All the New CarPlay Features in iOS 26
Apple didn't end up building its own car, but it did give us CarPlay. With iOS 26, CarPlay is getting a few neat enhancements, which includes improved design, an option for bigger font sizes, and useful accessibility features too. Here's everything new coming to CarPlay with Apple's upcoming update:
Widgets and live activities
With iOS 26, Live Activities come to CarPlay. These pop-ups allow you to keep a tab on important updates without fiddling with your phone or the head unit. Live Activities on your iPhone is useful to track deliveries, flight statuses, and much more, and while not all iOS use cases will be relevant here, some of these will also be available in CarPlay. (I think the flight status feature will be especially useful for airport pickups and drop-offs.)
You don't need to do anything to see Live Activities in CarPlay. As long as it's visible on your iPhone, it'll show up on the CarPlay dashboard, or appear as a popover on top of other apps such as your navigation app. Apple says you'll be able to disable Live Activities if you don't want to see them, and even control their appearance by setting different Focus modes.
CarPlay is also adding support for widgets, including things like calendar entries, weather, and sunrise/sunset times. You'll be able to select which widgets you see on the CarPlay dashboard by going to Settings > General > CarPlay on iPhone, selecting your vehicle, and choosing the widgets.
A new compact view for incoming calls
The redesigned CarPlay with iOS 26 now includes a compact view. For example, when you receive a phone call, it will show up as a small pop-up on the screen, instead of taking up more space. This means that other important information, such as driving directions, aren't hidden when you receive a phone call.
A few Messages upgrades
With iOS 26, the Messages app in CarPlay will allow you to use Tapbacks—Apple parlance for reacting to text messages with emojis. This will let you quickly tap an emoji to respond to someone via the car's display. Messages will also let you view your iPhone's pinned conversations, which makes it easier to text people you're frequently in touch with.
Brand new icons
Yes, Liquid Glass is coming to your car as well. The icons from iOS 26 have made their way to CarPlay. Whether you love them or hate them, you'll see this new design on your car's display.
Improved accessibility features
CarPlay with iOS 26 will also support Large Text, which increases font sizes and makes text easier to read on your car's screen. Apple is also adding Sound Recognition to CarPlay, which will notify drivers and passengers when iOS detects certain sounds. The notifications can warn you when CarPlay detects sirens, a crying baby, horns, or other important sounds.