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Apple CarPlay users can rearrange app icons via their iPhone's Settings > General > CarPlay menu rather than the car display itself, and iOS 26 adds widgets for weather, calendar and clock with a Smart Rotate feature that swaps them automatically. Users can also adjust brightness with Automatic light/dark mode and customize wallpaper and icon colors through CarPlay's own Settings menu.
RadarScope, the widely used radar and severe weather tracking app for iPhone, has released a CarPlay version as part of its 5.7 update. The new CarPlay interface isn't a simple port—it includes navigation overlays, multiple radar data types like MRMS and satellite, and route tracking directly on the map.
GM introduced a redesigned software interface for its upcoming Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks that refreshes the look of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Several outlets mistakenly reported this as GM reversing its 2023 decision to drop phone mirroring, but that removal only ever applied to GM's electric vehicles, not its gas-powered lineup.
Apple's CarPlay Ultra extends the CarPlay experience across every display in a vehicle, taking over instrument functions like the speedometer and fuel gauge and integrating controls such as climate and radio directly into the interface. Despite standard CarPlay running in over 800 vehicle models, Ultra currently only works on select Aston Martin vehicles in the US and Canada, requires an iPhone 12 or newer, and functions wirelessly only.
GM unveiled new dashboard software for its next-generation gas-powered pickups, the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, featuring a redesigned home screen, tighter Super Cruise integration, and improved compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The upgrade applies only to combustion models, continuing GM's separate strategy for its EV lineup, which dropped phone-mirroring support in 2023 in favor of Google Built-In software.
GM is redesigning the instrument clusters and infotainment interfaces for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups, opting for a cleaner, less cluttered look than previous models. The new system uses a black background with local dimming, offers multiple driving-mode views including off-road and towing displays, and notably retains Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support despite GM phasing them out of its electric vehicles.
Several car manufacturers are planning to remove or reduce support for Apple CarPlay in vehicles starting in 2026, favoring proprietary infotainment systems instead. The shift is driven largely by electric vehicles, which need tighter software integration for functions like battery preconditioning and charging controls that CarPlay cannot manage as a simple phone-mirroring layer.
Microsoft has updated its Copilot iPhone app to support Apple CarPlay, requiring iOS 26.4 or later and a subscription to function. The voice-driven integration mirrors chat history from the phone app, including text-based conversations, and joins Siri AI, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Meta AI and Claude as chatbot options available in CarPlay.
Apple CarPlay includes a dedicated Settings menu where drivers can adjust the interface to their preference, including switching between light, dark, or automatic display modes based on ambient light. Users can also change the background wallpaper from a set of Apple-designed options, swap between dark and clear 'Liquid Glass' icon packs, and increase text size through the Accessibility menu.
A report outlines why using Apple CarPlay wirelessly can drain iPhone battery faster than a wired connection, and suggests fixes such as turning off the screen, enabling Low Power Mode, using a wireless charging pad, downloading media offline, and limiting GPS use. It also notes that keeping iOS updated can bring efficiency improvements to CarPlay itself.
General Motors is removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from most of its gas and electric vehicles, replacing them with a native infotainment system built around Google's Gemini AI assistant. However, the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq EV will reportedly retain support for both phone-mirroring platforms, making it the only GM electric vehicle sold in North America to do so.
Portable CarPlay screens typically cost between $50 and $150, offering a cheaper alternative to buying a new car with built-in infotainment. Buyers should weigh screen size (6 to 11 inches), resolution (ideally at least 1280x720), audio output options like Bluetooth, AUX or FM, and whether the unit supports wireless CarPlay rather than requiring a cable.