I tried the new CarPlay with the iOS 26 beta — and Apple just solved my biggest issue with infotainment interfaces – 1v1 Video Chat & LIve Streaming & Influencer Subscription

Tom’s Guide

Search Tom’s Guide

View Profile

Newsletters

Best Picks

Entertainment

Prime Day Deals
Switch 2 Restock

Galaxy Z Fold 7
Wordle Today

Best Mattress
Best laptops

You may like

Apple CarPlay just got 3 upgrades with iOS 18.4 — here’s what’s new

I just spent my first 48 hours with iOS 26 — here’s what happened

7 iOS 26 features I can’t wait to try on my iPhone

Widgets make it easy to tell the time

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
I can’t remember testing out a car where it was easy to tell the time — and that’s a big annoyance I have. Nowadays, the clock is buried in some off-screen way and when I do end up seeing it, the size is often minuscule and difficult to see. With the iOS 26 beta, though, Apple finally lets you add widgets to the CarPlay interface.

There’s a dedicated panel for these widgets in the left-most home screen, but this lets me select a clock style that’s centered and much easier to see at a glance. It’s perfect while I’m driving because it’s so present now, rather than being buried to the side and small.
iOS 26’s CarPlay introduces widgets for just about everything, including controls to my HomeKit enabled devices at home like my smart lights and camera, a calendar with a list of my upcoming events, battery status indicators for my iPhone and Apple Watch, and much more.
Liquid Glass gives notifications a layered look

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Now that Apple’s unifying the feel and look of its interfaces across all platforms and devices, Liquid Glass gives CarPlay a makeover that makes it more layered. Unlike my issue with the iOS 26 beta on my iPhone, the transparency of the interface has more of an opaque look — like how notifications appear in CarPlay.

Sign up to get the BEST of Tom’s Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
I much prefer the way the new interface gives background elements — like the bubble that surrounds the three menu icons in the photo above — better separation between the two layers.
While Liquid Glass isn’t a huge change from the previous iteration of CarPlay, at least it doesn’t look as distracting. There’s also options to select light or dark modes, including an automatic one, so that the contrast of the interface makes it easy on the eyes.
Tapbacks to Messages
When an incoming text message came in while I was driving, I was surprised to see an option to perform a tapback — much like on my iPhone. This is a new option in iOS 26 CarPlay that lets you select a quick response, rather than speaking out a reply for Siri to send.
It’s helpful, for sure, because it’s quick and to the point, mainly because of how Liquid Glass overlays the options to me in the interface. Now, I don’t have to think about an actual reply so I can just stay focused on the road.
Live Activities

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Under the settings menu in CarPlay with the iOS 26 developers beta, I found an option to enable Live Activities. Even though I didn’t have any apps that displayed a real-time status, it’s an addition I’m eager to see more in action for various real-time alerts.
From the looks of it, Live Activities are integrated with the main home screen, which can be chopped up into four different windows when Live Activities are engaged with a particular app. Just as before, the main window in CarPlay is reserved for your maps app, while the other two that I’ve seen are reserved for turn-by-turn navigational directions and your media player. A fourth window appears to pop up when an active live activity is running.
More wallpapers

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
There’s more than a handful of new wallpapers to choose from, all with the signature iOS 26 flavors that complement Liquid Glass. While this is great, I still want to see an option to select my own photos to use as a backdrop.
Streaming video
While Apple did announce that CarPlay is getting a video playback upgrade in iOS 26, the developer beta I’m testing doesn’t appear to have the option available. Even when I placed the vehicle into park, I couldn’t find the option to stream a YouTube video I was playing on my phone.
Hopefully, it becomes available with future updates to the beta. And this feature could be even more helpful if it could stream to other displays within the vehicle — like how some mini vans have screens in the back seats.
What I’d like to see

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / John Velasco)
Even though CarPlay has integrated Apple Intelligence since the release of iOS 18.1, I think it would be more helpful if it could be tasked to perform simple in-car functions. At home, I can ask Siri to turn on the lights in my living room — so why can’t I ask Siri to turn up the air condition to a faster setting? This would require car makers to give Apple more access, which could be a roadblock in itself.
I’ve previously mentioned how I stopped using Apple Maps entirely in my car after a recent update to Google Maps, and I’m unlikely to switch back because of how well Google Maps informs me about speed traps and other road hazards. The downside of using Google Maps in this newest version of CarPlay is that it’s still not supported on second screens in a vehicle — such as a heads-up display or the driver’s side display. Only Apple Maps directions are supported by these secondary screens.
All of the stuff I’d like to see appears to be addressed by CarPlay Ultra, which offers deeper integration than what’s currently available. It’s being offered first to Aston Martin’s core model lineup, but other car makers should be getting it as well in the next 12 months. What’s really impressive about this new interface is how it encompasses more vehicle functions — like being able to control the radio, interior lights, and climate controls — all within CarPlay so you don’t have to exit it.
More from Tom’s Guide

Apple is reportedly considering buying Perplexity AI in iPhone maker’s biggest-ever acquisition
Google Pixel 11 could finally catch up to Samsung and Apple on performance — here’s how
iOS 26 has a huge battery life upgrade — here’s the iPhones that get it

Apple iPhone 16 series deals

$23.06View

$599.99View

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

John Velasco

Social Links Navigation
Senior Channel Editor for Phones

John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Apple CarPlay just got 3 upgrades with iOS 18.4 — here’s what’s new

I just spent my first 48 hours with iOS 26 — here’s what happened

7 iOS 26 features I can’t wait to try on my iPhone

WWDC 2025 — 7 biggest announcements that will actually make your life easier

11 best hidden iOS 26 features — here’s my favorites so far

iOS 26 just got a big design upgrade — thanks to your complaints

Latest in EVs

I drove the Lucid Air Touring for a week — and it actually relieves EV range anxiety

I’ve tested 20+ vehicles so far this year — here’s my 5 favorite EVs

I drove the 2025 Dodge Charger EV for a week — and it’s proof that muscle cars can embrace all-electric power

A year ago I was shocked when I tried charging an EV at home for the first time — now I know better

I drove the Mercedes-Benz G 580 EV for a week — and now I know how it feels to be a celebrity

I drove the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer SS for a week — and I didn’t think electric SUVs could be this good

Latest in Features

I walked 7,000 steps with the Garmin Venu X1 vs. the Apple Watch Ultra 2 — this watch won

The average person spends $50 a month on streaming services — here’s what I’d get for that money

Midjourney’s video generator is behind the competition — here’s why I love it anyway

9 experts tips to keep your trash can clean and kitchen insect-free this summer

Forget running — this 15-minute walking workout burns fat and boosts your metabolism

I used ChatGPT Voice to help me sleep better — here’s what actually worked