Apple announces new CarPlay with iOS 26 at WWDC — here's the new look and features
Apple has just announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, complete with the new "Liquid Glass" design. This redesign is covering the entire Apple ecosystem, not just iPhones, and that means Apple CarPlay is also getting that shiny new translucent design as well. Plus a few more interesting features.
This isn't exactly a "new CarPlay." It's more like the old CarPlay with a fresh coat of paint. It's to make sure the Apple interface on cars matches that on other platforms, which is especially important when you remember that CarPlay runs from your iPhone.
iOS 26 wouldn't be much of a redesign if it didn't cover absolutely everything, after all. And Apple confirmed that you'll be getting the sleek Liquid Glass look in light and dark mode.
Functionally CarPlay looks like it'll work in the same way, but those extra features are going to change how you interact with it. Incoming features mentioned at WWDC include a shrunken down call and messaging interface, so that it's not covering your navigation, as well as the option to pin certain conversations for quick access.
Notably Apple is adding extra widgets to the user interface as well, which looks rather similar to the Android Auto revamp from a few years back. That means you have different blocks on screen showing off different apps, including music playback, calendar alerts and Live Activities.
That's right, Apple's adding Dynamic Island features to your car. We saw a flight status show up on the side of the screen during the presentation, but I'd be surprised if this didn't apply to most (if not all) of the Live Activities you'd see on your phone.
Which, as my colleague Richard Priday said, feels like it was designed purely for romcom cliches.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Apple also confirmed that all of these changes, from design to functionality, will be coming to CarPlay Ultra as well.
However the company didn't announce any new partnerships, or information on which future cars will come with the software. So, for now, it looks like Carplay Ultra will be exclusive to James Bond wannabes with the latest Aston Martins.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
an hour ago
- Fast Company
4 observations about Apple's low-key WWDC 2025
At Apple's annual WWDC keynote, the highest-level subject is always the future of its software platforms. And the big news in that department usually stares us right in the face. In 2023, for example, it was the debut of Apple Vision Pro, the company's entry into the headset market and its first all-new experience since the Apple Watch. Last year brought Apple Intelligence, its branded take on what AI should look like as a core element of computing experiences. And then there was Monday morning's WWDC 2025 keynote, as streamed online to millions and screened to a select audience of in-person attendees at Apple Park. After Apple's embarrassing inability to ship the AI-infused update to Siri it showed off at WWDC 2024, it was hardly surprising that this year's event didn't bet everything on whipping up a further AI frenzy. That alone set it apart from last month's Google I/O keynote, whose topics consisted of AI, AI, and more AI, with some AI drizzled on top. Apple did introduce some new AI during the keynote— quite a bit of it. Overall, though, the event felt like an act of counterprogramming. Instead of positioning itself as a leader in AI—or at least quashing fears that it's a laggard —the company seemed happy being itself. From the unified new design to old features (phone calls!) turning up in new places (the Mac!), it focused on giving consumers even more reasons to own and use as many of its products as possible. Herewith a few of the impressions I took away from my morning at Apple Park: Liquid Glass is classic Apple, in the Steve Jobs sense. In 2012, one of Tim Cook's first dramatic moves after succeeding Jobs as CEO was to oust software chief Scott Forstall. That led to a reorganization that put Jony Ive in charge of design for software as well as hardware. Ive's influence was seen in the iPhone's iOS 7 upgrade the company shipped the following year. It ditched the lush skeuomorphism of the iPhone's software up until that time for a far flatter look, bringing to mind the understated, Dieter Rams -like feel of an Ive MacBook, manifested in pixels rather than aluminum. Ive left in 2019, but the principles he instilled have informed Apple software ever since. But now there's Liquid Glas s, a new aesthetic Apple is rolling out across its portfolio of platforms. It's glossy, dimensional, pseudorealistic, and animated—a dramatic departure from iOS 7-era restraint, but reminiscent of both earlier iOS releases and also older Apple software all the way back to the first version of the Mac's OS X in 2000. That was the one with buttons that Jobs said people would want to lick —a memorable design imperative that is suddenly relevant again. As my colleague Mark Wilson writes, Liquid Glass isn't about adding new functionality to Apple devices. It might not even be about making them easier to use—in fact, when an interface introduces transparency effects and other visual flourishes, legibility is at risk. It does, however, look cool in a way that's classically Apple, and which the Apple of recent years had deemphasized. The iPad has left limbo . . . for Macland. For years, Apple seemed to have reached a mental standstill with the iPad. The company clearly wanted its tablet to be something distinct from a Mac, but it also appeared to be short on ideas that were different than the Mac, especially when it came to building out iPadOS as a productivity platform. End result: The platform has foundered rather than matured. With iPadOS 26, the iPad will finally see a lot of meaningful change all at once, and most of it is distinctly Maclike. It's getting a menu bar. Windows that float and overlap. A more full-featured Files app and, for the first time, a Preview app. Even the quirky circular cursor gives way to a more conventional pointy one. As an unabashed iPad diehard, I admit to my fair share of trepidation about all this. The iPad's abandonment of interface cruft in favor of considered minimalism is a huge reason why I've been using one as my primary computer since 2011: I don't like to wrangle windows or scour menus for the features I need, hidden among those I don't. Maybe Apple has figured out how to retain what's great about the iPad even as it gives in to the temptation to borrow from the Mac. But I'm alarmed by the apparent disappearance of the iPad's foundational multitasking features in the first iPadOS 26 beta, and hope they'll return before the software ships this fall. VisionOS is still evolving, and that's good. It's been two years since Apple unveiled the Vision Pro and 17 months since it shipped. Rumors aside, we still aren't any closer to clarity on how the $3,500 headset might lead to a product that caters to a larger audience than, well, people who will pay $3,500 for a headset. Even Tim Cook says it isn't a mass-market product. Still, Apple's enthusiasm for spatial computing doesn't seem to be flagging. As previewed during the WWDC keynote, VisionOS 26 looks downright meaty, with more realistic-looking avatars for use in video calls, features for watching movies and playing games with Vision Pro-wearing friends, widgets you can stick on a wall or place on a mantel in the real world, AI-powered 3D effects for 2D photos, partnerships with companies such as GoPro and Sony, and more. None of these additions will prompt radically more people to spring for a Vision Pro in its current form. But assuming that the headset doesn't turn out to be a dead end, Apple's current investment could help a future, more affordable version offer compelling experiences from day one. It's still unclear whether ChatGPT is a feature or a stopgap. Apple's own AI assistant, Siri, was acknowledged only at the start of the keynote, when Craig Federighi, senior VP of software engineering, mentioned last year's announcements and the decision to delay the newly AI-savvy version until it meets Apple's 'high-quality bar.' Another AI helper did pop up several times during the presentation, though: ChatGPT. For example, it powers a new Visual Intelligence feature that will let users ask questions about the stuff on-screen in any app. The keynote's example: Upon seeing an image of a mandolin in a social post, you can ask, 'Which rock songs is this instrument featured in?' Given that the new Siri features Apple revealed a year ago remain unfinished, adding a dash of ChatGPT here and there is an expedient way to maintain some AI momentum. But does the company see integrating the world's highest-profile LLM-based assistant as an attractive user benefit in itself—or just a placeholder until it can offer similar technology that's entirely under its own control? I'm still not sure. At WWDC 2024, Federighi also talked about incorporating other AI models, such as Google's Gemini, but no news has emerged on that front since. Even during a pivotal, unpredictable time for the tech industry, one of the WWDC keynote's purposes remains straightforward. Apple needs to get consumers excited for the software it will ship in the fall, which isn't necessarily synonymous with blowing them away through sheer force of AI breakthroughs. In a Bluesky conversation, one commenter suggested to me that people aren't actually clamoring for AI at all —a take that has a whiff of truth to it even if it isn't the whole story. Ultimately, users want pleasant products that help them get stuff done, whether in a personal context, a work environment, or somewhere in between.
The Verge
an hour ago
- The Verge
Craig Federighi confirms Apple's first attempt at an AI Siri wasn't good enough
In March, Apple delayed its upgraded Siri, saying that 'it's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver' the promised features. At WWDC this week, Apple's SVP of software Craig Federighi and SVP of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak shared more details about the decision to delay in an interview with The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern. As part of its initial Apple Intelligence announcements at WWDC 2024, Apple said that the improved Siri would have awareness of your personal context and the ability to take actions for you in apps. While Apple was showing real software at that show, Siri 'didn't converge in the way, quality-wise, that we needed it to,' Federighi said. Apple wanted it to be 'really, really reliable. And we weren't able to achieve the reliability in the time we thought.' 'Look, we don't want to disappoint customers,' Joswiak said. 'We never do. But it would've been more disappointing to ship something that didn't hit our quality standard, that had an error rate that we felt was unacceptable. So we made what we thought was the best decision. I'd make it again.' Stern asked why Apple, with all of its resources, couldn't make it work. 'When it comes to automating capabilities on devices in a reliable way, no one's doing it really well right now,' Federighi said. 'We wanted to be the first. We wanted to do it best.' While the company had 'very promising early results and working initial versions,' the team came to feel that 'this just doesn't work reliably enough to be an Apple product,' he said. At WWDC, Federighi also spoke to YouTuber iJustine, and both Federighi and Joswiak were interviewed by Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer and TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff. In Apple's March statement, it said that anticipated rolling out the Siri upgrades 'in the coming year,' which, to Spoonauer, Joswiak clarified to mean 2026.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Steve Jobs Would 'Have Fired Everyone': Apple's Liquid Glass In iOS 26 Gets Roasted Online — Dan Ives Calls WWDC 2025 A 'Yawner'
Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) bold new design in iOS 26, dubbed "Liquid Glass," is drawing sharp criticism online — and investor Ross Gerber thinks the backlash may be warranted. What Happened: Unveiled during Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote on Monday, Liquid Glass is a translucent, reactive interface meant to make the iPhone experience more fluid and immersive. It now extends across buttons, sliders, the lock screen, Control Center and more. Apple executive Alan Dye described it as combining "the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve." However, users aren't convinced. A user on X, @Greggertruck, shared a screenshot of the new Control Center and wrote, "Steve Jobs would have fired everyone." The post quickly gained traction, with investor Gerber chiming in with a Hundred Points emoji. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — The user wanted Apple to make the design more opaque. Other users echoed the sentiment, calling the design "a smeary mess of colors and overlapping functionality." One said, "Looks like when you get someone to use Photoshop for the first time, every effect box is clicked." Some were more measured. "I'm gonna keep an open mind," said @SawyerMeritt, "but it definitely feels like things are going to be harder to read with this new design." During the keynote, Apple acknowledged it still needs more time to finish its long-overdue revamp of the Siri voice assistant. Wedbush analyst and longtime Apple supporter Dan Ives described the event as showcasing "slow and steady improvements," but ultimately called it "a yawner." On the other hand, Deepwater Asset Management's Gene Munster said, 'At this point, they're [Apple] not ready to talk about the more advanced AI they're likely working on. The good news is they have a couple of years to figure it out.' He also said that the most significant announcement at WWDC 2025 was Apple's unveiling of the Foundation Model framework, a tool designed to help developers more easily integrate Apple Intelligence directly It's Important: Apple has long prided itself on design simplicity — a principle its legendary co-founder Jobs championed. Jobs' return to Apple sparked a legendary business comeback, driven by his focus on simplicity, intuitive design and a deep commitment to crafting products that were both functional and beautifully minimal, even in unseen details. In 2019, Apple's design legend Jony Ive's departure seemed sudden, but reports from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg suggested that it was the result of a years-long shift in the company's priorities—from design to operations. Ive and his team reportedly grew frustrated as design took a back seat under CEO Tim Cook, whose lack of involvement in product development led to discontent and departures within the design team. Read Next: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Photo Courtesy: Kemarrravv13 on Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Steve Jobs Would 'Have Fired Everyone': Apple's Liquid Glass In iOS 26 Gets Roasted Online — Dan Ives Calls WWDC 2025 A 'Yawner' originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
