CarPlay May Support Wallpapers in iOS 14

[iReality85]

I'd really like for Carplay to remember what folders and subfolders I previously navigated to in the Music app.

Example: I go to a particular artist, then the album, then play a song. If you disconnect then reconnect the iPhone, Carplay continues whatever song you left off on, but forgets the album / folder navigation. Meaning, if you hit the back button, it takes you back to the Music app's main menu, not the album. This is REALLY annoying AF. There needs to be a file or something so that Carplay remembers where you've navigated to.

Beyond that, I think the current feature set is good.

 

[iBreatheApple]

I just want carplay to expand vertically because it only uses 50% of my tall Volvo Sensus tablet screen :/

This is probably on Volvo but I want it nonetheless.

 

[wwooden]

I'm less interested in wallpapers as I rarely in in the home screen.

My biggest features would be:

1) Automatically bring apps with a notification to the side dock - If my Messages app is in the dock and I get a notification, but don't see it right away, I can see the red notification indicator. But if the Messages app is not in the dock and I don't see the notification when it comes, I have no idea I received the message. I think the apps with new notifications should be automatically listed on side dock.
2) Auto hide side dock - I think the always showing dock is a waste of the screen space, when most of the time it's static and not changing. I would like it to auto hide after a few seconds, like the bars in the Maps app do. If you touch the screen, the dock shows up again and you can interact with it. This would give more screen to the active app.

 

[entropys]

CarPlay has gone wonky in two different cars with KENWOOD decks that formerly CarPlayed fine. Happened in the past 3 to 5 weeks; I can’t tie it to the specific day of an iOS update, but maybe. Firmware updated on both decks. Decks won’t boot into CarPlay; will boot but touchscreen doesn’t work; boots to show in the deck’s menu but touch the CarPlay icon and the screen goes black; works fine for a short time and then loses touch screen capabilities; ad nauseum. Anyone else experiencing this?

In my wireless CarPlay kenwood unit I have noticed that same thing occasionally. the touchscreen was unresponsive in the segmented CarPlay screen when trying to play/advance music, to the extent last month I had to restart the unit to get it to work. And then occasionally my iphone 7 would not connect to the kenwood unit (wirelessly) until i had woken the iphone up, then it immediately connects.
i just assumed it was either because I had not got around to updating the software on the kenwood unit (I know there is an update that is supposed “to improve CarPlay performance”) or it is the fault of the battery management on my iphone 7 which has a cactus battery.

Anyway it has been working fine for the last month. Driving to work this week to avoid public transport, I have been constantly amazed at how awesome wireless CarPlay, and this kenwood head unit, really is.

Outside of the CarPlay screen the kenwood unit has wallpapers too. Never used them. By default I have CarPlay with favourite destinations, upcoming meetings, Apple music and navigation. I have no interest in a wallpaper.

 

[farkleboy]

Yeah, this isn't news, really. Just shows that they really don't know where to go from here. How about using geofencing and offering to open the homekit enabled garage door as you pull near your house? How about Being able to turn off the drop down notifications from apple maps that clutter the screen? How about NOT buzzing my watch every time I need to make a turn? There is so much more that should be worked on than wallpapers. My phone wallpaper is back, its easier on my old eyes to look at, and will probably keep my carplay interface over black as well.

 

[BGPL]

We need technology to push heads-up displays, and Apple could get in on this by integrating CarPlay with a vehicles HUD. Why more vehicles don't use this is beyond me. If you've ever driven a BMW or other vehicle with HUD, it's hard to go back to anything else. The downside to a driver looking at the display rather than the road is minimal compared to the benefit of having the driver's eyes at road level.

 

[JosephAW]

I hated car play so much I went back to Bluetooth connectivity.

 

[LV426]

I have this wallpaper on my iPad. The iPad crops some of it out and it really really looks like someone sticking their head between a lovely pair of boobies. Reminds me of the yummy Pamela Stephenson in 1980: Put your head between them and go bbl bbl bbl with American Express. Don't mod me, it's a bit of fun in these depressing times!

Animated wallpaper would be a terrible idea on CarPlay. You'd end up being too distracted and crash the car.

 

[19callum93]

Humm not sure how I personally feel about this. I recently enabled light mode, and I found the white background really distracting.

 

[Saturn1995]

Will it support not being buggy and having broken apps?

 

[name99]

Where's the Aerial screensaver for CarPlay and my head unit? That's what I want to know

 

[QuarterSwede]

I'd really like for Carplay to remember what folders and subfolders I previously navigated to in the Music app.

Example: I go to a particular artist, then the album, then play a song. If you disconnect then reconnect the iPhone, Carplay continues whatever song you left off on, but forgets the album / folder navigation. Meaning, if you hit the back button, it takes you back to the Music app's main menu, not the album. This is REALLY annoying AF. There needs to be a file or something so that Carplay remembers where you've navigated to.

Beyond that, I think the current feature set is good.

That's the music app for you. It never remembers a bloody thing.

Besides some of the things mentioned I'd like a notification to still buzz my Apple Watch when I have my phone muted (always) in CarPlay. As of now, I don't hear it or feel it.

 

[gigapocket1]

automatic light and dark versions... ah Carplay... Anyone out there have any success with light/dark mode with a 2016 Mazda CX-5? Seems only way to trigger dark mode is to set brightness to near zero at night, but then during the day, start the car... can't see anything on the screen because it is now bright out, and need to blindly fiddle with Mazda Connect to get brightness up again.

I've used Carplay on a bunch of other rental cars without issue, but the Mazda glitches with this one feature.

I don’t have a problem with my 2017 cx9. It may be something to do with you having everything at full brightness in the instrument panel area?

 

[AZhappyjack]

I'd really like for Carplay to remember what folders and subfolders I previously navigated to in the Music app.

Example: I go to a particular artist, then the album, then play a song. If you disconnect then reconnect the iPhone, Carplay continues whatever song you left off on, but forgets the album / folder navigation. Meaning, if you hit the back button, it takes you back to the Music app's main menu, not the album. This is REALLY annoying AF. There needs to be a file or something so that Carplay remembers where you've navigated to.

Beyond that, I think the current feature set is good.

That's the music app for you. It never remembers a bloody thing.

Besides some of the things mentioned I'd like a notification to still buzz my Apple Watch when I have my phone muted (always) in CarPlay. As of now, I don't hear it or feel it.

Unfortunately, this is not limited to Music... the SiriusXM app does something similar... if I get a text or a call while playing SXM on CarPlay, after the text is read, or the call ends, instead of starting back up, the SXM app just sits there... and you CANNOT go back to the same station you were previously playing... you have to go to the XSM menu, pick FAVORITES and select your station... and EVEN THEN, it refuses to restart the same station you were previously playing... you HAVE to choose a different station, then switch back... brutally stupid implementation...

 

[sakurarain]

I’ll take either of these in a live wallpaper
View attachment 899886

I still remember the BGM.....

 

[Daniel L]

I'm less interested in wallpapers as I rarely in in the home screen.

My biggest features would be:

1) Automatically bring apps with a notification to the side dock - If my Messages app is in the dock and I get a notification, but don't see it right away, I can see the red notification indicator. But if the Messages app is not in the dock and I don't see the notification when it comes, I have no idea I received the message. I think the apps with new notifications should be automatically listed on side dock.
2) Auto hide side dock - I think the always showing dock is a waste of the screen space, when most of the time it's static and not changing. I would like it to auto hide after a few seconds, like the bars in the Maps app do. If you touch the screen, the dock shows up again and you can interact with it. This would give more screen to the active app.

Both great suggestions that have no downside (Can always option out)

 

[theLedger]

A useful feature would be a tie in to weather radar that can alert you to inclement weather ahead and perhaps offer a user selectable Doppler overlay.

Another useful feature is an option to only show restaurants/gas stations that are ahead when you’re on a highway. The navigation guides (eg 78 miles on this highway) should be translucent until you’re close to making a turn so you can see more of the map view.

The ability to launch a Microsoft Teams/Skype/Slack call from a link in a meeting invite would be very helpful too.

 

[AZhappyjack]

A useful feature would be a tie in to weather radar that can alert you to inclement weather ahead and perhaps offer a user selectable Doppler overlay.

Another useful feature is an option to only show restaurants/gas stations that are ahead when you’re on a highway. The navigation guides (eg 78 miles on this highway) should be translucent until you’re close to making a turn so you can see more of the map view.

The ability to launch a Microsoft Teams/Skype/Slack call from a link in a meeting invite would be very helpful too.

I've wanted weather apps in CarPlay for a while now... makes sense the same way (or more) that the calendar does...

But most of the "wants" listed in this thread will never happen - Apple will continue to cite driver safety and distractions as the reason... and rightly so for some of the requests... MS Teams/Skype/Slack will never happen, IMO... voice calls yes, but not video calls - you'll notice that FaceTime is not implemented, either.

 

[garrick2007]

CarPlay is cool but installing an iPad hands down is the best media deck solution

 

[nick_iphone7]

Wallpapers, Animojis, Emojis... Apple, what’s wrong with you? WTF!!! I don’t care about things who makes kids happy, I want things that work and make my life easier 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[applepuree]

I would be happy if CarPlay wouldn't insist on using iTunes/Apple Music every time I connect my phone. The amount of times it switches from Spotify to iTunes is really annoying.

 

[jicon]

I don’t have a problem with my 2017 cx9. It may be something to do with you having everything at full brightness in the instrument panel area?

I'll have to search the dash a bit more maybe... I think there is only one brightness setting I can tweak in Mazda Connect, and to enable dark mode, with headlights on, I need to set the display brightness to the lowest possible setting before it kicks in. But again, unless I go back in to Mazda Connect at night, readjust the brightness to say... 50%, when I start the car during the day, virtually nothing can be read on the screen because it is so dim. I'm starting to lean on it being on an issue with adding Carplay in a model it wasn't fully designed for when first introduced... but if anyone out there with a 2016 model with it working... I'd really like to know.

 

[Vjosullivan]

Not when cars have backgrounds in other displays.

View attachment 899905

Surfaces have real-life "wallpapers" anyway, it's called textures. Things like leather, wood, honeycomb patterns embossed in plastic are physical wallpapers.

Adding more backgrounds because other displays have backgrounds just makes things worse not better.

 

[ppal1981]

I’d LOVE if they’d put Apple/Google maps to display the small direction preview into my dash on my Ford Fusion and also if possible connect to Carplay via Bluetooth!

 

[AZhappyjack]

I’d LOVE if they’d put Apple/Google maps to display the small direction preview into my dash on my Ford Fusion and also if possible connect to Carplay via Bluetooth!

Not sure what you're asking for with "... to display the small direction preview"... but connecting your iPhone to CarPlay via Bluetooth ('wirelessly') is already a thing. It's dependent on the head unit offering that functionality. Some auto manufacturers and after-market head units already offer the "wireless CarPlay" function, but the radio has to support it - Apple has already made it possible,