“Apple Unveils iOS 26 with Major Upgrades to CarPlay and Apple Maps”
At the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled iOS 26, describing it as a significant step forward in design, artificial intelligence, and user experience.
One of the most notable features of this year’s Apple IOS 26 is the array of upgrades to its CarPlay system, promising to revolutionize how users interact with their cars in the digital age.
According to Apple, CarPlay is used over 600 million times daily, underscoring its popularity. The new version introduces a completely redesigned interface named Liquid Glass, styled after liquid glass to create a seamless and visually expressive look across car displays, from the digital cluster to the central screen.
A valuable improvement is how CarPlay handles common communication scenarios. Incoming call interfaces are now minimized to avoid obstructing vital navigation or other essential information. Additionally, users can access smart widgets directly on their car screens, allowing them to control smart home devices and monitor Live Activities like deliveries and personal schedules.
The CarPlay Messages app has also been refreshed, now offering the ability to pin important conversations and respond quickly with Tapbacks – familiar icons like “heart” and “dislike,” already popular on iMessage.
These enhancements will also be integrated into CarPlay Ultra, the premium version of the platform, which debuted on Aston Martin vehicles. Apple confirmed that CarPlay Ultra would be coming to other brands, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, expanding the experience to more affordable and premium segments.
Along with CarPlay, Apple Maps has received notable updates, including Visited Places. This feature lets users track and encode a list of places they’ve been. More importantly, iPhones can now use on-device AI processing to learn daily movement patterns and provide intelligent route suggestions and early traffic jam alerts.
Apple Using 20 Hyundai Tucson Cars to Gather Map Data in Vietnam
The selected vehicles chosen by Apple for collecting map data will be equipped with GPS system, 8 cameras, four LiDAR scanners, and a laser-based sensor commonly used in self-driving cars.
Apple optimizes Carplay exclusively for Porsche owners
With enhanced integration with Apple CarPlay, Porsche owners can now control even more features of their vehicles directly from their iPhones. This deep integration allows for seamless interaction between the iPhone and the Porsche, giving users greater control and convenience while on the go.
