Apple’s iOS 26 brings a fresh and exciting update to CarPlay, making it the biggest change in years. Here’s what you can look forward to this fall when you update your iPhone.
CarPlay gets a sleek new design called “Liquid Glass” look. This gives app icons and menus a modern, smooth appearance.
You can pick from Light, Dark, or Clear styles to match your vibe, with the Clear option offering a few extra tweaks. Want to see the designs? Check out the gallery on Apple’s website. Widgets are finally coming to standard CarPlay, not just the premium CarPlay Ultra.
These handy tools let you see quick info at a glance. Plus, you can now use Live Activities to track updates like food deliveries without leaving your map. Your favorite apps are getting car-friendly improvements. In Messages, you can use Tapbacks to reply with a quick emoji and pin important chats.
The Phone app now shows calls in a small pop-up, so your navigation stays clear. If your car has a touchscreen, Apple Maps lets you zoom and move around with pinch gestures for the first time. A cool feature called “Smart Display Zoom” adjusts your screen’s use of pace, fitting more on the display or keeping things big and easy to tap.
You can also make the text size larger for better readability. This iOS 26 makes CarPlay more stylish, safer, and easier to use. Which feature are you most excited about? Let us know your thoughts!