iOS 26 to Upgrade CarPlay in Two Ways

While the spotlight has been on CarPlay Ultra lately, the regular version of CarPlay is set to receive some enhancements alongside iOS 26.

carplay hero dashboard
Apple will announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, and the software update is expected to upgrade the CarPlay experience in at least two ways.

The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote, and the update will likely be released in September.

There will likely be more CarPlay changes alongside iOS 26 — these are just the known ones.

New Design

9to5Mac this week reported that at least some of iOS 26's rumored design changes will extend to the CarPlay interface, which would make sense.

iOS 26 is expected to feature a sleeker, glass-like design with added translucency for app icons, menus, buttons, and other elements.

Sound Recognition for Crying Babies

CarPlay Sound Recognition
CarPlay gained support for Sound Recognition with iOS 18 last year. The accessibility feature can alert drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing to horns and sirens outside of the vehicle, such as from a police car, ambulance, or fire truck.

Last month, Apple previewed new accessibility features coming in iOS 26, including an expansion of Sound Recognition for CarPlay. With the update, the feature will be able to provide a notification if it hears a crying baby inside the vehicle.

Apple said CarPlay will also be getting a Large Text option, which has long existed on iPhones.

Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 26, iPadOS 26

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...

Top Rated Comments

al256 Avatar
9 months ago
I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshml Avatar
9 months ago
Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AgeOfSpiracles Avatar
9 months ago

Like get rid of calendar as being a default?! Who wants that?
People who are driving to an appointment, for one.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
9 months ago

I don't want full screen incoming calls. There have been so many times when I'm trying to get to the right exit then get a call and can't see the navigation.
Agreed - I HATE this.

It's made me go into DND mode if I'm nearing or in the middle of a critical part of a drive where I need the turn by turn directions/map to 100% be there.

It's yet another design decision that makes you think Apple doesn't have real people test some of this stuff in the real world.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mookc1 Avatar
9 months ago
It needs a calculator.......
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Biro Avatar
9 months ago
As long as I can turn off Sound Recognition, I’ll be glad it’s there for people who need it. All Apple devices have a nasty habit of suddenly becoming “helpful” at exactly the wrong moment.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)