BBC iPlayer Radio App Gains Android Auto And Apple CarPlay Support

In an effort to get people to leave their smartphones alone while driving and reduce distractions, many car infotainment systems now support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Those two infotainment systems allow drivers to use some apps like music and navigation offerings on the screen of their infotainment system instead of the smartphone. Fans of the BBC iPlayer app will be glad to hear that a new version of the app is out and it specifically supports Android Auto and CarPlay.

The new app can be downloaded now and is redesigned to make finding your favorite and new radio shows easier. It can also store your favorite shows to listen to on demand. The app is designed to be accessed totally via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but it is also an extension of the mobile version of the app with four sections for easy navigation.

The sections include Following, Listen Later, Stations, and Downloads. The Following section gives you access to BBC radio shows and series. The Listen Later section allows you to create a personal playlist that is stored to your device so you can listen whenever you want. This section also works for downloading shows if you want to listen when you might not have access to the mobile network.

Those Listen Later downloads are stored in the Downloads area. The Stations area is home to all the BBC national and local radio stations in the UK. The app also allows listeners to skip to the next episode of a show or go forward or reverse in a show in 20-second increments with a touch interface.

Android Auto users can navigate forward and backward in shows using their voice. Voice isn't supported on the CarPlay side of things. The new app is available for Android devices running Android 5.0 or higher and an Android Auto head unit. The Apple version should work for recent versions of iOS.

SOURCE: Pocket-Lint