CarPlay on iOS 26: Here's Everything New

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Apple this week announced iOS 26, and the upcoming bundle update includes galore caller features and changes for CarPlay.

To effort retired these features now, you volition request to beryllium utilizing an iPhone moving iOS 26, which is presently disposable successful developer beta.

Below, we recap 9 changes to CarPlay.

Liquid Glass Design

When you are utilizing CarPlay with an iPhone moving iOS 26, the caller Liquid Glass design extends to the CarPlay interface. Like connected the iPhone, the caller look includes much shimmery app icons and translucent idiosyncratic interface elements.

New Messages App Features

Starting with iOS 26, you tin respond to messages with modular Tapbacks similar a heart, thumbs up, oregon exclamation marks straight done CarPlay.

Pinned Conversations

You tin present presumption your pinned conversations successful the Messages app connected CarPlay.

Compact View for Phone Calls

CarPlay has a caller compact presumption for incoming telephone calls, truthful that you tin inactive spot different accusation connected the screen, specified arsenic turn-by-turn directions.

Live Activities

CarPlay's Dashboard surface tin present amusement Live Activities, letting you support way of things similar a flight's accomplishment clip astatine a glance.

Widgets

The regular mentation of CarPlay present has a widgets screen, for things similar calendar appointments and HomeKit accessory controls.

Widgets were antecedently constricted to CarPlay Ultra.

On a related note, each of these caller features are coming to CarPlay Ultra.

Multi-Touch Maps

Starting with iOS 26, CarPlay users tin interact with mapping apps using multi-touch gestures successful supported vehicles. This allows users to zoom and cookware connected the representation with their fingers, conscionable similar they tin connected an iPhone.

Watch Videos While Parked

iPhone users volition beryllium capable to wirelessly watercourse videos to the CarPlay screen utilizing AirPlay, according to Apple. For information reasons, video playback volition lone beryllium disposable erstwhile the conveyance is parked, to forestall distracted driving. The connected iPhone volition beryllium capable to observe erstwhile the conveyance is successful question and extremity playback.

Automakers request to adhd enactment for this feature, truthful it mightiness beryllium constricted to newer vehicles and instrumentality immoderate clip to rotation out.

Smart Display Zoom

iOS 26 adds a caller Smart Display Zoom setting to CarPlay.

When the mounting is enabled, CarPlay volition beryllium automatically resized to amended acceptable the signifier and size of your vehicle's dashboard screen, if possible.

The images beneath amusement what CarPlay looks similar earlier and aft the Smart Display Zoom mounting is enabled. With the mounting turned on, each of the idiosyncratic interface elements go smaller, allowing for an other enactment of app icons to acceptable connected the screen.