iOS 26's Biggest CarPlay Feature Was Quietly Hiding on Apple's Website

Monday July 21, 2025 7:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple recently announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles.

CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark
This is arguably the biggest new CarPlay feature coming with the iOS 26 update later this year, and yet Apple did not even mention it during its WWDC 2025 keynote last month. Instead, it was buried on Apple's developer website.

iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to detect when the vehicle is in motion and end playback.

Apple says that automakers need to add support for CarPlay with AirPlay video, so it will likely take some time to roll out. It appears that the AirPlay functionality will be available for both regular CarPlay and the higher-end CarPlay Ultra, but it is unclear if it will be enabled in any existing vehicles, or if it will be limited to new vehicles.

From the CarPlay page on Apple's developer website:

Video in the car

AirPlay video in the car enables people to watch their favorite videos from iPhone right on their CarPlay display when they aren't driving. Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay video to enable this feature in your car.

This feature would be especially beneficial in electric vehicles with CarPlay, as it would provide the driver and any passengers with entertainment while they are parked at a charging station. Some electric vehicles already offer this capability natively. Tesla, for example, has long offered a Theater app that can play videos from apps like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Twitch on the dashboard screen, while the vehicle is parked.

Apple has not shared any further details or images for AirPlay video in the car. Availability of the feature might vary by country based on safety regulations.

There were already some unapproved ways to watch videos through CarPlay, with various jailbreak tweaks and TestFlight beta apps promising to unlock such functionality. Now, it is something that Apple will officially allow.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

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Top Rated Comments

icwhatudidthere

5 hours ago at 08:02 am

You guys covered this last month!

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/12/carplay-airplay-video-in-the-car/

You also mentioned that automakers would need to support it so I guess I probably won't be getting it. Would've been cool instead of the slow built-in YouTube in my car.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

AppleTO

5 hours ago at 08:02 am

Apple says that automakers need to add support for CarPlay with AirPlay video, so it will likely take some time to roll out.

So basically it won’t be available in any existing vehicles. That’s unfortunate, especially given it’s being added to the original CarPlay.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

alexandr

6 hours ago at 07:53 am

Sadly CarPlay updates are the most exciting part of iOS 26 for me...

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

pavelbure

5 hours ago at 08:08 am

Automakers won’t be adding any support for this. Anything that doesn’t make them a cent isn’t a priority.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

JPack

4 hours ago at 09:08 am

This is hardly the biggest feature. Most passengers have their own phones and want to watch their own videos.

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

wvayens

6 hours ago at 07:57 am

Unfortunately, the rest of the CarPlay 26 beta is an absolute mess....the interface is such that you no longer have any idea which button is going to do what. That blue button? Don't do a select because that's not the active button. Select it and then select and it will then turn grey (?) which means it's the selectable button. And don't even try to find other options on your map screen.....