I’m going on vacation toward the end of the month. I’d like to be able to use the coming ability to use Google Maps with CarPlay. Putting aside whatever update Google would have to do to their own app to enable this feature, is there an update process for CarPlay to have this enabled? How does that work? Does it update through the iPhone first like Apple Watch updates and then you plug in to your car?
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How does CarPlay update with iOS 12?
- Thread starter wlow3
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Sorry, I’m new to CarPlay. So CarPlay runs entirely from the iPhone and the display in the car is just a “dumb” display? I did not quite understand whether any part of CarPlay is installed code from Apple that is pre-installed from the auto manufacturer and so therefore had a separate update process like, e.g, MyLink software. When a car “has CarPlay” that mean it has just enough code to be able to accept the CarPlay UI from a plugged in iPhone? So then once an iPhone is updated to iOS 12, the car then will just display passively that update?
In a nutshell, yes. It's like you're connecting an external monitor to your laptop. You don't need to update any software on the monitor to work with a newer version of your OS. The screen in your car is just 'mirroring' a slightly different UI from the phone.
Yes, interacting thru the car screen is really manipulating the phone. Firmware updates for phone compatibility with factory radios would be either over the air or at a dealership, and downloadable (I assume) for aftermarket radios.
CarPlay is not entirely a “dumb” display. It does do some interaction with the vehicle for, say, gps support, etc... But the essential points made here are correct: when you upgrade to iOS 12 and the presumably soon to be released iOS 12 compatible versions of Waze and Google Maps, you won’t need to do anything else.
Once you update to iOS 12, CarPlay is updated too.
To use Google Maps or Waze all you’d need to do is update the apps.
To use Google Maps or Waze all you’d need to do is update the apps.
It depends on the car manufacturer...which is probably why so many have had issues (VW/Audi) with the beta and will require a firmware update.
Other car specific features like “low fuel alerts” through CarPlay is an example of something that is programmed to access via the car and not the phone.
But essentially, yeah, it just runs off the phone...
Other car specific features like “low fuel alerts” through CarPlay is an example of something that is programmed to access via the car and not the phone.
But essentially, yeah, it just runs off the phone...
Made 2 statements so not sure if you meant one or both.
You can test and see GPS yourself:
- Drive due North (or any direction) with CarPlay/Apple Maps
- Stop car and put in Park, notice Triangle pointing North
- Unplug iPhone and open Apple Maps on iPhone
- Get out of car and walk 20 paces due West, notice Triangle pointing due West
- Turn and walk back to car, notice Triangle pointing due East
- Get in and as you plug in Triangle will still be pointing due East on iPhone screen
- When CarPlay screen comes on it MAY (mine does) still be pointing due East
- Within a second or 2 it will connect back to the car’s GPS/position and point due North
Also here is a thread where a person measured antenna attenuation/gain and got a higher signal when plugged into CarPlay.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/does-carplay-use-hu-gps-or-phone-gps.2105224/
Overlay:
It absolutely is true. When the GPS on the device was broken in earlier betas it worked in my car when plugged in. Even now that it works on-device the GPS accuracy, as measured by GPS diagnostics, increases greatly when plugged in. The car also feeds back low gas alerts, start, stop and moving information.
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme...ay-and-wont-love-it-and-likewise-android-auto
Better reference still. WWDC sessions for Car and Head Unit manufacturers.
Video
https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2017/717/
Slidedeck
Presentation Slides (PDF)
In the section about what units need to provide, under Sensors
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Here is an Alpine iLX-107 CarPlay only (does have built FM radio but no mapping) aftermarket but has an external GPS antenna.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_500ILX107/Alpine-iLX-107.html?search=alpine_ilx-107&skipvs=T
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