Tech Desk 
Jun 10, 2025
Apple's CarPlay, the smart and safe way to use your iPhone while driving, is getting a major upgrade with iOS 26, and you don’t need a fancy Aston Martin to enjoy it.
The new update brings a fresh look, handy widgets, and smarter features that make driving more connected without being distracting.
CarPlay iOS 26 updates
The most striking change is the new Liquid Glass aesthetic, giving apps and buttons a shiny, layered style. CarPlay now provides three options for appearance modes: Default, Dark, and a new Clear mode. The new Clear Dark option, in particular, adds a reflective, contemporary feel to the car’s dashboard.
The next big feature is widgets. Just like iPhone Standby mode, CarPlay now presents widgets, including ones from apps that don’t have full CarPlay versions.
Moreover, you can choose which widgets to show (or not), deactivate suggestions, or even change wallpapers straight from your iPhone’s CarPlay settings.
Live Activities are also coming to CarPlay’s Dashboard view. These will present live information, like a live Uber Eats order, shown as an example, on the bottom right part of the screen.
Manual enabling of CarPlay screenshots will be required for sharing moments of this new feature.
iOS 26 also includes feature improvements in the areas of Messages and Music, which will add Tapbacks for sending them, conversation pinning, and easier navigation of the redesigned Music app while staying focused on the road.
