CarPlay

After three years of anticipation, Apple officially launched next-generation CarPlay this week, dubbed CarPlay Ultra. CarPlay Ultra packs countless new features, updates, and more compared to normal CarPlay.

Here’s everything you need to know about CarPlay Ultra, including whether your favorite automaker will support the platform.

Apple’s long-brewing next generation of CarPlay is finally here. CarPlay Ultra officially launched this morning. And while anyone not driving an Aston Martin may be disappointed, Apple’s announcement actually brought good news for all CarPlay users.

It’s taken a very long time, and it’s so far only being offered by a single, niche car-maker, but next-gen CarPlay – which Apple has branded CarPlay Ultra – is finally here.

It’s currently limited to Aston Martin, and is available with new orders, alongside a software update being made available to owners of existing (recent) models …

Apple today officially announced CarPlay Ultra, the next generation version of CarPlay that it first teased way back at WWDC 2022.

CarPlay Ultra is rolling out starting today to Aston Martin owners in the United States and Canada. Apple today also revealed that three new automakers have signed on to support CarPlay Ultra in the future: Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.

After months of delays, Apple officially announced the launch of next-gen CarPlay, now with a new brand name of ‘CarPlay Ultra’. From today, CarPlay Ultra is available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the United States and Canada, and a software update will also bring the technology to existing vehicles. Apple also said Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are working on adding CarPlay Ultra to their cars, but did not disclose a timeframe.

CarPlay Ultra integrates vehicle controls with the CarPlay experience, including taking over display of the instrument cluster and gauges, toggles for air conditioning and driver assistance systems, advanced media controls and more.

Security vulnerabilities discovered in Apple’s AirPlay SDK mean that millions of devices could be hacked by attackers. The flaw has been dubbed AirBorne.

Related vulnerabilities would also have allowed hackers to attack Apple devices too, but the iPhone maker says it has issued fixes for these in the past few months. CarPlay devices are also vulnerable, though the real-life risks there are very low …

Even as CarPlay 2 work keeps chugging along, Apple has been slowly adding new features to the existing CarPlay too. Last fall CarPlay got some Apple Intelligence enhancements, and recently Ford EV owners gained NACS routing. Now, with iOS 18.4, there are three more new CarPlay features that just arrived.

While the world awaits next-gen CarPlay, Land Rover has made a retrofit CarPlay solution for Range Rovers from a previous decade.

With the exception of wireless support, the CarPlay hardware appears to be pretty basic, and that’s the point.

Sidecar’s CarPlay web browser/video player is going away after briefly arriving on the App Store. The company behind the app is removing the browser feature at the request of Apple.

CarPlay users often request web browsers and video apps for use while parked, but Apple limits CarPlay apps to a handful of categories. Adapters that run Android apps and display CarPlay exist as a workaround.

However, there’s now an app on the App Store that includes a browser feature for playing video. The CarPlay app loads URLs from the web to play video while parked.

For the vast majority of people, CarPlay is a must-have. Apple’s in-car experience provides a vastly superior infotainment experience than most options from carmakers. There’s quick access to your favorite apps, integration with Siri, seamless connectivity, and more.

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for making sure you’re getting the most out of your CarPlay experience…

Do wireless CarPlay adapters actually work? In 2017, I bought a Honda Civic that came with wired Apple CarPlay. I really wanted wireless CarPlay in the Civic, but replacing its entertainment system at the time seemed like overkill. Fortunately, there’s a solution for turning standard CarPlay into wireless CarPlay, and it works with iOS 18 and iPhone 16.

Following the release of iOS 18.4 earlier this month, iPhone users reported several different connectivity problems with CarPlay. Now, Apple has released iOS 18.4.1, which includes a fix for at least one of the reported CarPlay problems…

CarPlay is used and loved by millions of iPhone owners. And while the wait for CarPlay 2 keeps getting longer, iOS 18.4 and other recent updates hint at a promising CarPlay trend.

Apple released iOS 18.4 for iPhone users on with Priority Notifications, new emoji, several changes to CarPlay, and more. According to a growing number of users, however, the iOS 18.4 update has rendered CarPlay unusable in their cars.

Rivian is one of several CarPlay holdouts, opting instead to build its own infotainment system focused on deep integration with the R1S and R1T hardware. A new aftermarket accessory hitting the market this month, however, claims that it will add CarPlay and a wide suite of other apps to Rivian with a do-it-yourself installation process that takes just 25 minutes.

iOS 18.4 is coming soon, as the company released the RC (Release Candidate) build to developers and beta testers on Monday. In addition to the features we already know about, such as Priority Notifications and the expansion of Visual Intelligence, the update also comes with a new API for sports apps in CarPlay.

Almost exactly two years ago, GM announced its controversial decision to drop CarPlay support from its EVs. Shortly thereafter, the automaker began rolling out its “Ultifi” infotainment software, which was so buggy it left one reviewer stranded in rural Virginia.

Now, GM is cracking down on the only CarPlay retrofit that was available for its EVs.

As the adoption of electric vehicles has grown, so has the availability of EV-specific apps for CarPlay. There are a number of excellent CarPlay apps that help take your EV experience to the next level, including planning trips, finding chargers, and more. Read on for the growing list of CarPlay apps that every EV owner should check out.

Apple is rolling out a notable update to Apple Maps EV Routing for Ford drivers. Starting today, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers can use Apple Maps EV Routing via CarPlay to plan road trips that include Tesla Superchargers – or any station that uses the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.