Apple has revamped Apple CarPlay 2025, adding a few features that will make your time in the car a little less frustrating – unless, of course, you love your car's factory software (in which case, you're in for a shock).
iOS 26 introduces a new design language called “Liquid Glass” – shinier icons and translucent elements that will make your dashboard look like a glass aquarium with apps floating in it. With Apple CarPlay 2025, the changes are not as dramatic as on the iPhone, but still – forget about the old interface, because there will be no going back to it. Apple has once again taken the steering wheel from your hands.
Messages have gotten a nice upgrade: you can now use Tapback responses right from the infotainment screen – heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, question, “haha” and exclamation. Because who drives without an emotional comment? Plus, pinned conversations will be more prominently displayed so you can quickly find friends sending you GIFs while you’re looking for a freeway exit.
The next time someone calls you, the call will no longer take up the entire screen. Instead, it will elegantly pop up at the bottom of the screen as a discreet notification. So spam calls from a “bank that doesn’t exist” will no longer interrupt your navigation to the nearest gas station.
Smarter CarPlay – Apple CarPlay 2025
Live Activities – a feature that tracks flights in real time in iOS 26 – is now coming to the car. They have also added a customizable home screen with widgets for HomeKit and a calendar. If the icons look too small, Smart Display Zoom can help you, which can enlarge or reduce them. The glasses can stay in the bag.
The biggest change? Videos when the car is stationary
Apple didn't exactly make a big deal out of it, but CarPlay will now let you watch videos on your car's screen—only when the car is parked, of course (Apple clearly isn't ready for Netflix to compete with traffic accidents just yet). If you have an iPhone running iOS 26, you can AirPlay YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, or HBO to your CarPlay screen. Waiting in line at the airport will now be less painful—at least until your friend is two hours late.
What do you need?
iOS 26 will work on all iPhone models from the SE and iPhone 11 onwards. You will need to update your device to use the new features, as CarPlay remains an extension of iOS.
Conclusion: Apple CarPlay 2025
With this upgrade, Apple CarPlay has become more useful, more attractive and – let’s be honest – once again demonstrated that Apple knows how to design a user experience much better than automakers. While the latter still persistently dream of convincing you of their “unique” infotainment systems, Apple is quietly perfecting the platform we actually use. If car brands are still looking sideways at CarPlay Ultra, this update will definitely give them something to think about.
The digital cockpit of the future is here – and, surprisingly or not, it wasn't created by your favorite automaker, but by Apple.
