VLC, the desktop favorite of local video enthusiasts for more than a decade, doesn’t have quite the same kind of universal acclaim on Android. But the developers are still hard at work making improvements. According to a blog post from Geoffrey Metais, the 2.1.0 update to the beta release adds a ton of new features, notably including compatibility with Android Auto (for audio, not video).

Other changes to the interface include a new standard audio player, compatibility with Google’s native voice search feature, global library search and filtering, 360-degree video controls (with full Cardboard/Daydream support coming later), better grid animation, and a revised design for Android TV that includes picture-in-picture support.

DayNight mode integration

Restored double/long click on remote play to skip songs

Removed sound lowering on notification

Force previous song on audioplayer swipe

Fix audioplayer layout for black theme and RTL

Save subtitles delay and optionally audio delay for each file.

Support for LG devices with 18:9 aspect ratio

Under the hood, the media player itself has improved adaptive and TS playback, enabled OpenGLES 2.0 for software rendering, and added support for VP8, 9, and 10 in MP4 videos. The new goodies are available in the standard beta version by becoming a tester on the Play Store.