Back at WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that it was planning to allow CarPlay users to watch video via AirPlay in their vehicles while they are not driving, and the iOS 26.4 beta suggests that the feature may be nearing availability.
There are several new references to CarPlay video streaming functionality within the iOS 26.4 beta's source code. The feature is not yet visible to users, but software developer Thomas Dye managed to get it working to some extent in Xcode's CarPlay simulator on the Mac, and he showed it off in a recent YouTube video.
On an iPhone connected to CarPlay, it appears that videos in any AirPlay-supported app can be played on the car's display. In the Dynamic Island, there is a button that allows you to show the video on the iPhone instead, when you want to.
The demo also revealed that an Apple TV app will be available on CarPlay, allowing you to access shows and movies from the Apple TV streaming service and your own library. There is also a tab for accessing MLS matches. However, it is not entirely clear if the Apple TV app will actually be this fully featured on the real version of CarPlay.
The simulator provides an early albeit fairly clunky look at CarPlay's video streaming in action. The feature will likely be available by time iOS 26.4 is released to the general public in late March or early April, but there is a chance it will get held back until iOS 26.5 or later if Apple needs more time to wrap up development.
Apple says automakers will need to implement support for the CarPlay video functionality, due to the safety requirement that the vehicle be parked, so it may take some time for the feature to widely roll out. It will likely be limited to newer vehicles.
