A tech journalist tested 50 cars in 2026 and checked the CarPlay configuration in each one.
Forty-three of the 50 drivers had never customized their CarPlay home screen still showing the default app grid from the day they paired their phone. Thirty-eight had never added a widget. Forty-five had never configured Driving Focus. Forty-seven had never adjusted the navigation volume independently from the media volume. Forty-nine had never used Share ETA. And all 50 every single driver were unaware that ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude now work through CarPlay's voice interface alongside Siri.
He told his audience the CarPlay most drivers use in 2026 is the CarPlay they set up when they bought their car a grid of app icons, Siri for voice commands, Apple Maps or Google Maps for navigation, and Spotify or Apple Music for audio. That CarPlay is from 2023. The interface hasn't changed because the driver hasn't changed it. But the software behind the interface has transformed twice through iOS updates the phone installed overnight while the driver slept.
The CarPlay available since iOS 26 includes customizable widget stacks showing weather, calendar, music, and live delivery tracking at a glance. Third-party AI assistants ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude running alongside Siri through the same voice button. Free ambient music without a subscription. Live Activities displaying real-time sports scores and food orders on the dashboard. Multitouch map gestures for the first time. And a Liquid Glass redesign that makes the entire interface feel like a different product.
Same car. Same screen. Same cable. Different software running behind a home screen the driver configured in 2023 and hasn't touched since.
Here's every hidden CarPlay feature most drivers don't know was added 🧵