5 Features Apple CarPlay Users Want In 2026 – BGR

CarPlay has gone a long way since its release a decade ago. In the past few years, Apple has ramped up this experience with new features and CarPlay Ultra, and it ultimately revamped both versions with the release of iOS 26.

Since the iOS 26 launch, Apple offered a new look to CarPlay with the Liquid Glass, rearranged notifications and calls so they don’t take the whole display, which makes the driver more focused on the road. The new CarPlay Ultra experience takes all the displays of a vehicle to offer the best integration between the vehicle and Apple’s software.

Still, there are a few features still lacking for CarPlay that users would gladly take them in 2026, whether through the future iOS 26 updates or with the next major version, iOS 27. While little is known about the CarPlay features coming with iOS 27, there are a few recurring wishes drivers have for CarPlay. These are some of them.

With so many new features available with iOS 26, one of the features Apple users want the most is the ability to watch video apps when the car is parked. At this moment, Apple prohibits streaming video services on CarPlay, which includes Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, HBO Max, and Disney+.

While one could say that Apple doesn’t offer that due to safety reasons, Tesla found a clever way, which is offering video apps only when the car is parked. This way, users can wait for their EV to charge, when they’re waiting for someone, and so on while watching their favorite shows, movies, and docuseries. By doing that, Tesla ensures its drivers are always safe and never bored. However, Apple doesn’t have a timeline to add video apps to CarPlay. Still, it’s safe to assume that this could come in the future, as the company continues to expand on new features for its users.

Apple also doesn’t offer full web browser support, or browser support at all. That said, before users could dream about using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera One, or even ChatGPT Atlas on CarPlay, Apple will have to first support Safari.

The reason behind not offering Safari support could be the same reason it doesn’t offer video apps support: the driver must have their eyes on the road. Still, once the car is safely parked, there’s no reason why Apple shouldn’t add a browser experience to users.

That said, it’s unlikely that browser support will eventually come to CarPlay. One could say that Apple TV’s should also have access to Safari in some capacity, but this is also not in Apple’s roadmap. Still, having a browser on CarPlay could help users search for stuff online without having to pick up their phones. Also, a bigger infotainment display could bring a better experience to some content than an iPhone.

Apple is expected to introduce an all-new Siri with iOS 26.4. While it’s unclear how conversational the personal assistant will be, reports suggest it will finally start tapping parts of the iPhone system to get personalized information for users. This includes finding a podcast someone suggested on a message, or an e-mail with that important document.

With that in mind, it’s possible that the new Siri expands to CarPlay in some capacity. The ultimate goal for CarPlay users would be having a true hands-free Siri experience, with the personal assistant working as intelligently as ChatGPT. Since it’s unclear if this first version of the new Siri will be as conversational as ChatGPT, CarPlay users should focus on taking advantage of the Voice Mode of OpenAI’s app when connecting their iPhone with CarPlay. Still, this is one of users’ most requested features, as Siri sometimes can hurt more than help, and in an environment where you can’t take your eyes off the road, the personal assistant needs to be more precise.

Following the same reasoning as video apps, Apple should eventually allow CarPlay users to take advantage of games and social media apps. While these platforms should be strict when the driver is parked, these apps could offer important information on-the-go. It could also be a good distraction while waiting for something or someone.

Among the apps, users could take advantage of TikTok, Instagram, and games like Angry Birds, Temple Run, 2048, and so on. These apps are among the most popular, and they could be perfect for a parked CarPlay experience, when the driver is charging their EV, waiting for an order, or in a ferry. Like the other users’ requests, it’s unclear if Apple will ever expand the CarPlay experience to an off-road experience. It could be a lot useful for drivers and passengers in general, though, and could also represent a boost in revenue for Apple if it promotes Apple Arcade games for CarPlay.

Apple just released CarPlay Ultra. However, not only is this experience limited to a few vehicles, but it might take forever to go mainstream. With that, regular CarPlay users lose a lot of the new features. While it makes sense that the regular CarPlay will never take over the entire vehicle, the regular experience could bring more ways to control CarPlay for standard vehicle functions or advanced vehicle-specific features and controls like audio system configurations or performance settings.

Apple could also offer expanded designs for CarPlay users to choose from. Currently, a unique design is specific to each CarPlay Ultra vehicle. Apple could offer different themes for users to pick from, as it does with Apple Watch’s Watch Faces, or even iPhone backgrounds and small tweaks to the Home Screen and Lock Screen.

Since CarPlay Ultra is a new experience, it’s possible that Apple expands some of the original features to the regular CarPlay as it adds new functions to it in the future. For example, the enhanced widget support, which felt exclusive to CarPlay Ultra, is already available to CarPlay users with iOS 26.