CarPlay FAQ: Everything you need to know about Apple’s auto dashboard software

Microsoft
By Microsoft 11 Min Read

macworld

With very few exceptions, the navigation and entertainment software running on dashboard touchscreens in modern cars is Terrible. Dated interface design, confusing layouts, and rarely, if ever, updated software and data.

Luckily, Apple has a solution for that: CarPlay. It’s a feature built into your iPhone that turns it into the brain 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 also a next-generation 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 in a supported car is easy. Just use the Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to your 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 fairly obvious.

A small but growing number of cars even have wireless CarPlay, which allows you to pair your phone and use CarPlay without connecting any wires.

Once you start CarPlay in your car, your infotainment system interface will be controlled by your iPhone – the car is essentially a secondary iPhone display. The interface will look familiar to iPhone users but it’s significantly simplified, with large icons and touch targets and very limited options. After all, it’s meant to be used while driving, so everything is big, simple, and requires very few taps.

origin 1CarPlay got a big interface update in iOS 13, but only minor changes since then.

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.

CarPlay’s latest interface also suggests things for you based on the time, day and your location, like playlists or podcasts you listen to often or directions to places you usually drive.

Which iPhones support CarPlay?

CarPlay works on all phones from iPhone 5 onwards.

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 7/7 Plus iPhone SE iPhone 6s/6s Plus iPhone 6/6 Plus iPhone 5s iPhone 5

CarPlay was introduced in iOS 7.1 and has gone through a couple of big updates over the years. The iOS 13 update was the latest: It completely overhauled the CarPlay interface and allowed more apps to work with the system, like Waze and Google Maps. Since the big change of iOS 13, each version of iOS has added small changes and new features to CarPlay, but it’s basically the same.

A major new next-generation version of CarPlay is on its way, with supporting car models announced in late 2023.

Which vehicles support CarPlay?

It used to be easy to list all the cars that support CarPlay, because there were so few of them. Its popularity has increased dramatically in recent 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” for its software and doesn’t support any kind of secondary interface. You can connect your iPhone to your Tesla via bluetooth and listen to music, as well as sync your contacts and calendar, but you can’t see a phone-based interface on the screen.

There are too many car models with CarPlay support to list them all here, but Apple maintains one list of car models compatible with CarPlay You can control.

More recently, GM, once a big proponent of CarPlay, announced that it would phase out support for the feature (and Android Auto) on future electric vehicles. GM will use its own navigation and infotainment system developed in collaboration with Google.

What aftermarket systems support CarPlay?

If you have an older car that doesn’t already have CarPlay, you may 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.

origin 1The aftermarket system can add CarPlay (even wireless!) 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, it may use data from your phone’s data plan. Depending on your cellular data limits, this could end up costing you.

Whether it costs money to get CarPlay support in your car depends on its manufacturer. While Apple doesn’t charge automakers a fee for the software needed to integrate CarPlay, there are some costs associated with meeting the necessary hardware requirements.

In some makes and models of car it is standard and is included in the cost of the car. Other models only support it as part of a premium upgraded infotainment system package, which often costs hundreds more but usually includes other features. Before buying a car, you’ll want to ask if CarPlay support is included.

What apps work with CarPlay?

CarPlay is mainly based on the main Apple apps such as Maps, Music, Messages and Calendar. But with iOS 13, Apple has expanded the ability for manufacturers to connect to the system and now you can use many third-party navigation apps like Waze AND Google Mapsaudio apps like Audible, Spotify, Pandoraand even messaging apps like Whatsapp AND Facebook messenger.

You don’t need to install anything special to use third-party apps; If you have a compatible app on your iPhone, you will see the app icon on the CarPlay display.

If you want to tidy up your CarPlay apps, open Settings on your iPhone, then select GeneralThen CarPlay. Click the connection name of your car under My cars and then customize. 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 ask for directions, initiate turn-by-turn navigation, play music or a podcast, or dictate a text message to someone.

If your car has a voice command 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 Home button. After a couple of 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 kinds of smart assistant features, like smart suggestions. Siri will soon show locations for calendar entries, offer to continue playing the podcast you were previously playing, and suggest directions to locations you frequently travel to on those days and times, among other things.

What about next-generation CarPlay?

When Apple introduced iOS 16 at WWDC in 2022, too introduced a new “next generation” CarPlay.. Apple says: “This new version of CarPlay is specific to each vehicle, accommodating unique screen shapes and layouts. New levels of personalization allow drivers to choose the design of the instrument cluster, including brand-specific options.

This new CarPlay will be more closely integrated with the car itself. It will be able to display key car information (such as speed, gears, range, battery charge status and more) and control the car’s built-in systems such as HVAC, defroster and so on. While Apple hasn’t provided many details yet, it appears it should be built into the car itself and not driven by the user’s iPhone, although we imagine it would sync some preferences.

origin 1Next-generation CarPlay will support multiple screens with unique shapes and handle all kinds of car functions.

Apple

The first car models to support this next-gen CarPlay are expected to be announced in late 2023. Note that this appears to be something you’ll need to purchase specific future car models to achieve, not a new experience driven by your iPhone into existing compatible cars. CarPlay. And while they won’t even be announced until the end of 2023, the first cars won’t be available until at least 2024.

Share This Article
Leave a comment