iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a mates of caller features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and enactment for voice-based chatbot apps.


To update your iPhone 11 oregon newer to iOS 26.4, unfastened the Settings app and pat connected General → Software Update. CarPlay volition automatically connection the caller features truthful agelong arsenic the iPhone connected to your conveyance is moving iOS 26.4 oregon later.

Below, we person outlined the 2 caller CarPlay features.

Ambient Music Widget

CarPlay gained enactment for widgets connected iOS 26. To presumption them, swipe close connected CarPlay's interface until you scope the Dashboard screen, shown below.


Starting with iOS 26.4, some the iPhone and CarPlay present person an Ambient Music widget option.

Apple introduced the Ambient Music diagnostic connected iOS 18.4 past year. It offers curated playlists based connected themes specified arsenic Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing, with nary Apple Music subscription required to perceive to the songs.

To adhd the Ambient Music widget to a CarPlay widget stack, unfastened the Settings app connected your iPhone and pat connected General → CarPlay → [Your Vehicle] → Widgets → Add Widget, prime the Ambient Music option, and pat connected the Add Widget button.

Chatbot Apps

Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based conversational apps, according to Apple's CarPlay Developer Guide. This means that chatbot similar OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude volition beryllium capable to widen their iPhone apps to CarPlay for voice-based conversations, should immoderate of them take to bash so.


Of course, Apple's ain adjunct Siri remains disposable connected CarPlay, without needing to unfastened an app. It was precocious reported that Apple is investigating a caller Siri app for iOS 27 with chatbot-like functionality and speech history, truthful it volition beryllium absorbing to spot if that Siri app is disposable connected CarPlay successful a voice-only authorities aboriginal this year.
This article, "iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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