All the New CarPlay Features in iOS 26

Apple did not find yourself building its own car, however it did give us CarPlay. With iOS 26, CarPlay is getting just a few neat enhancements, which incorporates improved design, an choice for greater font sizes, and useful accessibility features too. This is all the things new coming to CarPlay with Apple’s upcoming replace:

Credit score: Apple

With iOS 26, Stay Actions come to CarPlay. These pop-ups help you preserve a tab on vital updates with out fiddling together with your cellphone or the top unit. Stay Actions in your iPhone is beneficial to trace deliveries, flight statuses, and rather more, and whereas not all iOS use circumstances will likely be related right here, a few of these may even be out there in CarPlay. (I feel the flight standing characteristic will likely be particularly helpful for airport pickups and drop-offs.)

You needn’t do something to see Stay Actions in CarPlay. So long as it is seen in your iPhone, it’s going to present up on the CarPlay dashboard, or seem as a popover on high of different apps reminiscent of your navigation app. Apple says you’ll disable Stay Actions in case you do not wish to see them, and even management their look by setting totally different Focus modes.

CarPlay can also be including help for widgets, together with issues like calendar entries, climate, and dawn/sundown instances. You’ll choose which widgets you see on the CarPlay dashboard by going to Settings > Basic > CarPlay on iPhone, choosing your car, and selecting the widgets.

A brand new compact view for incoming calls

Credit score: Apple

The redesigned CarPlay with iOS 26 now features a compact view. For instance, once you obtain a cellphone name, it’ll present up as a small pop-up on the display, as a substitute of taking over extra space. Which means that different vital data, reminiscent of driving instructions, aren’t hidden once you obtain a cellphone name.

A couple of Messages upgrades

Credit score: Apple

With iOS 26, the Messages app in CarPlay will help you use Tapbacks—Apple parlance for reacting to textual content messages with emojis. It will allow you to rapidly faucet an emoji to reply to somebody by way of the automobile’s show. Messages may even allow you to view your iPhone’s pinned conversations, which makes it simpler to textual content individuals you are often in contact with.

Model new icons

Credit score: Apple

Sure, Liquid Glass is coming to your automobile as nicely. The icons from iOS 26 have made their approach to CarPlay. Whether or not you like them or hate them, you will see this new design in your automobile’s show.

Improved accessibility options

CarPlay with iOS 26 may even help Giant Textual content, which will increase font sizes and makes textual content simpler to learn in your automobile’s display. Apple can also be including Sound Recognition to CarPlay, which is able to notify drivers and passengers when iOS detects sure sounds. The notifications can warn you when CarPlay detects sirens, a crying child, horns, or different vital sounds.