Apple prohibits video streaming via its CarPlay infotainment system, for obvious reasons but one popular app has found a way around it.
The Sidecar: Automotive Assistant app, which is generally used for displaying the results from on inboard diagnostics scanner, logging trips, and offering iPhone widgets with tire pressure and other stats like fuel history.
Now a paid upgrade for the app has unlocked video playback through a web browser, which can only be accessed when the car is parked.
It’s not the most ideal scenario as users will need to feed the mobile app a URL in order to send it to CarPlay in the first place. So you could just play the video on the best iPhone model you have connected to CarPlay in the first place.
However, if you’re intent on playing videos on your centre display then there’s a way to do it with this $9.99 in-app purchase (IAP) for Sidecar.
The review notes for Sidecar v2.3.4 explains: “The new Park and browse feature allows you to view web content in CarPlay while parked. Requires a one-time purchase.”
It’s highly unlikely this feature will be long for this world, given Apple prohibits this kinda behaviour in CarPlay. It’s possible the feature is being offered as an IAP for Apple users in order to get by the App Store reviewers.
Opinion
Apple keeps CarPlay under lock and key, only allowing certain categories of apps to be used via the platform, for navigation, audio, calls, messages and a few others. There’s no real need to play videos via the display when an iPhone is a pre-requisite for connectivity in the first place.
