Apple has refreshed CarPlay in iOS 27 with a suite of visual and functional updates that aim to make in‑car interactions smoother and more flexible. Users will notice a cleaner look with new iOS 27 wallpapers and Liquid Glass styled app icons, and media apps gain a persistent mini player and a visible progress bar to jump within songs and podcasts.
Apple Music on CarPlay adds a playback scrubber and improved browsing with playlist and favorites filters, and large infotainment displays get a dedicated media menu with play and pause controls. Third party music apps can adopt the new playback and browsing options. Maps receives pinch to zoom when supported by a vehicle and expanded natural language routing so drivers can request routes that avoid tolls or highways.
Navigation apps can now share route data with a vehicle to help plan stops such as EV charging, allowing the car to check route range and suggest charging. Siri is more conversational in CarPlay and will ask clarifying questions when dictation is unclear. Conversations sync to a new Siri app on iPhone so drivers can resume earlier dialogs. CarPlay widgets may now show compatible iPhone widgets on the dash, and Apple Watch can save a car’s last known spot and use Backtrack to help find it if the iPhone disconnects.
Rollout, Compatibility, And Missing Features
Apple delivered these changes in an iOS 27 Release Candidate build ahead of the public rollout, and the company says wireless CarPlay is more reliable with improved GPS location accuracy and heading detection. The update also introduces a voice control template that app developers can integrate to offer in‑car voice conversations.
Video playback while parked is included in Apple’s iOS 27 feature set and the Apple TV app is listed as a confirmed title. However Apple has not activated video playback in the CarPlay Release Candidate and the capability requires vehicle manufacturers to enable support. Reporting notes no automakers have widely announced that support yet.
CarPlay features require an iPhone running iOS 27. Siri AI functions need an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, which is limited to certain recent models. Apple addressed a number of CarPlay bugs in the Release Candidate, including errant steering wheel media controls, navigation panel glitches, and an issue that could mute a stereo after Spatial Audio playback.
