In iOS 27, which is now available, CarPlay gets its biggest update in years, but some features depend on the type of car you have, not your iPhone model. Some of the biggest additions won't work in the majority of vehicles on the market today. Let's take a look at how the new features work.
See also: CarPlay: 8+ new features that iOS 27 brings
Works in any vehicle with CarPlay
Custom widgets: In iOS 27, CarPlay is no longer limited to Apple’s default widgets. Any compatible widget from your iPhone’s home screen can now be added to the CarPlay dashboard. To do this, go to Settings ➝ General ➝ CarPlay, tap your car, then tap Widgets ➝ Add Widgets. You can drag widgets to rearrange them, tap to remove them, and enable Smart Rotation and Suggestions Widget.
Audio Advancement: The Now Playing now features a proper progress bar, allowing you to swipe to any point in a song or podcast instead of having to constantly press the skip button. There's also a persistent mini-player that keeps the artwork and controls on-screen while you browse.
Apple Music Filters: In Apple Music on CarPlay, you can filter your library to sort playlists, albums, artists, and songs by categories like “Favorites” or “All Playlists.” Apple says third-party music apps can adopt this as well.
New wallpapers: New wave designs found in iOS 27 and macOS 27 are now available on CarPlay in 14 color options. In previous years, most of Apple’s platforms have shipped with their own distinct wallpapers. This year, they all share a design called “Celosia,” with overlapping curves and soft shadows inspired by layers of flowers or folded paper.
Maps improvements: Apple has expanded natural language search to navigation, and this also works with Apple Maps on CarPlay. You can ask Siri for directions that avoid toll roads, highways, and more.
Better wireless reliability: Apple says that CarPlay wireless connections are more reliable in iOS 27, with improved GPS accuracy and better navigation direction detection. These are changes made on the phone, so no new hardware is required.
See also: Apple CarPlay: New AI chatbot before the arrival of Siri AI
Requires the right car
Video apps: Apple has been touting this feature, but it’s one that few people are currently able to use. Video playback in the CarPlay interface requires car manufacturers to certify AirPlay for the vehicle. In other words, an iOS update alone can’t enable it. This makes sense when you think about it — playback only works when the vehicle is parked (it switches to audio if you switch to driving), and the car needs to be able to share its driving status with iOS. As of this writing, no manufacturer has announced plans to support the feature.
Share routes to your car’s displays: Navigation apps can now push route data to your vehicle’s in-car infotainment system or digital dashboard, including EV charging stations and range. However, your car must support it, so your performance may vary (no pun intended).
Requires supported iPhone
Siri AI: The upgraded Siri now handles conversations in the car, and conversations sync with the Siri app on your iPhone so you can continue them later. However, it requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, and there is a waiting list for Siri AI to access, which you can join on your iPhone in Settings ➝ Siri.
Video apps in CarPlay require specific vehicle support.
Apple has given developers a voice control standard that any CarPlay app category can adopt for voice chat. But nothing will change until individual app creators use it, so expect this to arrive gradually.
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If you have a CarPlay-enabled car and a recent iPhone running iOS 27, you'll be able to take advantage of third-party widgets, audio streaming, new wallpapers, and improvements to Maps right away. For video and route sharing, you'll have to wait for your car manufacturer to add support. iOS 27 was released on September 14 and is available to download now.
