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During the WWDC 2026 conference, Apple focused most of its attention on Siri AI and the development of Apple Intelligence. However, in the shadow of these announcements, there were changes prepared for CarPlay. It turns out that Apple’s car system will receive significantly more new features than initially thought. The company revealed these mainly in materials directed at developers. For drivers who use CarPlay daily, this will be one of the most interesting updates in recent years.
Video, more convenient music control and better navigation
The biggest novelty in CarPlay will be support for video applications. Apple will allow app creators to prepare programs that enable video playback directly on the car's screen. This feature will only work when the vehicle is stationary, ensuring it doesn’t affect driving safety. However, the car manufacturer will need to activate this capability in their system. This means that not all cars will receive support from day one. Users can also look forward to the long-awaited change in the music player. The “Now Playing” screen will finally feature a full-fledged track and podcast scrubbing bar. This will allow users to quickly skip to a chosen moment in the recording. Apple will also add a small MiniPlayer that will be persistently visible on the screen. This will enable drivers to check the currently playing track and change it without leaving the navigation. The company will also improve GPS location accuracy and driving direction detection. This is expected to reduce incorrect vehicle positioning and unnecessary route recalculations. In practice, navigation is expected to work more stably and respond more quickly to direction changes. This may seem like a small change, but for many drivers, it could turn out to be one of the most noticeable.
Siri AI in the car and expanded app capabilities
With iOS 27, a new Siri AI will also be introduced to CarPlay. The assistant will be able to hold more natural conversations and remember the context of previous questions. This means that the user won't have to repeat the entire command each time. If they ask about a restaurant, they will later be able to inquire about opening hours without starting the conversation over again. However, this feature will require an iPhone 15 Pro or a newer model. Apple has also prepared new tools for developers. With these, applications will be able to display widgets and live activities directly on the CarPlay screen. Theoretically, this means the ability to track sports scores, delivery status, or other information without launching the full application. Developers will also gain access to new interfaces for voice applications and AI chatbots. Additionally, Apple will improve the stability of wireless CarPlay. The company promises fewer disconnection issues, better call quality, and more stable sound transmission. There will also be a visual refresh. CarPlay will receive new wallpapers inspired by the style of iOS 27 and subtly redesigned interface elements. The changes are not revolutionary in terms of appearance, but they aim to make the system more modern and consistent with other Apple devices.
Although CarPlay wasn't one of the main stars of WWDC 2026, Apple has prepared surprisingly many new features for it. Users will get support for video apps, a smarter Siri AI, more convenient multimedia control, and more accurate navigation. Additionally, there are stability improvements and new capabilities for app developers. All the changes are set to reach users in the autumn with the launch of iOS 27.
source: digitaltrends
