iOS 26 Upgrades CarPlay in These 10 Ways

Apple recently announced iOS 26, and the upcoming software update includes many new features and changes for CarPlay in vehicles.

To try out these features now, you will need to be using an iPhone running iOS 26, which is currently available in developer beta.

Below, we recap 10 changes coming to CarPlay with iOS 26, which will likely be released to the general public in September.

Liquid Glass Design

When you are using CarPlay with an iPhone running iOS 26, the new Liquid Glass design extends to the CarPlay interface. Like on the iPhone, the new look includes more shimmery app icons and translucent user interface elements.

New Messages App Features

Starting with iOS 26, you can respond to messages with standard Tapbacks like a heart, thumbs up, or exclamation marks directly through CarPlay.

Pinned Conversations

You can now view your pinned conversations in the Messages app on CarPlay.

Compact View for Phone Calls

CarPlay has a new compact view for incoming phone calls, so that you can still see other information on the screen, such as turn-by-turn directions.

Live Activities

CarPlay's Dashboard screen can now show Live Activities, letting you keep track of things like a flight's arrival time at a glance.

Widgets

The regular version of CarPlay now has a widgets screen, for things like calendar appointments and HomeKit accessory controls.

Widgets were previously limited to CarPlay Ultra.

Multi-Touch Maps

Starting with iOS 26, CarPlay users can interact with mapping apps using multi-touch gestures in supported vehicles. This allows users to zoom and pan on the map with their fingers, just like they can on an iPhone.

Watch Videos While Parked

iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to detect when the vehicle is in motion and end playback.

Automakers need to add support for this feature, so it might be limited to newer vehicles and take some time to roll out.

Smart Display Zoom

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

When the setting is enabled, CarPlay will be automatically resized to better fit the shape and size of your vehicle's dashboard screen, if possible.

The images below show what CarPlay looks like before and after the Smart Display Zoom setting is enabled. With the setting turned on, all of the user interface elements become smaller, allowing for an extra row of app icons to fit on the screen.

Before

After

Accessibility Features

CarPlay now supports the Large Text option that has long existed on iPhones, and Sound Recognition can now identify a crying baby inside a vehicle.