Apple has officially revealed the next big iOS 27 update for CarPlay, and it could make your car feel a lot smarter by the end of the year.
The software improvements are arriving as part of iOS 27 and bring a mixture of practical upgrades, visual changes, and a few long-awaited features that drivers have been requesting for years.
While Apple is also pushing ahead with its AI plans, people who use it in their cars have plenty of reasons to get excited too.
From watching videos while parked to easier audio controls, here’s what’s coming when iOS 27 lands in a few months.
The biggest CarPlay features arriving with iOS 27
Apple announced all the features that are on the way with iOS 27, but for cars, the headline addition is support for video apps through CarPlay.
Before anyone panics, Apple isn’t turning cars into rolling cinemas, and video playback will only work when the vehicle is parked, meaning drivers won’t be able to stream content while on the move.
Another welcome change is audio scrubbing, which finally lets users drag through a song, podcast, or audiobook directly from the CarPlay screen.
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It sounds simple, but it’s one of those features people use all the time on their phones and have wanted in CarPlay for years.
Apple is also bringing its upgraded Siri AI experience to CarPlay.
The company says the assistant will be more conversational and better at understanding context, helping drivers handle messages, navigation, and calls with fewer distractions.
Navigation itself is getting improvements too, with Apple promising better GPS accuracy and more reliable directions.
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Apple is also giving CarPlay a fresh new look
Not all the updates are about functionality.
Apple is refreshing CarPlay’s appearance with new wallpapers and redesigned app icons that match the visual style introduced across iOS 27.
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There’s also a new mini audio player that can appear inside compatible apps, making it easier to keep track of what’s playing without constantly jumping between screens.
None of the changes are individually revolutionary, but together they represent one of the most significant CarPlay updates in recent years.
For the millions of drivers who plug an iPhone into their car every day, iOS 27 could make the experience smoother, smarter, and a lot more enjoyable when it finally pulls up.