CarPlay just got better, here’s everything new in iOS 27

iOS 27 has introduced several enhancements to CarPlay, with Siri AI being the standout feature. This new design resembles the pre-iOS 18 look but with less color, presenting as a glowing orb at the bottom-center of the screen. Siri in CarPlay now excels at answering a wide range of questions, much like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. It also maintains better context throughout conversations, even better than before.

An interesting addition allows conversations had in CarPlay to be seamlessly synced with the Siri app on an iPhone. Users can view their full Siri history within the app, and there's a distinctive car icon to differentiate conversations made via CarPlay.

With iOS 26, video streaming on CarPlay was limited to AirPlay. However, iOS 27 enables developers to create dedicated video apps for CarPlay, enabling users to browse videos directly on their CarPlay display. If an app supports AirPlay video streaming, no modifications are required. Users can watch videos from these apps on their CarPlay display while not driving by selecting the car's display when playing the video on their iPhone.

CarPlay's design has also seen improvements. Media apps now feature a new MiniPlayer in the top-right corner, offering artwork and player controls—a significant upgrade from the previous waveform icon. Users can now scrub audio on the Now Playing screen when listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts. The progress indicator is larger and mirrors the iPhone's design, making it easier to grab and drag.

App icons have been refreshed with updated Liquid Glass designs in iOS 27, and these new icons extend to CarPlay. Additionally, new CarPlay wallpapers, reminiscent of those included in iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate, are now available.