MapQuest expands to Android Auto as viral popularity brings drivers back

MapQuest is testing experimental support for Android Auto, finally bringing the navigation service directly to vehicle dashboards on Google’s platform. While Google continues to refine its in-car Android Auto experience, MapQuest’s sudden arrival introduces a surprising alternative for drivers looking beyond the default navigation apps.

MapQuest announced the app’s arrival on Android Auto via an X post, showcasing the changelog for its September 1 update.

In addition to Android Auto support, the latest MapQuest update brings a new crowdsourced incident-reporting feature for crashes, road closures, and speed traps.

Early adopters on Reddit note that the rollout is still visibly unpolished. Users report a heavily zoomed-out perspective, latency issues, and even a rogue notification mentioning “CarPlay” on Android devices, hinting that code was quickly adapted from its iOS counterpart. MapQuest has quietly supported Apple CarPlay for a few years now.

Nearly 30-year-old MapQuest found itself in the spotlight recently after it rejected the renaming of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” on its platform, a move that helped catapult it to the top 10 free apps on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Both Google Maps and Apple Maps complied with the change, so MapQuest’s decision stood out and went viral.

With native Android Auto support now in testing, curious switchers have one less reason to abandon ship once the initial wave of MapQuest nostalgia wears off. Hopefully, the company can polish the experience quickly enough to keep everyone on board.