All of the iOS 17 CarPlay Features

Apple is introduced new functionality for almost every iPhone app and feature with iOS 17, and CarPlay hasn't been left out. We haven't seen the total overhaul of ‌CarPlay‌ that Apple promised last year as of yet, but there are a handful of new features that were added in iOS 17.


SharePlay for the Music App

SharePlay works with the Apple Music app in ‌CarPlay‌, which means everyone in the car, passengers included, can contribute to an ‌Apple Music‌ playlist.

shareplay carplay
As long as the car owner has an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription and initiates a SharePlay session from ‌CarPlay‌, other people in the car can choose music to play. Each person can scan a QR code generated by the main user to get access to the playlist to add songs to the in-car ‌Apple Music‌ queue.

Only the person who starts the SharePlay session has to have an ‌Apple Music‌ subscription. Everyone else can use ‌Apple Music‌ to contribute without having to pay.

EV Charging Station Improvements

If you have an electric vehicle, the Apple Maps app can provide real-time charging availability for the charging networks that are compatible with your car. The update should make it easier for EV owners to locate nearby charging stations on a trip.

Messages Updates

The Messages app in ‌CarPlay‌ has a revamped interface that makes it easier to quickly reply and re-read a message without taking too much attention away from the road.

Wallpaper

iOS 17 includes new wallpaper options, which can be expanded to the ‌CarPlay‌ interface.

The All-New CarPlay Experience

Apple at WWDC 2022 previewed the next-generation version of ‌CarPlay‌, which will offer deeper integration with vehicles in the future. Apple did not talk about the new ‌CarPlay‌ experience at WWDC 2023, but the company did say in 2022 that the first cars with the updated technology will be coming in late 2023.

Multi Display CarPlay 2
‌CarPlay‌ will support multiple displays, showing up across all of the displays in a vehicle, including the instrument cluster. Apple will be able to offer a consistent experience throughout the car, and ‌CarPlay‌ will integrate with the speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel gauge, and more.

next generation carplay multi display
The vehicle's climate controls will also be accessible through ‌CarPlay‌ in upcoming vehicles, letting users adjust temperature and activate other in-car climate features through the ‌CarPlay‌ interface.

With the revamped ‌CarPlay‌ experience slated for a 2023 launch, we can likely expect to see additional ‌CarPlay‌ features coming in future iOS 17 updates. Car brands that will support next-generation ‌CarPlay‌ include Acura, Audi, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, and Volvo.

Read More

More information on all of the new features in the iOS 17 update can be found in our iOS 17 roundup.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

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Top Rated Comments

alexandr Avatar
25 months ago
Ok... So if you don't pay for Apple Music you can't use SharePlay?.. That's kinda dumb.

Also, with all these wonderful updates, they still can't make an incoming phone call NOT take over the entire interface covering up your map?.. I remember years ago when they solved this for the iPhone, wonder how long it will take for CarPlay...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
25 months ago

My favorite: SharePlay.

It will be awesome to actually listen to your family & friends music playlist on the go! Seamlessly!
That really depends on your family & friends...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
25 months ago
My favorite: SharePlay.

It will be awesome to actually listen to your family & friends music playlist on the go! Seamlessly!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdinterman Avatar
25 months ago
Weather please.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KrisLord Avatar
25 months ago

Ok... So if you don't pay for Apple Music you can't use SharePlay?.. That's kinda dumb.

Also, with all these wonderful updates, they still can't make an incoming phone call NOT take over the entire interface covering up your map?.. I remember years ago when they solved this for the iPhone, wonder how long it will take for CarPlay...
Surely needing a subscription is logical?

Why would someone sitting in you car be able to control Apple Music if you don’t have that subscription?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
QuarterSwede Avatar
25 months ago

one thing i really don't like about CarPlay is that it respects the "silent" switch on the phone. i'm one of those people that doesn't like my phone making any noises, and with the watch on or phone in my pocket, the haptics let me know there's a message or some other kind of notification.

when that switch is on silent, despite the fact that i'm streaming music from my phone to the car, Messages does not make a noise when a message is received. thus i miss messages all the time while driving.

i realize this is "working properly" like this but it maybe doesn't make a lot of sense given that the car does not have haptics. you can say "well, just flip the switch when you get in the car" but it's a little silly as i set that switch to silent when i got the phone and never touched it again.

i doubt this was fixed in ios17 but we'll see.
Their solution is to use announce messages. You won’t miss them but it will drive you insane, especially if you have group messages “in a group with x,y, and n others.” I eventually turned it off and now enjoy a less distracted drive.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)