Android Auto may remember your preferred phone number

Android Authority reports that an APK teardown of Android Auto version 18.1.164344-release.daily has uncovered strings pointing to a possible new “Remember this choice” option for contacts with multiple saved phone numbers.¹ If Google ships it, drivers could set a preferred number once instead of being asked to choose between the same contact’s numbers every time.

The discovered text includes “Default set to %1$s. Click on contact to change.” That suggests the selected number would be stored as a contact preference and could be changed by returning to the contact. Android Authority also says Gemini currently asks users to specify which number to call when a contact has more than one, so the change could remove a small but recurring interruption.¹

The report is not a confirmation of a public feature. Android Authority describes the strings as unfinished, and Google has not announced a release date or said whether the option will reach users. The same teardown reportedly references other Android Auto work, including a Material 3 Expressive redesign for the Phone app’s dial pad and further animation files connected to the Cielo dashboard and launcher redesign.¹

Google’s official Android Auto page shows the platform continuing to expand its in-car assistant and app features, while its Android-in-the-car announcement describes broader interface, navigation, entertainment and Gemini updates.²³ Those official materials establish the wider direction of the platform, but they do not confirm the preferred-number setting found in the APK.

What it means for drivers

This is the sort of tiny quality-of-life change that could matter more than a flashy dashboard redesign. Choosing a phone number is harmless when it happens once, but repeating the same decision while preparing to call someone is needless friction. A remembered preference would also make voice commands feel more predictable, provided Android Auto clearly shows which number it has selected and makes changing it straightforward.

There is still a sizeable gap between a string in an APK and a feature users can rely on. Google may alter the design, limit it to certain versions or remove it before release. For now, the safe takeaway is that Android Auto appears to be exploring a way to remember a contact’s preferred phone number, not that the feature is available today.

Our opinion

The potential feature is modest, but it is exactly the kind of fix Android Auto needs. Google’s in-car software is increasingly asked to handle messages, calls and assistant requests without distracting the driver; removing a repeated choice supports that goal better than adding another decorative interface flourish. The important detail will be control: Android Auto should remember the choice only when the driver explicitly asks it to, make the active number visible and offer an easy way to change it. Until Google confirms those details, this remains a promising teardown discovery rather than a reason to update immediately.