iOS 27: 8+ New CarPlay Features

[MacRumors]

With iOS 27, Apple is introducing several CarPlay features that will improve your in-car experience, both when you're driving and when you're idle in the car. From new video experiences to Siri AI, there are multiple new options to look forward to.

Video Apps

CarPlay apps can incorporate video browsing capabilities, so you can browse for and watch videos on your in-car display while parked. The video playback feature does not work when a car is in motion for safety reasons, but if you're watching something and shift into drive, playback will switch to audio only.

iPhone apps that support AirPlay can also stream content to the car's display.

Video apps require car manufacturers to enable support on the vehicle, and no automakers have announced plans to add support as of now.

Siri AI

Apple's smarter, more capable version of Siri can be used in the car for hands-free conversations. Siri AI for CarPlay works like Siri AI on other devices, so you can ask it to complete tasks or find information for you while you drive.

Conversations in CarPlay sync to the Siri app on iPhone so you can pick them up later.

Audio

There is a persistent mini-player for the Now Playing CarPlay template. The player shows artwork and playback controls in the top right corner of audio and media apps.

The Now Playing interface in CarPlay also has a progress bar, so you can jump to a specific spot in a song, podcast, or audiobook.

Wallpapers

CarPlay includes the new iOS 27 wallpapers, formatted for the CarPlay interface. The wallpapers have wave-style designs in a range of colors, with 14 total wallpaper options available.

CarPlay in iOS 27 also supports larger, more interactive content thumbnails and it incorporates the updated Liquid Glass icons for apps like Maps and Weather.

Route Data

Navigation apps like Apple Maps and Google Maps can share route data with a vehicle for incorporating information like EV charging stops. The car is able to check a map route against the range of the vehicle, and suggest a charging stop.

Reliability and Location Accuracy

Apple says that wireless CarPlay is more reliable in iOS 27, plus it supports improved GPS location accuracy and navigation heading detection.

Voice Control

All app categories are also now able to offer a voice control option, and Apple has designed a voice control template that can be integrated into apps for voice conversations.

Natural Language Improvements

In Apple Maps, Apple extended natural language search to navigation, and that also works with CarPlay. You can ask Siri for directions that avoid toll roads, highways, and more.

Compatibility

Using the new CarPlay features in iOS 27 requires a connected iPhone with iOS 27 installed. For Siri AI, you'll need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, which includes the iPhone 15 Pro and later.

Article Link: iOS 27: 8+ New CarPlay Features

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Awesome new features added to CarPlay! 👏👌😎

It would be nice if Apple created their own wireless adapter to retrofit older cars to be able to use wireless CarPlay instead of requiring users to purchase third-party hardware from unreliable Chinese companies:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254194087?sortBy=rank

 

[DeanCorp]

Awesome new features added to CarPlay! 👏👌😎

It would be nice if Apple created their own wireless adapter to retrofit older cars to be able to use wireless CarPlay instead of requiring users to purchase third-party hardware from unreliable Chinese companies:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254194087?sortBy=rank

As a company that has sold over 2500 CarPlay adapters in the past few years it is not a good idea. iOS software updates break connectivity and then have a whole bunch of customers who didn’t have any issues with the adapter flood your inbox with unable to connect or constant dropouts demanding refunds all because an iOS update broke connectivity.

 

[JonneyGee]

I just want the progress bar back for audio on the Home Screen. They took it away at some point in iOS 26 (26.2, I think?). Please tell me it’s back!

 

[MacWanker]

I just want messages back in carplay. The messages app completely disappears from carplay when the phone is set to require faceID/touchID to access messages (a feature I am not turning off), and you can't even access them and have them read and reply to via voice control/siri as it just vanishes totally. Same with spotify and other apps if you have that security setting turned on.

 

[marte91]

As a company that has sold over 2500 CarPlay adapters in the past few years it is not a good idea. iOS software updates break connectivity and then have a whole bunch of customers who didn’t have any issues with the adapter flood your inbox with unable to connect or constant dropouts demanding refunds all because an iOS update broke connectivity.

this happens because most of those adapters are not officially supported devices, if Apple creates an officially supported device these kinds of problems will not happen.

 

[Spock]

As a company that has sold over 2500 CarPlay adapters in the past few years it is not a good idea. iOS software updates break connectivity and then have a whole bunch of customers who didn’t have any issues with the adapter flood your inbox with unable to connect or constant dropouts demanding refunds all because an iOS update broke connectivity.

Yeah, that would not be an issue if Apple was making the dongle.

 

[mansplains]

I just want messages back in carplay. The messages app completely disappears from carplay when the phone is set to require faceID/touchID to access messages (a feature I am not turning off), and you can't even access them and have them read and reply to via voice control/siri as it just vanishes totally. Same with spotify and other apps if you have that security setting turned on.

Which do you want, security or convenience?

 

[cinegeek]

Still no pinch-to-zoom...

 

[Doug.J]

Which do you want, security or convenience?

Seems like some people just don't get this fact. When Security comes first, you have to put measures in place that ensure you can't get to info without verification.

 

[doobydoooby]

Seems like some people just don't get this fact. When Security comes first, you have to put measures in place that ensure you can't get to info without verification.

Which do you want, security or convenience?

I would hope there could be a middle ground. Something on the lines of only when connected to CarPlay, and only after having first authenticated with Face ID at the beginning of the journey, continue to allow the Face ID locked app such as messages to continue working until CarPlay ends. I have to agree with the op that having a necessary security measure for wandering around with your phone ( eg not having security text messages from your bank visible to anyone) is crippling the functionality of CarPlay for doing basic things

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Would be much nicer if it worked on iPhoneOS 27 so it could be used on iPhones connected to CarPlay.

 

[ignatius345]

Still no pinch-to-zoom...

One decent gesture I remembered recently is tap-tap-drag to zoom. (Tap twice, and on the second tap don’t lift your finger again. Then, still without lifting your finger, drag up and down to zoom.) It’s a lot easier than trying to hit the little +/– buttons while driving.

This gesture works outside of CarPlay as well, and can be handy for zooming one-handed.

 

[doobydoooby]

Personally the thing I really really want is for the navigation app to be able to adapt to your demands mid journey via AI. Eg Siri is there a car wash on my journey and can you please add an efficient detour to get me to one? Can you find a cheap gas station along my journey for me to fill up? I gather Google maps might be bringing this in but there’s no sign of it in Europe as yet

 

[icwhatudidthere]

Still no pinch-to-zoom...

I think I read somewhere that it’s already supported but requires a software update from the manufacturer.

 

[ep2002]

Serious question here…

How does something like this work if you have an aftermarket unit in your vehicle that has CarPlay?
I have an Alpine unit with wireless CarPlay. I’m assuming in this case the manufacturer (ex: Alpine) would need to support this? If so, I think I’m out of luck because Alpine hasn’t provided an update in years.

 

[Radeon85]

Serious question here…

How does something like this work if you have an aftermarket unit in your vehicle that has CarPlay?
I have an Alpine unit with wireless CarPlay. I’m assuming in this case the manufacturer (ex: Alpine) would need to support this? If so, I think I’m out of luck because Alpine hasn’t provided an update in years.

Same, I have an aftermarket Pioneer wireless CarPlay, so how in the hell is this supposed to work? This should never be up to car manufacturers; this should be up to Apple and no one else. The phone already stops you from doing certain things when the car is moving, so why is it so hard to do the same for video? If you are playing a video and the phone's GPS detects you're moving, it can just disable the video as it does now for certain other tasks.

 

[g4rb4g3]

Still no pinch-to-zoom...

That's present since iOS 26 already, apps have to implement it though.

mapTemplateDidBeginZoomGesture(_:) | Apple Developer Documentation

Tells the delegate that the zoom gesture started.

developer.apple.com

 

[svish]

Video browsing capability is nice. Unfortunately not all car manufacturers will be supporting this.

 

[Kottu]

In Sweden, when I ask Siri to navigate to the Hospital, it is still looking for the contact called “Hospital”. Though Apple Maps is better integrated with my car’s displays, I prefer to use Google Maps or Waze.

 

[Ta_whirimatea]

Show ALL my music downloaded on my iPhone on the screen. Not just 12 albums 🤬

 

[Alloween]

So let me get this straight: CarPlay Video will be added like?! Never? Because car manufacturers want to sell us their own mostly flawed systems?

 

[Satzlaus]

I connected my iPhone via cable.
I’d be happy if the arrow always pointed in the driving direction (adjusted in the settings). It would also be nice to have the maximum speed display (without navigation).
I’d also like the battery indicator to be displayed when using CarPlay with a cable (it’s available without a cable).
Finally:
Why are the CDs on my iPhone displayed in chronological order (by year) but in alphabetical order in CarPlay? I thought the iPhone was mirrored?

 

[-BigMac-]

Reliability and Location Accuracy

Apple says that wireless CarPlay is more reliable in iOS 27, plus it supports improved GPS location accuracy and navigation heading detection.

I’d love to know how this is possible. More frequent polling? More efficient data link?

 

[Kaptajn Haddock]

I my mind they are just adding new features that will increase the risk of collisions - why do I have to be able to scrub the audio while driving? Being able to skip a track on my steering wheel is plenty enough - and it wont take my eyes of the road. I do like the notion of a more stable wireless CarPlay, as it sometimes seem to have a life of its own. Especially if multiple drivers connect to CarPlay in one vehicle.