Apple CarPlay sees its biggest upgrade ever with the rollout of iOS 26 in 2025. Packed with new features, a striking Liquid Glass design, and more intuitive connectivity between iPhone and your vehicle, this update transforms the in-car experience for drivers and passengers alike. Here’s a comprehensive, easy-to-read guide to everything new and improved in the Apple CarPlay iOS 26 update.
Highlights of the Apple CarPlay iOS 26 Update
- Completely revamped design using Liquid Glass
- Widgets and Live Activities on your car’s display
- Compact notifications for calls and messages
- Enhanced Messages app with Tapbacks and pinned conversations
- Video playback support while parked
- Smarter Maps and navigation
- Deeper customization
- Expanded CarPlay Ultra features (select models)
1. Liquid Glass: A Stunning New Look for CarPlay
Apple introduces the Liquid Glass design across iOS 26, bringing a high-gloss, semi-translucent effect to CarPlay’s UI. App icons feature rich reflections and subtle depth, seamlessly adapting to both light and dark modes for improved visibility and aesthetics day or night. The interface is now more layered, less distracting, and integrates beautifully with different car interiors.
Key Visual Upgrades:
- Translucent menu bars and notifications
- Light, dark, and clear icon themes for personalization
- Consistent design language with your iPhone
2. Widgets and Live Activities: Information at a Glance
CarPlay now supports widgets from your iPhone’s installed apps, giving drivers instant access to weather, calendar, clock, smart home controls, reminders, and more. You don’t need separate CarPlay-compatible apps—widgets just work. Live Activities bring real-time data to your dashboard, like flight tracking, sports scores, or food delivery status—perfect for busy lives.
| Widget Type | Example Use | Source App |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | Local forecast, severe alerts | Weather |
| Calendar | Upcoming events, appointments | Calendar |
| Smart Home | Door lock status, lights, cameras | HomeKit |
| Battery | iPhone/Apple Watch battery levels | Battery Widget |
| Reminders/To-dos | Task lists synced with iPhone | Reminders |
| Live Activities | Live flight/train/food updates, sport results | Supported Apps |
3. Compact View for Calls and Messages
As part of the Apple CarPlay iOS 26 Update, incoming calls no longer take over your navigation screen. With iOS 26, calls now appear in a small window at the bottom of the display, allowing drivers to stay focused on maps and directions. Messages benefit from the same treatment, with concise banners that don’t interrupt your journey—enhancing both safety and convenience.
4. Enhanced Messages: Tapbacks and Pinned Conversations
Texting on the go via CarPlay is smarter than ever. Reply with Tapbacks—emoji-style reactions like thumbs up, heart, or exclamation marks—with a single tap, just like on iPhone. Pin important conversations to the top of your interface for quick access. These features make communicating hands-free faster and more expressive without breaking your focus on traffic.
5. Video Playback in CarPlay (Parked Only)
Apple CarPlay with iOS 26 adds a highly requested capability: video playback. When your car is parked, you can stream video from your iPhone directly to the vehicle’s screen via AirPlay. This is perfect for entertainment during charging stops or when waiting to pick someone up, though video is automatically disabled as soon as you drive off for safety.
6. Improvements to Maps and Navigation
Maps in CarPlay get smarter and more interactive:
- Report More Incidents: In addition to accidents and hazards, you can now alert other drivers to roadworks, closures, and traffic jams.
- Smarter Routing: The system can suggest alternate routes proactively, even if you haven’t asked for directions yet.
- Multi-touch Map Controls: With touch-capable displays, you can now zoom, rotate, and interact with the map using intuitive gestures.
7. More Customization Options
Users get broader control over CarPlay’s look and feel:
- Switch between icon appearance modes (Default, Dark, Clear)
- Customizable wallpaper and widgets
- Adjust text sizes for better readability
- Disable screenshots for enhanced privacy
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8. Expanded CarPlay Ultra Features
CarPlay Ultra, initially for select luxury vehicles, continues to expand. It allows for:
- Deeper integration with your car’s native controls (radio, climate, seats)
- Real-time info in the instrument cluster (speed, battery, navigation)
- Greater personalization with automaker-specific themes
- Broader automaker support expected soon beyond Aston Martin, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, and Volvo
9. Quality of Life Enhancements
- Sound Recognition: Accessibility improvement, helping drivers with hearing loss be aware of important sounds.
- Menu Bar Redesign: Faster access to core apps.
- Settings Tweaks: More granular management of notifications, visuals, and privacy.
Apple CarPlay iOS 26 Update: Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Description | Upgrade Over Previous Version? |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Glass Design | Glossy, translucent, customizable visuals | Yes |
| Widgets/Live Activities | Real-time data from iPhone widgets and Live Activities | Yes |
| Compact Notifications | Calls/messages no longer interrupt navigation | Yes |
| Tapbacks in Messages | Emoji-style quick replies from the car | Yes |
| Pin Conversations | Pin important threads for easy access | Yes |
| Video Playback (Parked) | Watch video via AirPlay on CarPlay display when stationary | Yes |
| Expanded Incident Reporting | Report roadwork, closures, and traffic in Maps | Yes |
| Map Multitouch Controls | Pinch-to-zoom, rotate, interact directly (for compatible vehicles) | Yes |
| CarPlay Ultra Expansion | More vehicles and deeper in-car system integration | Yes |
| Sound Recognition, Accessibility | New features for hearing impairments and menu bar improvements | Yes |
Conclusion
The Apple CarPlay iOS 26 update is a major leap forward for in-car infotainment, combining elegant design with practical enhancements for everyday drivers. With a sleek new interface, expanded widgets, smarter notifications, and video streaming support, Apple ensures that safe, personalized, and intelligent driving is within everyone’s reach. Drivers can expect the iOS 26 CarPlay update this fall for all compatible vehicles and iPhones.
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