The first iOS 26 developer beta is now available, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
Liquid Glass Design
When you are using CarPlay with an iPhone running iOS 26, the new Liquid Glass design extends to the CarPlay interface. Like on the iPhone, the new look includes more shimmery app icons and translucent user interface elements.
New Messages App Features
Starting with iOS 26, you can respond to messages with standard Tapbacks like a heart, thumbs up, or exclamation marks directly through CarPlay.
Plus, you can now view your pinned conversations in the Messages app on CarPlay.
Compact View for Phone Calls
CarPlay has a new compact view for incoming phone calls, so that you can still see other information on the screen, such as turn-by-turn directions.
Live Activities
CarPlay's Dashboard screen can now show Live Activities, letting you keep track of things like a flight's arrival time at a glance.
Widgets
The regular version of CarPlay now has a customizable widgets screen, for things like calendar appointments and HomeKit accessory controls.
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below.
iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more.
iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
iPad Air (M2 and later)
iPad Air (3rd generation and...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple.
When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence.
The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further.
During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by Juli Clover
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look.
Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
Apple has announced iOS 26, and the upcoming software update includes a long list of new features and changes for iPhones.
The first iOS 26 developer beta is now available, and a public beta will follow next month. The update will be released later this year.
iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer.
Below, we have provided a high-level overview of 100 new features and changes ...
Funny how the only one of the five that means anything to me is the minimalized incoming call notification. The rest? Who cares. Widgets? Live activities? No. What WOULD have been awesome is parity across all vehicles. Taking 5-10 minutes every time I get into a new rental car to redo all the carplay settings is such an unnecessary chore. Why can't it just pull my preferences and load a familiar layout right from the start? It's my phone, which means it's still me, and I want my layout whether I'm driving my F-150 at home, a Honda Civic in LA or a CX-5 in Boise. At least give us a toggle for "keep personal preferences across all vehicles," Apple. It's not hard.
I love all the new ways drivers can distract themselves from the important task at hand of keeping their car on the road and not hitting another car, person, bicyclist, etc.
Don't get me wrong - I love carplay and it offers a load of benefits. But the more opportunities for interaction the more it contributes to safety hazards.
