Apple CarPlay lets you interact with your phone via voice commands or your vehicle’s on-screen infotainment system, as shown here.
Reuters/Robert Galbraith
Apple CarPlay is an iPhone mirroring system for vehicles.If your car comes with Apple CarPlay, you can connect your phone to the system to do various tasks.Navigation, music, and hands-free texting are among the functions that CarPlay can enable.
If you think Apple CarPlay is just a way to stream music while you drive, then you don’t know the half of it.
Granted, CarPlay does make it much easier to stream music from your smartphone, but there are several useful feature of this iPhone mirroring system.
Apple CarPlay lets you interact with your phone via voice commands or your vehicle’s on-screen infotainment system to do things like dictate text messages, get turn-by-turn directions, make phone calls, and more.
First rolled out in the spring of 2014 at the Geneva International Motor Show, per Apple’s Newsroom, CarPlay is now a standard feature in more than 800 models of vehicles worldwide.
If your car is one of them — and you use an iPhone — here’s what you need to know about this integrative system.
How do I connect to Apple CarPlay?
Connecting to CarPlay could not be much easier. First, make sure your car is running (not driving!) and that Siri is enabled on your iPhone. Then, if you are using a USB-to-lighting or USB-C cable, simply connect your phone to the vehicle via wire. Your device will automatically connect to CarPlay in any automobile equipped with the platform.
This wired connection will also enable your phone to connect wirelessly in cars where that is an option. You will get an alert on your phone asking permission to grant the wireless connection.
The setup process is slightly different in vehicles where only a wireless CarPlay connection works.
How do I use CarPlay wirelessly?
To connect to CarPlay wirelessly, ensure your car is on and Siri is enabled on your iPhone. Put your car’s infotainment/audio system into Bluetooth mode, then hold down the voice command button. On your phone, open Settings, tap WiFi, and then tap the CarPlay network.
Finally, back in Settings, go to General, tap CarPlay, and select your vehicle. Your phone will now be connected and reconnect each time you turn on the vehicle.
Can you use Apple CarPlay without USB?
Yes. CarPlay can only be used wirelessly in some vehicles. In other cases, you can use CarPlay wirelessly after you’ve initially connected your phone to your car’s CarPlay with a USB cable, received an alert on your phone to grant wireless permission, and accepted the wireless connection.
What apps are compatible with Apple CarPlay?
Apple CarPlay works with Apple Music, Pandora, Amazon Music, and many more music apps. You can also manage and listen to audiobooks and podcasts with CarPlay.
Navigation apps are another big functionality to control via CarPlay, which is compatible with Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze, TomTom, and others. Using these apps, you can get turn-by-turn directions powered by your phone but fed through your car’s speakers.
CarPlay also works with messenger apps, including iMessage, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Telegram, and others. You can use CarPlay to dictate messages or have them read via Siri so you can text hands-free and safely.
You can even manage your Calendar app, Zoom meetings, news apps, email, and your phone’s Settings app, all using voice commands or the touchscreen or steering wheel interface native to your vehicle’s infotainment system.
Is there a monthly fee for Apple CarPlay?
Apple CarPlay is free. There is no initial purchase, nor are there any ongoing fees to be paid. CarPlay is a native feature on many current and recently released cars — it’s not an upgrade or an aftermarket addition.
That said, you can pay for an infotainment system with CarPlay installed in an older vehicle that does not have it.
What are the disadvantages of Apple CarPlay?
In one way of thinking, there are few downsides because Apple CarPlay is optional. You can always choose to rely on the native features of your vehicle instead, even if you have used CarPlay in the past.
However, it’s worth noting that CarPlay does not work with every app, so some actions may be limited while using it.
Depending on how you use it, CarPlay may require some engagement with a screen, and that means taking your eyes off the road — never a good thing when you are driving. But if you exclusively use voice commands when connected to CarPlay, this is not an issue.
Finally, there is no significant customization allowed with CarPlay. The apps and control functions must be used as they populate on your car’s screen.