If your iPhone is less than three years old, you're in luck.
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Apple's iOS 27 update doesn't just bring new features for iPhone users — it also adds a bunch of new options to CarPlay for a better in-car experience. The upgrades aren't huge, but they definitely make CarPlay easier and more enjoyable to use.
For starters, the Now Playing screen has finally got a progress bar and a persistent mini-player, while navigation apps can share route data with the car. There are also new wallpapers, performance improvements and the long-awaited Siri AI right inside your vehicle. But there's a catch: these features require an iPhone running iOS 27, and even if you have one, you might need one of the newer models to unlock all of what's possible.
What's new in CarPlay with iOS 27
Filipe Espósito for Engadget
A major upgrade to CarPlay with iOS 27 is support for video apps. Until now, CarPlay's entertainment support was limited to audio services like Apple Music and Spotify, but drivers can now watch videos on their vehicle's display.
That doesn't mean you can watch a movie while driving, though. The feature detects when the car is in motion and, for safety reasons, only becomes available once the vehicle is parked. If you're watching something and start driving, playback automatically switches to audio-only until you come to a stop. Still, it's a nice option to have. One thing to keep in mind is that vehicle manufacturers need to implement support for this new feature, which might mean apps like YouTube or Netflix might not work inside your car right now.
Audio playback has also improved, with Now Playing having a mini-player that includes the album artwork, playback controls and a long-awaited progress bar. Just swipe to skip forward or backward through a song or podcast without having to reach for your iPhone. Speaking of improvements, Apple claims that CarPlay has become much more reliable in iOS 27. Not only can you expect a more consistent wireless connection, but also more accurate GPS location reporting.
There are also new wallpapers to choose from and the ability for apps to share route data with your vehicle to include information such as EV charging stops. This allows your vehicle to cross-check arrival times with Google Maps and Apple Maps and suggest locations to juice up along the route.
Siri AI is here too, but only if you have the right iPhone
Filipe Espósito for Engadget
Siri AI, the updated version of Apple's virtual assistant, is also available in CarPlay with iOS 27. It works pretty much the same way as it does on other Apple devices — it can answer general knowledge questions or even use personal context to find answers in your emails, messages and calendar. For example, you can ask Siri to get directions to a restaurant that someone recommended to you during a conversation. You can also use more natural language to search for directions in Apple Maps — like asking Siri to avoid tolls on your route.
You can only take advantage of these features if you have an iPhone compatible with Siri AI. That means an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 16 or later. Since CarPlay runs entirely on your iPhone, an older iPhone doesn't have the hardware required to power Siri AI in your car. An iPhone 14 owner, for example, still gets the mini-player, the progress bar and the new wallpapers, but not the new Siri experience.
Still, you'll need to update your iPhone to iOS 27 first. The update is available for the iPhone 11 and later, so if you have an older iPhone, you're out of luck. Your CarPlay will continue to operate, just with the features it already supports.
Siri AI also isn't available in the European Union due to local regulations, so that's something to keep in mind. If you live in Europe and own a compatible iPhone, you'll still get the new CarPlay features, but not Siri AI.
If you've already prepared and updated your iPhone to iOS 27, it's worth checking out a few settings that can help improve your CarPlay experience.