Along with iOS 26, Apple has announced some new changes coming to CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra as well.
CarPlay in iOS 26 Brings Widgets, Live Activities and Liquid Glass to Your Car’s Dashboard
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 are massive visual overhauls. Since CarPlay and CarPlay Ultra are part of the iPhone ecosystem, therefore it gets a big upgrade today as well.
For starters, Liquid Glass is coming to CarPlay as well. It’s not too overwhelming either. It looks great, and fine-tuned for viewing in a car. And of course, the same UI will extend to CarPlay Ultra as well.
Tapbacks in Messages
Just like iPhone and iPad, Tapbacks are coming to CarPlay. Whenever sends you a message, you can simply tap on a Tapback and send it away.
Pinned Conversations
In Messages, you can now have Pinned Conversations, allowing you to quickly get to your favorite contact in just a couple of taps.
Widgets Come to CarPlay
Widgets are finally coming to CarPlay. Whether it’s your Home widget or your Calendar, you can have your favorite information on the display.
Live Activities
Live Activities from your iPhone will now be displayed on the main screen of CarPlay. If there’s something important happening there, you’ll see it.
Changes to CarPlay Ultra
Compared to regular CarPlay, Ultra already is jam-packed with a ton of new features. Apart from the above features, Liquid Glass is also coming to CarPlay Ultra.
