With very few exceptions, the navigation and entertainment software running on modern car dashboard touchscreens is awful. Dated interface design, confusing layouts, and software and data rarely, if ever, updated.
Fortunately, Apple has a fix for this: CarPlay. It’s a feature built into your iPhone that turns it into the brains and interface for your car’s infotainment display, and it’s a huge step up from what you get in most cars.
Originally launched in 2014, CarPlay is now supported on a wide variety of vehicles, and there’s even a next-gen version on the way. Here’s what you need to know about CarPlay, its supported devices and vehicles, and supported apps.
How does CarPlay work?
Using CarPlay on a supported car is easy. Simply use your Lightning cable to plug your iPhone into the car’s USB port and select the CarPlay function on your car screen. The exact method of selecting CarPlay differs from car to car, but is usually quite obvious.
A small but growing number of cars even have Wireless CarPlay, which lets you pair your phone and use CarPlay without plugging in a cord.
Once CarPlay has started in your car, your infotainment system interface will be controlled by your iPhone – the car is essentially a secondary screen for iPhone. The interface will look familiar to iPhone users, but it’s significantly simplified, with large icons and touch targets, and very limited options. It’s meant to be used while driving after all, so everything is big, simple and requires very little tapping.
CarPlay received a big interface update in iOS 13, but only minor changes since.
CarPlay gives you access to certain messaging apps, audio apps, and navigation apps. It can read text messages aloud and transcribe your voice into text replies, which is much safer than texting while driving.
The latest CarPlay interface also suggests things to you based on the time, day and your location – playlists or podcasts you listen to often, or routes to places you usually drive, for example.
Which iPhones support CarPlay?
CarPlay works on all phones from iPhone 5.
- iPhone 14/14 Pro
- iPhone 13/13 Pro
- iPhone 12/12 Pro
- iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation)
- iPhone 11/11 Pro
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XR
- iPhone X
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone 7/7Plus
- iPhoneSE
- iPhone 6s/6s Plus
- iPhone 6/6Plus
- iphone 5s
- iPhone 5
CarPlay was introduced in iOS 7.1 and has had a few significant upgrades over the years. The iOS 13 update was the most recent – it completely overhauled the CarPlay interface and allowed more apps to work with the system, like Waze and Google Maps. Since the big change in iOS 13, every version of iOS has added small tweaks and new features to CarPlay, but it’s largely the same thing.
A major new next-gen version of CarPlay is coming, with support car models announced in late 2023.
Which vehicles support CarPlay?
It used to be easy to list all the cars that supported CarPlay because there were so few. Its popularity has grown significantly over the past few years and it is now available in hundreds of car models, from Fords to Ferraris.
One of the last big holdouts was Toyota, but the company has started including CarPlay in many 2019 models, and it’s available in many 2020 and later Toyota models.
Notably absent from the list is Tesla – the company controls the “full stack” of its software and does not support any sort of secondary interface. You can connect your iPhone to your Tesla via Bluetooth and play music as well as sync your contacts and calendar, but you can’t get an on-screen phone-driven interface.
There are too many CarPlay-enabled car models to list them all here, but Apple maintains a list of CarPlay-enabled car models that you can check out.
More recently, GM, once a big supporter of CarPlay, announced that it would be phasing out support for the feature (and Android Auto) on future electric vehicles. GM will use its own navigation and infotainment system developed in conjunction with Google.
Which aftermarket systems support CarPlay?
If you have an older car that doesn’t already have CarPlay, you might be able to add it with an aftermarket infotainment system. Kenwood, Alpine, Sony, Pioneer and JVC are among the brands that offer CarPlay compatible stereo receivers.
The aftermarket system can add CarPlay (even wirelessly!) to your existing car.
How much does CarPlay cost?
CarPlay itself costs you nothing. When you use it to browse, send messages, or listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks, you can use data from your phone’s data plan. Depending on your cellular data limits, this can cost you dearly.
Whether it costs money to get CarPlay support in your car depends on its manufacturer. Although Apple does not charge automakers a fee for the software needed to integrate CarPlay, there are costs associated with meeting the necessary hardware requirements.
In some makes and models of cars it is standard and is included in the price of the car. Other models only support it as part of a high-end upgraded infotainment system package, which often costs hundreds more but usually includes other features. Before you buy a car, you’ll want to ask if CarPlay support is included.
Which apps work with CarPlay?
CarPlay is primarily built around core Apple apps such as Maps, Music, Messages, and Calendar. But with iOS 13, Apple expanded the ability for manufacturers to connect to the system, and now you can use many third-party navigation apps like Waze and Google Maps, audio apps like Audible, Spotify, Pandora, and even music apps. messaging apps like WhatsApp. and Facebook Messenger.
You don’t have to install anything special to use third-party apps; If you have a compatible app on your iPhone, you will see its app icon on the CarPlay screen.
If you want to rearrange your CarPlay apps, open Settings on your iPhone, then select GeneralSO CarPlay. Press the name of your car connection under My cars, then Personalize. You can then rearrange or remove apps from the CarPlay interface.
How does Siri work with CarPlay?
You can use Siri to command CarPlay, using many of the same commands you use with your iPhone. You can request directions, start turn-by-turn navigation, listen to music or a podcast, or dictate a text message to someone.
If your car has a voice control button on the steering wheel, press and hold it for a second or two, and you’ll see the Siri prompt on the screen.
If your car doesn’t have a voice button on the steering wheel, press and hold the CarPlay dashboard or the home button. After a few seconds, the Siri prompt will appear and you can give a voice command.
Siri is more than just voice commands – it’s Apple’s name for all sorts of smart assistant features, like smart suggestions. Siri will soon show the locations of calendar entries, offer to continue playing the podcast you were playing earlier, and suggest directions for places you travel often on those days and times, among other things.
What about the new generation CarPlay?
When Apple showed off iOS 16 at WWDC in 2022, it also introduced a new “next-gen” CarPlay. Apple says, “This new version of CarPlay is vehicle-specific, adapting to unique screen shapes and layouts. New levels of customization allow drivers to choose their instrument cluster design, including brand-specific options. »
This new CarPlay will be more tightly integrated into the car itself. It will be able to display essential car information (like speed, gears, range, battery charge status, etc.) and control the car’s integrated systems like HVAC, defrost, etc. Although Apple hasn’t given many details yet, it looks like it should be built into the car itself and not driven by the user’s iPhone, although we imagine it would sync some preferences. .
Apple
The first car models supporting this next-gen CarPlay are expected to be announced in late 2023. Note that this appears to be something you’ll need to purchase to get specific future car models, not a new experience driven by your iPhone in the existing versions. CarPlay compatible cars. And if they’re not even announced until late 2023, the first cars won’t be available until at least 2024.
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