With iOS 26, Apple CarPlay is bringing features like widgets, Live Activities, Liquid Glass UI and more to your car. Here are the details.
Apple’s WWDC event saw the company announce a slew of new software updates, including iOS 26 for the iPhone. That update means there are upgrades to CarPlay for the first time in what seems like forever – and you don’t need CarPlay Ultra to enjoy them.
“CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use,” Apple announced via press release.
The new CarPlay experience includes a number of upgrades to a system that Apple says is used more than 600 million times per day. The biggest update is arguably new support for widgets, offering new ways to see information at a glance when swiping to the right from the Home Screen.
Another important addition is support for Live Activities, taking information from apps on your iPhone and putting it on the CarPlay Home Screen. That means you’ll see information about all kinds of things, like data on your next flight, live sports scores and more.
Other improvements include a new, more compact view for incoming calls as well as support for Tapbacks and pinned conversations in the Messages app.
These improvements will all also come to CarPlay Ultra, but as mentioned, they will also be available to all CarPlay users across the board.
Apple’s iOS 26 software update is now in the hands of developers in beta form, with a public beta set to arrive next month. The final update is expected to be released to the public this fall.
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