The latest update, announced at WWDC 2026, brings video browsing, a more intelligent Siri, and several quality-of-life improvements to the in-car experience.
Stuck waiting in your car? Apple has a solution. With iOS 27, CarPlay is finally getting native video apps, letting you stream content directly on your vehicle's display—as long as you're parked.
Announced at its WWDC 2026 conference, the update transforms your car's screen into a personal theater. The feature builds on a video-via-AirPlay capability previewed last year, now offering a fully integrated app experience. For safety, playback is disabled the moment you start driving, making it perfect for charging an EV or waiting for airport pickup.
The iOS 27 update also brings Apple's more powerful and personal "Siri AI" to CarPlay for the first time. This enhanced assistant, available on iPhone 15 Pro and newer, allows for more intelligent, contextual interactions. For example, you could ask Siri to recall a trailhead a friend mentioned in Messages, and the AI will find and surface the answer without you needing to touch your phone.
Beyond the headline features, Apple is delivering several much-needed usability tweaks to improve the core CarPlay experience. These refinements, also unveiled during the WWDC 2026 keynote, target common frustrations with navigation, audio control, and connectivity.
These four welcome fixes are coming to CarPlay:
All new CarPlay features require an iPhone running iOS 27. The developer beta was released immediately following this week's WWDC announcement.
Apple confirmed a public beta will launch next month in July. The final, stable version of the software is expected to roll out to all compatible iPhones this September, though the new video apps will require support from automakers.
While video streaming grabs the headlines, the combination of a smarter Siri and everyday usability fixes makes iOS 27 a substantial upgrade for every CarPlay user.
