iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay.

ios 18 4 carplay
As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped with up to a 14-inch screen.

In our testing, CarPlay still showed two rows of four icons in a Honda Civic with a 9-inch screen.

While this is only a minor change, CarPlay showing more icons when possible is a nice quality-of-life improvement for Apple's phone mirroring system, allowing drivers to quickly access more apps with less swiping between pages.

Following beta testing, iOS 18.4 is expected to be released to the public in early April.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...

Top Rated Comments

WarmWinterHat Avatar
10 months ago
That's cool, but I can't find enough useful CarPlay apps to fill up one screen.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ignatius345 Avatar
10 months ago

So much wasted space on the current carplay layout with the large icons and huge gaps between the icons...
It's spaced out for a reason. You're reaching out a fair distance with one hand in a vehicle that may or may not be bouncing around, and often only looking at it for a second or two. All that points to a design with less information density and more visual and physical separation between UI elements.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomdar2 Avatar
10 months ago
Find My should be on Car Play. How it isn’t is baffling.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kobayagi Avatar
10 months ago
Why is this not something that is customizable by the user?

All these cars have different screen sizes and orientations. Why not let users add more columns and/or rows and change their size too? So if you just want a few big ones that are easier to press or more if that's your thing...

It's crazy how little customization Apple allows on things that could actually make it more user friendly and more importantly: safe, since you're using the screen while driving.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imac9556 Avatar
10 months ago

What do the arrows in the upper left corner do?
In my Lexus/Toyota it makes the screen smaller by a little so the car toolbar will always be visible even if CarPlay is up. (see example)

Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
10 months ago
That’s awesome

My dad has CarPlay in his Lexus and I use CarPlay when we go on long drives so I’m glad that Apple has made it better by offering an extra row of application icons on the display

I hope that more cars implement wireless CarPlay in the future as my dad’s car does not have wireless CarPlay so I have to use an adapter to get it to be wireless - it would be nice if Apple made their own adapter to allow people to use wireless CarPlay (if it’s not already built into their cars)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)