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
WIRED
34 minutes ago
- WIRED
We've Finally Reached the End of the Road For Intel Macs
MacOS Tahoe will be the final version of macOS to support some specific Intel-based Macs. The new macOS Tahoe ships in the fall. It's the last version of macOS to provide support to Apple computers with Intel processors. Courtesy of Apple Today, Apple announced the latest version of its Mac operating system, macOS Tahoe, sporting a handful of new features and apps. The update will also, however, mark the final substantial version of macOS to be supported on Intel-based Macs. The final supported Intel-based Macs that will receive macOS Tahoe include the following models: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), iMac (27-inch, 2020) and Mac Pro (2019). That means if you own one of these Macs, you'll still get access to all the features in the update later this fall when macOS Tahoe launches. The only exception is that anything that relies on Apple Intelligence won't be available, as those features are restricted to Apple Silicon machines only. It's been five years since the beginning of the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon. At the time, Apple stated that it would 'continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come.' Intel-based Macs older than 2019 have already stopped receiving software updates, and it's now time for the last generation of models to get removed from the list. Fortunately, Apple will provide security upgrades for these Intel-based Macs for three more years. That's pretty solid for machines that are already over five years old. I've recommended against buyers purchasing Intel-based Macs for years already. The jump from Intel Macs to even the initial M1 Macs is a huge leap in terms of performance and battery life, though I'm sure some folks will have been seduced by the Intel Macs' ultra-discounted prices in recent years. Now we know for sure where the end of the road is, which will hopefully convince some to at least buy an M1 MacBook Air. Apple will also be winding down Rosetta, the company's emulation layer for running non-native apps on Apple Silicon. It was key to Apple's early success in transitioning to its own chips. For anything other than old games, the software provided by Apple will only be available through macOS 26 and macOS 27. More than anything, it's another way for Apple to encourage developers to finish transitioning their apps to run natively on Apple Silicon.
The Verge
an hour ago
- The Verge
Apple tvOS 26 adds AirPlay speaker support, karaoke mode, and better user profiles
tvOS 26, the latest operating system update for Apple TV hardware, has been unveiled in the roster of announcements made by Apple at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). We're currently on tvOS 18, so the new tvOS 26 name may confuse some users who were watching out for tvOS 19 announcements. As with the iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS, tvOS has also been renumbered to '26' to reflect the release cycles for Apple's device operating systems, in this case September 2025 to September 2026. The most noticeable change is that tvOS 26 has a new look. UI elements have been visually refreshed with a glossy 'Liquid Glass' design language that aligns with visionOS as part of Apple's goal of unifying the user experience across all of its operating systems. Any AirPlay-enabled speaker can be designated as the permanent default speaker for Apple TV devices, a feature that was previously restricted to select Apple HomePod models. This will make it easier to get better sound from Apple TV boxes that are connected to TVs without wired sound systems attached. The update also includes a karaoke mode, called Sing in Apple Music, that will let you use your iPhone as a mic as song lyrics appear on the TV, including translation and pronunciation cues. You'll also be able to queue up songs from your iPhone. Apple says that Apple TV users will have the choice to automatically display profiles when the device wakes up to quickly jump back into their personal recommendations, watchlists, and Apple Music playlists. A new API will let developers link app logins to an Apple account, making it easier to sign into streaming services when setting up a new device. It will also support the new multiplatform Games app that's coming to iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The app will aggregate Apple Arcade games as well as titles downloaded from the App Store, providing users with a single platform to launch games and view editorial content, leaderboards, and in-game achievements. The tvOS 18 update introduced real-time onscreen insights about live-action Apple TV Plus movies and shows, AI-enhanced subtitles, and new screensavers for Apple TV 4K when it rolled out in September last year. The tvOS 26 update will be available today in developer beta, with a public beta in July and a full release in the fall.
WIRED
an hour ago
- WIRED
The iPad Is a Full-On Computer Now
After 15 years, the iPad is getting some key software features—like the addition of resizable and movable windows—that help it realize its true destiny. iPadOS 26 takes a huge leap forward and pushes the unique capabilities and versatility of iPad even further. Courtesy of Apple 'This is what you've all been waiting for.' That's what Craig Federighi stated with a gleeful grin on his face as he introduced the latest changes to the iPad at Apple's WWDC25 keynote. He wasn't talking about new iPad hardware, new software features, or AI implementation that didn't suck. He was talking about windows. You know, those things that computers have. With the release of iPadOS 26, Apple gives these tablets the ability to use conventional windowing—and iPads will never be the same. Oh, This Is a Computer iPad users can resize windows, move them around, tile them, and even use Exposé. Courtesy of Apple Windows are exactly the kind of PC-like interface Apple has resisted for so many years on the iPad, despite what its most dedicated fans have requested. The iPad, after all, was famously first sold as something that is not a computer. Welp, so much for that. In iPadOS 26, which is coming out later this fall, you can easily drag windows around your screen or grab a corner to resize them. You can even tile multiple apps and use extra windows on top of those. That's a huge multitasking upgrade. In the past, you've been stuck with either fullscreen apps or side-by-side split-screen, dramatically diminishing what you could accomplish on an iPad. Now obviously, these windows come with a lot of messiness, so iPadOS 26 also introduces 'familiar' controls to arrange and organize all these windows. If you hover over the corner of a window, for example, the three-button Mac controls will appear, letting you close or minimize the app, or make it fullscreen. Apple's also brought over many intuitive Mac trackpad gestures, including clearing apps to see the desktop or Exposé, which let's you choose an app from the ones you have open. For Mac people out there, you may remember Exposé as a classic Mac feature that was folded into Mission Control back in 2011. Multi-tasking has arrived on the iPad. Courtesy of Apple In case you think I'm exaggerating about the magnitude of the update, I should note that iPadOS's refresh contains far more than just windows. The update also introduces a traditional cursor, a floating Menu Bar in apps, a highly improved Files app, Preview, and the ability to select audio and video inputs. All of a sudden, a lot of those tasks you only felt comfortable doing on a Mac are now accomplished almost identically on an iPad. You've got a real computer in your hands. The Tipping Point The new menu bar in iPadOS. Courtesy of Apple The iPad started as a blown-up iPhone, and that has always been the main criticism of the product line, even upon its initial release in 2010. While the iPad found a use as a more casual device for traveling or lounging on the couch, the long-term growth of the iPad has been slowing. Now, there's less and less reason to upgrade between generations. That's held true even as Apple has brought increasingly capable hardware to the iPad with the introduction of the iPad Pro starting in 2015. XDR screens, M-series chips, more capable keyboards—none of it really mattered as long as the software was holding it back. If you've always salivated over the idea of using the iPad as their only computer, your time has come. But Apple has been heading in this direction for a while. In 2020, the Magic Keyboard brought an extra port and a full trackpad to the iPad. Then in 2022, the company introduced external display support, and finally, in the 2024 update to iPad Pros, the webcam was moved in portrait mode. But this year's update really feels like it reached the tipping point. And Apple sold the premise in two really smart ways too. Firstly, most iPad users may never even realize the windowing feature is there. Like many deeper iPad features, windowing is purely optional and hidden by default. Open an app on your iPad, and it still defaults to fullscreen. It seem likely that the average person would never notice the tiny resizing icon in the bottom right corner of apps. That's an important design decision, as it keeps intact the primary identity of the iPad as a simpler interface. Second, Apple coyly never referred to these new elements as Mac-like during the keynote, instead merely calling them "familiar." It even spaced iPadOS and macOS apart from each within the presentation, careful to not call to attention just how similar these two products have become. Apple would never want to pit two of its products against each other, and has always implied that there's reason for someone to own both an iPad and a Mac. But with iPadOS 26, let's be real: that requires some serious cognitive dissonance to believe now. Tiled windows in iPadOS 26. Courtesy of Apple I'm not suggesting iPads will ever replace the MacBook Pro. The people who really need that extra performance will always flock to those more powerful Macs. But what about Apple's far more popular laptop, the MacBook Air? The iPad Pro and MacBook Air have always been confusingly close in price and specs—surely, there's danger of Apple cannibalizing its own products. I don't doubt Apple will keep both around as long as possible, but I feel more inclined than ever to compare the two directly. That's even more true since the iPadOS update will even be available on the base iPad and iPad mini when it officially rolls out later this Fall. So, does all this mean that a proper union between iPadOS and macOS in the works? Or how about a touchscreen MacBook? In the past, Apple has stated definitively that it had no plans to merge its operating systems. That was a declaration that earned cheers from the audience back at WWDC in 2018. And yet, despite how far fetched those concepts sounded seven years ago, just about anything seems possible at this point.
