iOS 26 to Upgrade CarPlay in Two Ways

[MacRumors]

While the spotlight has been on CarPlay Ultra lately, the regular version of CarPlay is set to receive some enhancements alongside iOS 26.

Apple will announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, and the software update is expected to upgrade the CarPlay experience in at least two ways.

The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote, and the update will likely be released in September.

There will likely be more CarPlay changes alongside iOS 26 — these are just the known ones.

New Design

9to5Mac this week reported that at least some of iOS 26's rumored design changes will extend to the CarPlay interface, which would make sense.

iOS 26 is expected to feature a sleeker, glass-like design with added translucency for app icons, menus, buttons, and other elements.

Sound Recognition for Crying Babies

CarPlay gained support for Sound Recognition with iOS 18 last year. The accessibility feature can alert drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to horns and sirens outside of the vehicle, such as from a police car, ambulance, or fire truck.

Last month, Apple previewed new accessibility features coming in iOS 26, including an expansion of Sound Recognition for CarPlay. With the update, the feature will be able to provide a notification if it hears a crying baby inside the vehicle.

Apple said CarPlay will also be getting a Large Text option, which has long existed on iPhones.

Article Link: iOS 26 to Upgrade CarPlay in Two Ways

 

[FSMBP]

Hopefully they fix their 'feature' they changed where you have Siri read a text message, the on-screen menu options on the screen instantly change once Siri is done reading (Reply turns to Call, or something).

 

[joshml]

Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?

 

[crisneat]

CarPlay’s strength has always been consistency across brands. With CarPlay Ultra reserved for premium vehicles, Apple risks creating a two tier system, innovation for a few, maintenance mode for the rest.

In a safety critical environment like the car, that kind of fragmentation is pretty inconvenient

 

[Rychiar]

I still wish ya could quickly glance at a large text message... I know, I know, safely blah blah blah but I don't need Siri having to ready a quick one liner text that takes no more of my attention than looking at the map or music... also gotta say I love CarPlay in my 2017 Honda civic cus it isn't crippled like it is in some cars where ya can barely use it while the car is in drive.

 

[dharushan411]

Is it a legal requirement for a phone call to take over the whole CarPlay screen, just thought it would better if it took up a small section of the screen - like it does on iOS when the iPhone is unlocked.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?

People who are driving to an appointment, for one.

 

[DavidLeblond]

Is it a legal requirement for a phone call to take over the whole CarPlay screen, just thought it would better if it took up a small section of the screen - like it does on iOS when the iPhone is unlocked.

You can just tap on a different application and it'll go away but still keep you on the call.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

Crying baby recognition is one of those no-brainer things that you can't believe doesn't yet exist.

 

[tsupersonic]

Crying baby recognition is one of those no-brainer things that you can't believe doesn't yet exist.

I get the use case is for hard of hearing/deaf, but for 87% of people (apparently 13% of US population is hard of hearing/deaf) know when the baby is crying.

 

[al256]

I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.

 

[richpjr]

UI improvements, while nice, aren't exactly groundbreaking or innovative.

 

[Biro]

As long as I can turn off Sound Recognition, I’ll be glad it’s there for people who need it. All Apple devices have a nasty habit of suddenly becoming “helpful” at exactly the wrong moment.

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

I get the use case is for hard of hearing/deaf, but for 87% of people (apparently 13% of US population is hard of hearing/deaf) know when the baby is crying.

Yet people still leave their babies in the car to die. A push notification to remind the parent might save a life... unless I'm misunderstanding the purpose of the feature.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.

Agreed - I HATE this.

It's made me go into DND mode if I'm nearing or in the middle of a critical part of a drive where I need the turn by turn directions/map to 100% be there.

It's yet another design decision that makes you think Apple doesn't have real people test some of this stuff in the real world.

 

[Pre86]

Still holding out hope for that weather app...

 

[mookc1]

It needs a calculator.......

 

[erinsarah]

Yet people still leave their babies in the car to die. A push notification to remind the parent might save a life... unless I'm misunderstanding the purpose of the feature.

I don't think that's the purpose, but rather for a driver who is actively driving and hearing impaired. However you bring up an interesting idea, that can already be implemented. I think you are suggesting a notification as you exit the car saying "don't forget the baby!". I believe that could be created as a notification when the phone disconnects from CarPlay (can't say I've ever explored how to do this), but CarPlay itself couldn't do it cuz, well, it's disconnected at that point.

That being said, my Subaru has a sensor telling me to check the back seat when I've put something back there, as I turn off the car at my destination. I'm not sure if it senses the back door being open, or if there is a weight sensor in the back seat.

 

[tyrnnsrs]

How does the sound recognition work? Is the phone itself always listening for things?

 

[AgeOfSpiracles]

I don't think that's the purpose, but rather for a driver who is actively driving and hearing impaired. However you bring up an interesting idea, that can already be implemented. I think you are suggesting a notification as you exit the car saying "don't forget the baby!". I believe that could be created as a notification when the phone disconnects from CarPlay (can't say I've ever explored how to do this), but CarPlay itself couldn't do it cuz, well, it's disconnected at that point.

That being said, my Subaru has a sensor telling me to check the back seat when I've put something back there, as I turn off the car at my destination. I'm not sure if it senses the back door being open, or if there is a weight sensor in the back seat.

Fair enough. That was the first place my mind went.

 

[jicon]

Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?

Myself.

It's a hack... but developers have been using it as a method of getting important events on that Carplay screen and Apple Watch. There are apps out there that can send glucose readings to an iCloud calendar every five minutes, and that's a method to ensure that data can be relatively up to date on the screen... Apple doesn't give an option of utilizing another app in its place.

Apple also needs to extend refresh features to Apple Watch, and Standby mode allowing refreshes to occur more frequently, in my case I'm after every five minutes, but those interfaces are limited to about every fifteen minutes.

 

[Reelmower]

CarPlay’s strength has always been consistency across brands. With CarPlay Ultra reserved for premium vehicles, Apple risks creating a two tier system, innovation for a few, maintenance mode for the rest.

In a safety critical environment like the car, that kind of fragmentation is pretty inconvenient

What? First, consistency isn’t CarPlay’s greatest strength. Hands free access to a lot of your phone’s capabilities on a large screen is its greatest strength. Second, should Apple fail to innovate with car brands that are willing to give it deeper access because other brands won’t? I love CarPlay on my 2018 Impreza. If some new cars get features that I don’t, good for them, but I’ll continue appreciating what I have.

 

[enrvuk]

Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?

Use it every time I get in the car as it has my destination in it.

 

[TSloper74]

While the spotlight has been on CarPlay Ultra lately, the regular version of CarPlay is set to receive some enhancements alongside iOS 26.

Apple will announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, and the software update is expected to upgrade the CarPlay experience in at least two ways.

The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote, and the update will likely be released in September.

There will likely be more CarPlay changes alongside iOS 26 — these are just the known ones.

New Design

9to5Mac this week reported that at least some of iOS 26's rumored design changes will extend to the CarPlay interface, which would make sense.

iOS 26 is expected to feature a sleeker, glass-like design with added translucency for app icons, menus, buttons, and other elements.

Sound Recognition for Crying Babies

CarPlay gained support for Sound Recognition with iOS 18 last year. The accessibility feature can alert drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to horns and sirens outside of the vehicle, such as from a police car, ambulance, or fire truck.

Last month, Apple previewed new accessibility features coming in iOS 26, including an expansion of Sound Recognition for CarPlay. With the update, the feature will be able to provide a notification if it hears a crying baby inside the vehicle.

Apple said CarPlay will also be getting a Large Text option, which has long existed on iPhones.

Article Link: iOS 26 to Upgrade CarPlay in Two Ways

How about give the motorcycle riders an option to NOT require a freaking BT headset connection. We don’t care about making calls or speaking to anything. We just would like to have our music and navigation.

 

[Steve121178]

Sound Recognition for Crying Babies

Glad 16-25 year olds are getting age specific features.