CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada, and in the coming weeks, it will be available for existing models that feature the brand’s latest next-generation infotainment system. Apple is encountering pushback from the automotive industry regarding its CarPlay Ultra software, designed to fully control a vehicle’s dashboard for the first time. German luxury brands Mercedes-Benz and Audi, along with Volvo Cars, Polestar, and Renault, have stated they have no plans to integrate the upgraded software into their vehicles, despite Apple’s earlier suggestions that they would. Kana Inagaki and Michael Acton for Financial Times: ‎ Some companies have found Apple’s foray into driver screens to be over-reach. One executive at Renault, which…

Porsche's chief designer Michael Mauer told the Financial Times that the luxury car maker remains committed to offering CarPlay Ultra in future vehicle models, but he did not share a timeframe for availability or disclose any other details. Porsche was on Apple's list of automakers committed to offering the next generation of CarPlay, now known as CarPlay Ultra, when it was first announced in June 2022. Porsche went on to preview what CarPlay Ultra would look like in its vehicles in December 2023, but it had not provided a further update on its plans until now. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Apple said that many other automakers around the world…

Several automakers that were initially interested in Apple’s CarPlay Ultra reportedly have since changed their minds. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

CarPlay Ultra “CarPlay for iOS 26 was a standout” of Apple’s WWDC 2025, “largely because of its new use of widgets,” Mark Gurman writes for Bloomberg News. CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who’s calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These…

Apple this week announced iOS 26, and the upcoming software update includes many new features and changes for CarPlay. To try out these features now, you will need to be using an iPhone running iOS 26, which is currently available in developer beta. Below, we recap nine changes to CarPlay. Liquid Glass Design When you are using CarPlay with an iPhone running iOS 26, the new Liquid Glass design extends to the CarPlay interface. Like on the iPhone, the new look includes more shimmery app icons and translucent user interface elements. New Messages App Features Starting with iOS 26, you can respond to messages with standard Tapbacks like a heart, thumbs up, or exclamation marks directly through CarPlay. Pinned Conversations…

iOS 26 adds a new Smart Display Zoom setting to CarPlay. When the setting is enabled, CarPlay will be automatically resized to better fit the shape and size of your vehicle's dashboard screen, if possible. The images below show what CarPlay looks like before and after the Smart Display Zoom setting is enabled. With the setting turned on, all of the user interface elements become smaller, allowing for an extra row of app icons to fit on the screen. BeforeAfter Apple highlighted the setting in a WWDC 2025 video for developers this week. "Vehicle screens come in many shapes and sizes," said Olivia Hess, a CarPlay software engineer. "In iOS 26, some screen configurations allow drivers to adjust their display…