Android Auto can finally do this and it was about time

Android Auto — when it not broken — is a great app that basically lets your modern car communicate with your Android phone in the best possible way. It basically lets you get more done through mirroring compatible apps, so that you don’t need to look at your phone while driving.

And so that whoever’s riding shotgun can still act like a DJ without touching your phone. Neat!

That, however, pretty much meant that Android Auto was stuck with media and navigation apps. But given that the most impactful navigation apps can be counted on the fingers of one of your hands alone, that meant that the services provided users with plenty of opportunities to get distracted.

Recently, though, Google has gotten inspired to change that. Android Auto got completely revamped recently and it finally got more useful apps like smart home control apps and Weather apps.

Now, though, 9to5Google is reporting that the icing on the cake is live: the ability to open your garage's door.



This is a no-brainer feature, right? Well, naturally it won’t work with just any garage door, so you might have to upgrade in order to ensure that you can take advantage of this new Android Auto feature.

The app that allows you to do this is called Tailwind and it is completely dedicated to opening your garage door. And using the app is as simple as can get too:

1. Open the app
2. Choose the garage door you need to open
3. Done

Awesome! So, where is the catch? Well, it is that it only works with Tailwind systems. But you can get one from the company’s website as cheap as $80, which isn’t that bad at all. And the best thing about it is that a single purchase is all you need, no strings attached.

And a neat little side-benefit of this system is that it can help you check if you've forgotten to close your garage door. If you open the app from Android Auto, you can see the status of the door and close it from a distance if need be.