iOS 27 is here, and most of the attention has been on the rebuilt next-generation Siri. But CarPlay also picked up a handful of changes that should go some way to making your daily commute a lot more interesting.
Here's what's new:
- Siri AI: Apple's more conversational Siri experience comes to CarPlay, using personal context to answer questions in a chatbot-style format. Siri AI requires an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max, or iPhone 16 or later, and there's a waiting list to join in Settings ➝ Siri. Siri AI is not available in the European Union at launch due to Apple's ongoing effort to comply with the Digital Markets Act.
- Audio scrubbing: The Now Playing interface now includes a progress bar that allows you to jump to a specific point in a song or podcast.
- GPS and heading detection: Apple says it has improved location accuracy and navigation heading detection.
- Audio mini-player: A new mini-player keeps media controls accessible while you navigate apps outside the primary media category.
- Wireless reliability: Apple says wireless CarPlay connections are now more reliable.
- New wallpapers: CarPlay gains a collection of new wallpapers featuring wavy designs in multiple colors, with both light and dark variants. The designs are based on the default wallpapers found in macOS 27 and iOS 27.
- Video apps: Developers can build CarPlay apps that let users browse and play video on the car's display, while apps that support AirPlay video can stream content from an iPhone. Video playback is of course limited to when the vehicle is parked. Note that the feature requires automakers to certify video support for their vehicles, so this one is more a case of wait and see.
The new CarPlay features arrived with iOS 27, which Apple released on September 14. The free update is available for iPhone 11 and later models, plus the second-generation iPhone SE and newer.
Related Forums: HomePod, HomeView, CarPlay – Home & Auto Tech, iOS 27
