Apple CarPlay is getting widgets and message tapbacks this fall with iOS 26

Apple announced sweeping updates to iOS 26 during WWDC 25 that’ll motorboat this fall, and that extends to CarPlay, its infotainment interface. CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra-compatible cars volition reap the benefits of the caller update, some successful presumption of aesthetics and at-a-glance usability. The database of cars that enactment CarPlay is big, but CarPlay Ultra is supported lone successful Aston Martin cars for now.

With CarPlay, Apple’s Liquid Glass design volition marque the leap to your car’s screen, adjusting its look for airy and acheronian mode. (Please lone respect the breakthrough translucency of plan elements portion astatine a reddish airy oregon halt sign.) When you get a telephone oregon a substance message, those alerts won’t instrumentality up a important magnitude of the screen, and volition alternatively beryllium delegated to a tiny information truthful you tin stay focused connected driving directions. On that note, CarPlay volition get tapback support, letting you rapidly respond to messages with an emoji. 

The biggest update is widget support. CarPlay volition beryllium capable to propulsion successful your phone’s widgets, arsenic good arsenic Live Activities, which are real-time notifications that are utile for things similar formation duration oregon bid deliveries. What’s large quality for some CarPlay users and developers alike is that getting widgets into your car requires nary other improvement work; the aforesaid widgets and Live Activities made for the iPhone volition automatically enactment with the instauration of iOS 26.