CarPlay in iOS 27 adds two new features for popular Apple apps

CarPlay in iOS 27 introduces two new features specifically designed to enhance popular Apple apps like Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. These enhancements are aimed at improving the user experience while driving. One of the main categories of CarPlay apps is audio, which includes popular services such as Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Overcast.

In the upcoming iOS 27 update, Apple is set to bring two improvements to these audio-centric apps. First, the traditional waveform icon in the top-right corner, which users could tap to access the Now Playing screen, will be replaced by a new MiniPlayer. This MiniPlayer will display artwork for the current track and include play/pause and skip controls.

These changes will allow users to access basic playback controls without needing to navigate to the Now Playing screen, providing a more seamless experience. Another significant update in iOS 27 is the addition of audio scrubbing support. Traditionally, users have been able to scrub through audio or video content on iPhones by tapping and dragging the playhead.

However, this feature was not available in CarPlay until now. With iOS 27, the playhead has been enlarged and now supports scrubbing, enabling users to quickly navigate through podcasts, audiobooks, or songs. This improvement is expected to be extended to most third-party audio apps that update to support iOS 27. While the article highlights these new CarPlay features for Apple's own apps, it also invites readers to share their hopes for additional audio app changes in CarPlay.