Apple is preparing one of the more substantial CarPlay updates in recent years with iOS 27, adding parked video playback, a more capable Siri experience and deeper communication between navigation apps and compatible vehicles. The changes are currently available through iOS 27 betas, with the public release expected in September.
Video is likely to attract the most attention. CarPlay apps will be able to offer video browsing and playback while a vehicle is parked, while compatible iPhone apps can send video to the dashboard through AirPlay. Once the vehicle starts moving, video playback stops and supported content switches to audio only. Apple TV is the first confirmed app for the feature.
There is an important catch: automakers must explicitly support CarPlay video, and none have announced plans to enable it so far. That means installing iOS 27 alone will not suddenly turn an existing CarPlay screen into an entertainment display. The requirement could significantly limit adoption, particularly among older vehicles and aftermarket systems.
Siri is getting a larger role as well. Apple’s newer Siri AI experience will extend into CarPlay, allowing drivers to have hands-free conversations, request information and ask the assistant to perform tasks. Conversations started inside the car can also sync with the Siri app on the connected iPhone, allowing users to continue them later.
Hardware compatibility applies here too. While the wider collection of iOS 27 CarPlay features requires an iPhone running the new operating system, Siri AI needs an Apple Intelligence-compatible device, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro and supported newer models.
Apple is also making some smaller interface changes that could have more immediate everyday value. Audio and media apps receive a persistent mini-player with artwork and playback controls, while the Now Playing interface gains a progress bar for moving directly through songs, podcasts and audiobooks. CarPlay also picks up 14 wave-style wallpapers, larger interactive thumbnails and updated Liquid Glass app icons.
Navigation is becoming more closely connected to the vehicle itself. Apps including Apple Maps and Google Maps can share route information with compatible cars, allowing the vehicle to compare a planned journey with its available driving range. For EV owners, that could allow charging stops to be incorporated into directions based on the car’s actual capabilities rather than relying solely on information available to the phone.
Apple says wireless CarPlay should also become more reliable under iOS 27, with improvements to GPS accuracy and navigation heading detection. Voice controls can now be offered across all app categories, while Apple Maps gains more flexible natural-language navigation requests, such as asking Siri for routes that avoid highways or toll roads.
Taken together, the update shows CarPlay evolving from a relatively simple phone projection system into a more integrated part of the vehicle. Some improvements should reach drivers as soon as iOS 27 arrives, but the most ambitious additions will depend on automakers playing along — and that remains the biggest uncertainty surrounding CarPlay’s next step.
