GoKawiilLast week, Apple released iOS 26.4, which enabled support for voice-based AI apps to CarPlay for the first time.
Just a few days later, OpenAI has updated the ChatGPT app for iPhone to take advantage of this change. Now, ChatGPT is fully accessible via a dedicated CarPlay app.
ChatGPT app for CarPlay now available
As we’ve explained before, Apple limits the categories of apps that are allowed in CarPlay. This is done for safety reasons, as well as design limitations of Apple’s CarPlay framework. Unlike iPhone apps, CarPlay apps must be built around Apple-provided templates within the CarPlay framework.
With iOS 26.4, Apple updated its list of supported apps to include “voice-based conversational apps.”
The CarPlay version of ChatGPT focuses entirely on voice interaction and does not show any text. You can simply talk to it like you would with voice mode in the ChatGPT app on iPhone. There is an “End” button in the upper-left corner along with a mute/unmute button in the upper-right corner.
Other than those two buttons, the only interaction method available is with your voice.
This adheres to Apple’s guidelines, which say that voice-based conversational apps in CarPlay must “optimize for voice interaction in the driving environment” and not show text and imagery in responses.
“Voice-based conversational apps must have a primary modality of voice upon launch; and after launch, appropriately respond to questions or requests and perform actions,” Apple says.
ChatGPT is the first of the major AI apps to roll out a dedicated CarPlay app. You can update to the latest version of the ChatGPT app for iPhone on the App Store today. You’ll need to be running iOS 26.4 on your iPhone to use the new ChatGPT app via CarPlay.
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