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During the WWDC 2026 conference, Apple dedicated most of its attention to Siri AI and the development of Apple Intelligence. However, in the shadow of these announcements were changes prepared for CarPlay. It turns out that Apple’s car system will receive significantly more innovations than initially expected. The company mainly revealed these in materials aimed at developers. For drivers who use CarPlay on a daily basis, 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 developers to create programs that enable video playback directly on the car's screen. This feature will work only when the vehicle is stationary, ensuring it does not affect driving safety. However, the car manufacturer will have to activate this capability in their system themselves. 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 quick jumps to selected moments in the recording. Apple will also add a small MiniPlayer that remains visible on the screen at all times. This way, the driver will be able 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 intended to reduce incorrect vehicle position readings and unnecessary route recalculations. In practice, navigation is expected to work more stably and respond faster to direction changes. This may seem like a minor change, but for many drivers, it could turn out to be one of the most noticeable improvements.
Siri AI in the Car and Enhanced App Capabilities
With iOS 27, a new Siri AI will also be integrated into CarPlay. The assistant will be able to conduct more natural conversations and remember the context of previous questions. This means that users will not have to repeat the entire command every time. If they ask about a restaurant, they can later inquire about opening hours without starting the conversation over again. However, this feature will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model. Apple has also prepared new tools for developers. With these, apps will be able to display widgets and live activities directly on the CarPlay screen. Theoretically, this means the possibility of tracking sports scores, delivery statuses, or other information without launching the full app. Developers will also gain access to new interfaces for voice apps and AI chatbots. Additionally, Apple will improve the stability of wireless CarPlay. The company promises fewer disconnection issues, better call quality, and more stable audio transmission. There will also be a visual refresh. CarPlay will receive new wallpapers inspired by the aesthetics of iOS 27 and subtly redesigned interface elements. The changes are not revolutionary in terms of appearance but are meant to make the system more modern and consistent with other Apple devices.
Although CarPlay was not one of the main stars of WWDC 2026, Apple has prepared surprisingly many new features for it. Users will receive support for video apps, smarter Siri AI, more convenient multimedia controls, and more precise navigation. On top of that, there are stability improvements and new possibilities for app developers. All changes are set to roll out to users in the fall alongside the release of iOS 27.
source: digitaltrends
