iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose.

Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages app. After installing the beta on your iPhone, simply open the Settings app on CarPlay, look for the Pinned Conversations toggle in the main menu, and turn it off if you prefer to.
iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, according to Apple.
CarPlay received many other upgrades on iOS 26, including a Liquid Glass design, Live Activities, widgets, a compact view for phone calls, and more.
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
CarPlay Ultra...
Apple today updated its Sports app with weather conditions for F1 Grand Prix races and smaller widget options for both the iPhone's Home Screen and CarPlay.
The widget lets you view scores for your favorite leagues and teams at a glance.
CarPlay gained support for widgets on iOS 26. To view them, swipe right on CarPlay's interface until you reach the Dashboard screen, shown below....
iOS 26.4 was released last month, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps.
To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....