NEW CARPLAY WALLPAPERS

[-BigMac-]

I use Carplay, and I like new wallpapers.

Apple has this completely stale, only updating 1 or 2 carplay wallpapers a year mindset.

Give us some interesting abstract and scenic wallpapers to use.

Give us 50. Or a 100 - however many.

Make them optionally-downloadable using the phone so they don't bog down the storage for people that don’t want them.

This can be easily accommodated in the iPhone CarPlay settings.

Or let us use our own photos as wallpapers.

Not that hard really.

What’s stopping them?

 

[Brettka7]

I despise all the iOS 26 CarPlay wallpapers. I ended up doing plain black and it’s just sad-looking compared to iOS 18.

 

[HouseLannister]

What’s stopping them?

Authoritarianism?

 

[Ifti]

Apple have no time to create new wallpapers, especially when there are still so many emojis that they can conjure up.

 

[ignatius345]

I have the same note about Apple Watch faces.

 

[HouseLannister]

I have the same note about Apple Watch faces.

Eh. At least we get one-ish new one each year. And new colors. But would be much better to have watch faces in the app store like Android. Not enough decent digital watch faces with complications.

 

[AdamInKent]

What’s stopping them?

My guess would be that, because CarPlay is displayed on a car dashboard, Apple want to keep the backgrounds simple, so as to make the display as easy to read and least distracting as reasonably possible.

 

[Brettka7]

My guess would be that, because CarPlay is displayed on a car dashboard, Apple want to keep the backgrounds simple, so as to make the display as easy to read and least distracting as reasonably possible.

I’m sure that’s true, but it sucks that they took away every single pretty wallpaper that was accumulated through iOS 18. The 6 designs we have on iOS 26 are all different colors of the same ugly circles, and somehow two of those are baby puke green and baby poop brown.

 

[StageMomma]

I wish they would allow us to make our own. Just take the wallpaper we currently have on the phone and set it as the background. It’s not that big a deal.

 

[SnowCrocodile]

I have the same note about Apple Watch faces.

Compared to Android watch faces, AW faces are fairly ugly and primitive in design. At least the ones that are supposed to display more info than just the time. The Modular face has been long overdue for a redesign.

However, they are very functional. It is my understanding that AW still beats all other smart watches in term of overall functionality.

I just treat my AW as a tool. It works, it works well, it's ok to look at but not much more than that.

 

[-BigMac-]

I despise all the iOS 26 CarPlay wallpapers. I ended up doing plain black and it’s just sad-looking compared to iOS 18.

I feel you, and I’ve tried the black too.

I love how they have like 10 wallpapers total, and 3 of them are black, dark grey, dark blue.

Which genius decided that?

Give us more scenery, more animals, more colours. Anything.

Why’s Apple not spitting out ones like this:

Can’t they can’t afford a photographer?🤣

 

[Meedoss]

Why, suppose to be watching the road not staring at screen wallpaper.

 

[bransoj]

Are wallpapers that much of a requirement on CarPlay....you are in theory looking at the road or have apps like Maps, Music etc open that cover the whole screen anyway.

 

[-BigMac-]

Why, suppose to be watching the road not staring at screen wallpaper.

Meant to be watching the road at all times? Then they should remove the icons, and any visual navigation - the map, call logs, music library. According to you it should be an all-black screen, so people dont look at it AT ALL right? That’s a nonsensical comment isnt it👍

Are wallpapers that much of a requirement on CarPlay....you are in theory looking at the road or have apps like Maps, Music etc open that cover the whole screen anyway.

Mostly, yea an app is open full screen.. but the same is the case on iPhones - we dont just stare at the home screen.. yet we have heaps more wallpaper choices and can even set our own photos

 

[Brettka7]

Why, suppose to be watching the road not staring at screen wallpaper.

Yes, wanting my control screen colors to match my gauge cluster colors means I’m not watching at the road. 🙄

 

[bransoj]

Mostly, yea an app is open full screen.. but the same is the case on iPhones - we dont just stare at the home screen.. yet we have heaps more wallpaper choices and can even set our own photos

But you are looking at the phone a lot more while using it in between apps etc. CarPlay is different in that 99% of the time you will, or at least should, be looking at the road.

 

[-BigMac-]

But you are looking at the phone a lot more while using it in between apps etc. CarPlay is different in that 99% of the time you will, or at least should, be looking at the road.

Agreed, and thats where I am looking 99% of the road. But the wallpaper (if left on home screen) does change the colour palette inside the car. I don't know who thought that poo brown or vomit green wallpapers goes well with many peoples interior.

Further, It’s nor just drivers - passengers are free to look around any time. A wallpaper colour can uplift the feeling of the cabin atmosphere.

I don't see why it’s even trivial to give more options.

Apple “the creative innovative” company - who emphasise artists - cant offer a range of wallpapers.