WhatsApp Gets New CarPlay App

[JonMaurer]

Is this another “US only” feature? I’ve got the latest WhatsApp (updated yesterday) and no sign of this in my CarPlay.

 

[ACDeag]

by law you are allowed on stationary even with your phone...so...and you can use web whattsup however you want so this is false modesty from whattsup that they "dont allow you to text" while in the car as long you can let you whatssup on web on the displays car
So, pointless comment/advice

Which law where? This is a global site don't make assumptions of what the law is. In the UK using your phone while stationary at lights for example is an offence, I wouldn't pretend it is the same everywhere.

 

[sflagel]

When will WhatsApp deliver a fully functional app for Apple Watch with cellular? They are leaving this space open for iMessage.

 

[diewish2007]

If only we lived in a world where IM apps were as compatible as email services/apps and you could just use WhatsApp to send a message to someone using Signal/iMessage/others and vice versa!

Why is this not the normal way to do things?

 

[Galas]

Low comment thread. Tempted to jump in and say no one uses WhatsApp, everyone uses iMessage / SMS!

But I wouldn't stir the pot like that.

Seriously good to see anything getting CarPlay support.

Actually, in the EU - at least in the western EU-countries - most people do use WhatsApp. I don’t know anyone actively using iMessage on the other hand. And SMS is only used in very rare instances, such as being in a place with bad data coverage.

Everybody in the the american continent, besides the US and Canada, (specially in Latin america) uses Whatsapp as the main communication service.

 

[sflagel]

If only we lived in a world where IM apps were as compatible as email services/apps and you could just use WhatsApp to send a message to someone using Signal/iMessage/others and vice versa!

What is this not the normal way to do things?

Not just IM. Most apps should be separated from their databases, like they are in email and calendars. Why can I not listen to my Apple Music Library via my Audi Media app?

 

[MN7119]

I got curious and went for numbers. WhatsApp has at least double the iMessage user base. It has over 3 Billion MAU, and Apple only has 1.5 Billion active iPhones out there.

Exactly. Literally everyone I communicate in Latin America, Europe and Asia use WhatsApp as the main form of communication.

 

[hagar]

Nice, but I’m still waiting for the Liquid Glass update… WhatsApp Business already has the Liquid Glass UI, but regular WhatsApp still has the iOS 18 interface.

Can you explain a bit what you expect this update will bring? I would expect it just turns the bottom toolbar in those translucent bubble thingies. But I can’t imagine anyone cares about that. So what else does a Liquid Glass makeover bring to the table, especially in terms of efficiency and usability?

 

[hagar]

I got curious and went for numbers. WhatsApp has at least double the iMessage user base. It has over 3 Billion MAU, and Apple only has 1.5 Billion active iPhones out there.

Apple should have bought WhatsApp when it had the chance. Now I’m stuck using WhatsApp and I don’t like it one bit.
In Europe and Latin America nobody uses iMessage because WhatsApp came at the right moment in time: as an alternative for paid SMS. While iPhones didn’t have enough market share for iMessage to catch on. In fact, a lot, if not post, people here don’t even know what the Messages app is. They think it’s just for sending paid SMS and it gets deleted (or hidden in a far away folder) together with other first party apps like Maps and Photo Booth.

 

[Populus]

Can you explain a bit what you expect this update will bring? I would expect it just turns the bottom toolbar in those translucent bubble thingies. But I can’t imagine anyone cares about that. So what else does a Liquid Glass makeover bring to the table, especially in terms of efficiency and usability?

Consistency with the OS interface. The keyboard is still iOS 18, the menus, the pop-up menus… the whole interface is iOS 18 inside iOS 26.

As I said, on WhatsApp Business it’s been a long time since the Liquid Glass interface (with the iOS 26 keyboard, the iOS 26 menus and pup-ups) was adopted. And it looks consistent with the OS.

I’m not saying Liquid Glass is better or worse than the previous design, but when you’re using iOS 26 and you enter WhatsApp and go back to the iOS 18 UI, it just looks bad.

As bad as Pages, Numbers and Keynote when, before the Creator Studio suite was launched, on iOS 26 you went back in time to iOS 18 when using one of this apps.

 

[sos47]

Having a messenger while driving is the least thing on my mind.
Having the whatsapp icon on my carplay screen would be a nightmare
(all good, i am fine)

 

[ppdix]

Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp was today updated with expanded support for CarPlay. CarPlay users are able to more easily call and message their friends and family members in WhatsApp directly from the car interface.

WhatsApp had CarPlay integration before, but with limited Siri-based functionality. The new app has a full native CarPlay interface with a list of recent chats and call history, along with a tab for favorite contacts. There are quick access buttons for sending a message via dictation or placing a call, which makes it easier to communicate.

The updated WhatsApp CarPlay app has been in testing since last week. WhatsApp users can access the new CarPlay app by updating WhatsApp on the iPhone to the latest version and then connecting the device to a CarPlay-compatible vehicle.

Article Link: WhatsApp Gets New CarPlay App

This is ridiculous. Yes it's a step forward but still no voice message playback. the advantage of having a safer driving experience is gone while you still have to I pick up your phone to listen to a voice message. 😖