your library, including recent items, albums, playlists, and more. For best results, we recommend making a playlist with your favorite music so you don't have to fumble around while driving.

Tap the arrow on the player and you'll see extra controls to add the current song to your library, start radio for the track, and view the play queue. Remember that unless you have one of Spotify's Premium subscriptions, you can only use shuffle mode in the mobile app.

Download: Spotify (Free, subscription available)

3. YouTube Music

In Android Auto, YouTube Music is limited unless you have YouTube Music Premium. If you subscribe, you can access the full catalog of music, radio, and more. However, the free service is still worth using for a big reason: easy access to your own music library.

YouTube Music, like its defunct predecessor Google Play Music, allows you to upload up to 100,000 of your own music tracks. Once they're in your library, you can stream them anywhere you have an internet connection, or download them for offline playback.

This is a great option if you have a large MP3 library that you don't want to keep entirely on your phone's local storage.

Download: YouTube Music (Free, subscription available)

4. Rainwave

Looking to listen to something different in the car? If you're a fan of video game music, then you'll be happy to know about Rainwave. It's the best video game music radio service, available free on Android. You can choose from five different stations, including remixes, chiptune, and game music only.

Read more: The Best Video Game Music YouTube Channels

The Android Auto component is simple, but is great if you'd like to focus in the car and expand your musical horizons.

Download: Player for Rainwave (Free)

The Best Android Auto Messaging Apps

Texting and driving is dangerous, but Android Auto supports basic features for certain messaging services. With them, you can send new messages, listen to incoming ones, and send automated replies.

Related: The Best Alternatives to Android Auto

Keep in mind that you won't see these messaging apps appear anywhere in Android Auto's menus like the music apps do. They will show alerts on the Home screen, but you can't tap to open them from any menus.

5. Facebook Messenger

Facebook Messenger Android Auto

If Facebook Messenger is your app of choice for keeping up with your friends, you'll be happy to know it works in the car too.

You'll see notifications for new messages and can hit the Play button to hear them. Tap the I'm driving right now auto-responder to let your friends know that you can't respond at the moment.

Download: Messenger (Free, in-app purchases available)

6-7. WhatsApp and Telegram

Unsurprisingly, the wildly popular WhatsApp messenger works with Android Auto too. It carries a similar feature set to other messaging apps on the service.

Tell Google Assistant to "Send a message to Jim on WhatsApp" to start a new message. You can also hear new messages and respond with your voice.

If you prefer Telegram over WhatsApp, it's also available with the same essential features.

Download: WhatsApp Messenger (Free)

Download: Telegram (Free)

8-12. Additional Messaging Apps for Android Auto

Since most Android messaging apps carry an identical suite of features in Android Auto, we won't cover them in-depth. Instead, here's are some of the additional messaging apps that work with Android Auto the same way:

The Best Android Auto Radio Apps

Prefer to listen to the radio instead of music while driving? Android Auto has several apps for enjoying radio stations.

13. iHeartRadio

If you don't like the radio stations in your area, iHeartRadio has hundreds of options. Using this app, you can tune in to radio stations across the country. In Android Auto, you can easily tune to your favorite stations or find new favorites based on genre.

Download: iHeartRadio (Free, subscription available)

14. TuneIn

Another popular radio app, TuneIn lets you listen to thousands of radio stations for music, sports, or talk—whenever you like. Use the Android Auto app to quickly start listening to the perfect station, no matter what you're in the mood for.

Download: TuneIn (Free, subscription available)

15. Scanner Radio

Want to pretend you're going undercover in a movie? This is the app for you. Instead of tuning to radio stations nationwide, Scanner Radio lets you listen to police, emergency, and amateur radio.

Some might find this a bit weird to listen to while driving, but maybe you enjoy hearing what's going on in major cities. It could also help keep you up while driving late.

In Android Auto, use the Top 10 Scanners to see what's popular, or Nearby Scanners if you want to listen to something local.

Download: Scanner Radio (Free) | Scanner Radio Pro ($2.99)

16. Local Radio Apps

Android Auto Radio Apps

Most of the other radio apps that work with Android Auto are for local radio stations. There's not much reason to use these, since you have so many other options for music.

But you can give them a look if you think you'd be interested, or want to enjoy your favorite home station while on the road.

The Best Android Auto Navigation Apps

Aside from enjoying music or other media, the other primary app category in Android Auto is navigation. Let's look at your best choices in this sphere.

17. Google Maps

Chances are that Google Maps is already on your phone, but it's still worth mentioning here. Tap the Navigation icon in Android Auto to open Maps and get where you're going. Use voice commands or tap the Set Destination box to choose a destination, or just leave the app up to see traffic around you.

The Android Auto version of Google Maps uses a simplified interface, making it easy to navigate without a lot of clutter getting in the way.

Download: Google Maps (Free)

18. Waze

While Google Maps is the trusted standard for navigation, Waze's Android Auto app includes extra handy features that might win you over. Thanks to other drivers providing info, it alerts you to accidents, traffic, and even police waiting to catch speeders on your route. Waze also helps you find the cheapest gas on your route and reroutes you automatically if needed.

If you've never used Waze, why not try both it and Google Maps for your Android Auto navigation and see which you prefer?

Download: Waze (Free)

The Best Podcast, News, and Audiobook Apps for Android Auto

Finally, let's wrap up with the best apps for other media if you want something besides music and radio.

19. Audible

If you'd like to listen to audiobooks instead of music when you drive, Audible has you covered. Use the Android Auto app to listen to your downloaded audiobooks. If you've never used Audible in the past, check out some book recommendations for your Audible free trial.

Download: Audible (Free, subscription available)

20. Podcast Republic

If you're a podcast addict, Podcast Republic is a great option for finding, managing, and playing your favorite shows. Google's official Podcasts app seems to trip up with Android Auto, which is why we recommend this third-party offering instead.

To cut down on mobile data use, set the app to auto-download new episodes while you're on Wi-Fi. You'll find all sorts of handy settings like this in the app's options.

Download: Podcast Republic (Free, in-app purchases available)

21-24. News Apps

A selection of news apps are also available for listening in Android Auto. You'll find them in your list of music apps once installed.

If there's a similar app you like that wasn't listed here, see the Android Auto apps page on Google Play for more options.

The Top Apps to Use With Android Auto

We've covered the best Android Auto apps you can use. These are the highlights; there are many other messaging and radio apps, but most of them have near-identical functionality. Chances are if you use a service like one of these, it has an Android Auto counterpart.

With these Android Auto apps, you can easily listen to music, news, podcasts, or whatever audio you prefer. You'll also navigate in style and message friends when needed. That's a lot of functionality all in your car!