Developer Showcases Apple CarPlay Workaround for Teslas

A Tesla Model 3 owner has resorted to a workaround to implement Apple CarPlay in his vehicle, amid no sign of official support from Tesla (via Tesla North).

tesla carplay solution
Apple ‌CarPlay‌ and Apple Music support are among the most-requested Tesla features, but with no indication that Tesla is willing to implement Apple ‌CarPlay‌ in its vehicles, Polish developer Michał Gapiński took matters into his own hands. Using a Rasberry Pi and the car's browser, Gapiński was able to get a fully functional version of Apple ‌CarPlay‌ running on his Tesla's display and shared the result on Twitter.

The system works using a Rasberry Pi with an LTE modem and a Wi-Fi access point, running a custom Android-based firmware. The in-car browser is then used to connect to the Rasberry Pi and display the ‌CarPlay‌ interface on the Tesla's screen, with all apps working as expected, including Maps and ‌Apple Music‌. The Tesla Apple ‌CarPlay‌ solution continues to work while driving and can even be controlled with the car's steering wheel buttons.

Gapiński is now working on improving the Wi-Fi connection to make the stream smoother. He says that the project is still in its early stages, but once it is ready he plans to release the solution to the public.

Tesla has a strained relationship with Apple and seems to want full control over its infotainment system, making the chances of Apple ‌CarPlay‌ support in the near future very unlikely. Despite signs that Tesla was planning to support Apple Music, this has similarly not come to fruition.

Most carmakers offer Apple ‌CarPlay‌ in their vehicles, making Tesla's omission a notable exception. Some electric cars that seek to directly compete with Tesla, such as the BMW i4, BMW iX, and Porsche Taycan, offer heavily integrated versions of Apple CarPlay, as well as other Apple services such as Apple Music and Apple Podcasts, including support for features such as time-synced lyrics.

Related Roundup: CarPlay
Tag: Tesla

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
apple intelligence black

Report: Apple's AI Strategy Could Finally Pay Off in 2026

Tuesday December 30, 2025 9:01 am PST by
Apple's restrained artificial intelligence strategy may pay off in 2026 amid the arrival of a revamped Siri and concerns around the AI market "bubble" bursting, The Information argues. The speculative report notes that Apple has taken a restrained approach with AI innovations compared with peers such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta, which are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in data...
apple fitness 2026 1

Apple Teases 'Something Big' Coming Soon to Apple Fitness+

Tuesday December 30, 2025 2:11 pm PST by
The Apple Fitness+ Instagram account today teased that the service has "big plans" for 2026. In a video, several Apple Fitness+ trainers are shown holding up newspapers with headlines related to Apple Fitness+. What's Apple Fitness+ Planning for the New Year? Something Big is Coming to Apple Fitness+ The Countdown Begins. Apple Fitness+ 2026 is Almost Here 2026 Plans Still Under ...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Users Report Static Speaker Noise While Charging

Tuesday December 30, 2025 10:39 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max owners are having trouble with the speakers of their devices, and have complained about a static or hissing noise that occurs when the iPhone is charging. There are multiple discussions about the issue on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and Apple's Support Community, where affected users say there is a noticeable static noise "like an old radio." Some people report...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With a Rough iPhone Fold Mockup

Monday December 29, 2025 10:55 am PST by
Apple is rumored to be introducing a foldable iPhone in September 2026, and since it will bring the biggest form factor change since the iPhone was introduced in 2007, curiosity about the design is high. A 3D designer created an iPhone Fold design based on rumors, and we printed it out to see how it compares to Apple's current iPhones. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
maxresdefault

Where's the New Apple TV?

Monday December 22, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV 4K since 2022, and 2025 was supposed to be the year that we got a refresh. There were rumors suggesting Apple would release the new Apple TV before the end of 2025, but it looks like that's not going to happen now. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said several times across 2024 and 2025 that Apple would...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...
macbook air march 2020

Apple Says Final Intel MacBook Air and Apple Watch Series 5 Now 'Vintage'

Wednesday December 31, 2025 8:39 am PST by
Apple today added the final 13-inch MacBook Air powered by Intel processors, the Apple Watch Series 5, and additional products to its vintage products list. The iPhone 11 Pro was also added to the list after the iPhone 11 Pro Max was added back in September. The full list of products added to Apple's vintage and obsolete list today: MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) iPhone 8 Plus 128GB ...

Top Rated Comments

Number 41 Avatar
52 months ago
Lack of CarPlay is the one* thing keeping me from buying a Tesla.

* - Not having space in the budget for a $60,000 car also a heavy factor if we’re being honest.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SSonnentag Avatar
52 months ago
It really is sad that the leader in EV tech is too arrogant to admit that some AV standards are worth embracing. I'm all for vertical integration, but come on, Elon, get with the program!
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
killawat Avatar
52 months ago

Odd how even long holdout Toyota eventually settled on CarPlay, yet Tesla is still shrugging their shoulders.
Exactly. And why aren't Tesla owners shouting on the rooftops about this? I will never buy a car without CarPlay. Nope, not going back.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rk-apple Avatar
52 months ago
I love my Tesla. The integrated maps in the Tesla have great details about supercharger locations, usage, etc. How about a trade off? Apple integrates supercharger info into its Maps app and Tesla agrees to allow CarPlay.

In the meantime, I'd settle of an Apple Music option on the Tesla UI.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dugbug Avatar
52 months ago

I agree. It’s frustrating and it makes no sense why Apple CarPlay isn’t allowed on Teslas by Apple. Can't even open up the music app. That's another reason I refuse to purchase it :(
You think its apple stopping tesla from providing carplay?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SSonnentag Avatar
52 months ago
Apple says it doesn’t charge automakers a fee to use CarPlay
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)