Google is experimenting with a new way to display weather information on Android Auto. Instead of a traditional forecast card, the system may use an animated raccoon named Jimothy to show temperature and weather conditions on screens of all sizes.
An Animated Raccoon for Weather Updates
In the latest Android Auto version 17.6, evidence shows that Google plans to introduce Jimothy, a viral raccoon character, as a way to display the current temperature. The raccoon will animate over the music player card in the Coolwalk interface.
While Jimothy isn’t meant to act as a digital assistant like Microsoft’s old Clippy, the character walks around the screen to present the weather in a visually playful way. The background of the music card will also change to reflect weather conditions—such as rain—to provide a quick forecast glance.
Challenges and Current Limitations
The feature feels unfinished and has some drawbacks. Jimothy appears very small on the screen, making it hard to read the temperature clearly. The animated design might also distract drivers, which could be a concern for safety and usability.
Google has tried various ways to show weather info on Android Auto before. When the Coolwalk interface launched, the weather was placed in a dedicated card, but only on portrait displays where there was enough space. Larger landscape screens never received this because of limited room.
Before this update, weather data appeared simply in the status bar. Google seems to be moving away from this minimal display toward something more eye-catching, but the raccoon idea remains experimental and is far from final.
What’s Next for Android Auto Weather?
It’s unclear when or if this raccoon weather feature will become available to users. Google will likely refine the concept based on feedback and usability tests before any official rollout. Still, it shows that Google is interested in bringing weather updates back in a more engaging way on Android Auto.
Source: autoevolution.com