How to sideload apps on Android Auto

Android Auto was designed to make your driving sessions simple and easy, but not everyone wants simplicity. If you’ve ever wished you could stream YouTube through your dashboard or mirror your phone’s screen to your car’s screen, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there is a way to do this. Sideloading lets you install apps that Google has never approved for Android Auto, opening the door to features that the platform doesn’t officially support at the moment. The process doesn’t require any crazy moves like rooting your phone, but it does involve compromises in security, reliability, and safety.

By design, Google restricts what can run on your dashboard to reduce driver distraction, which means no YouTube videos, no browser, and no screen mirroring. It’s a sensible policy, but one that leaves many drivers feeling like their car’s screen is capable of much more than it’s allowed to do.

The whole process of sideloading apps on Android Auto isn’t that complicated, but you do need to follow a few steps to set things up.

1. First, you will need to enable developer mode on your phone. You can do this by going to Settings > About and tapping quickly Build number seven times. You will receive a note when developer mode is enabled. This will allow you to install third-party apps on your phone.

2. Now you need to enable developer mode for Android Auto. Go to Settings > Connected devices > Android Autoscroll to the bottom of the page and tap Version and authorization information about 10 times in a row. Then you need to tap on the three-dot menu at the top, select Developer Settings and check the box to Unknown sources. This will load your phone’s apps into Android Auto.

3. Next, you need to install Android Auto Apps Downloader (AAAD) from the developer’s GitHub. This will install popular applications.

   1. You can also search open source GitHub repositories for popular apps like CarStreamwhich allows YouTube playback, AAMirrorwhich allows your phone screen to mirror the dashboard, and Fermata-Autoa multimedia application that manages video, IPTV and a web browser.

The convenience of being able to install all sorts of apps not intended by Google has some real downsides that you should take seriously.

Safety is a major concern. Android Auto YouTube is technically an option even through official channels, but you can only listen to the audio. There’s a reason why Google doesn’t allow YouTube videos on Android Auto and it’s because watching videos while driving is not a good idea. In fact, it’s illegal in most parts of the world. This is a feature that should only be used when parked.

Exposure to malware. Every time you load apps and ignore Google’s security controls, you put your devices at risk of malware. Google reports that sources downloaded from the Internet contain more than 50 times more malware than apps on Google Play. This is one of the reasons why Google will start blocking the sideloading of unverified Android apps, requiring developers to verify their identity with the company. These new verification requirements will begin rolling out in late 2026 in a few countries before going global.

For most drivers, the standard Android Auto experience covers everything they really need. Side loading is a nice feature, but for the vast majority of people it’s best left as a curiosity rather than an everyday use setup. If you continue, download only from trusted developers and use video features only when parked.