Apple’s in-car display experience, CarPlay, has become more functional with updates coming from iOS 26 and later. Two recent innovations are the arrival of artificial intelligence chat applications to CarPlay and the expansion of the widget area. Thus, drivers can use voice artificial intelligence assistants without touching the iPhone and see more information on the vehicle screen at the same time. The era of artificial intelligence applications and new widgets has begun in CarPlay.
One of the most striking innovations on the CarPlay side was the inclusion of artificial intelligence chat applications into the system. With iOS 26.4, CarPlay started to support artificial intelligence applications, defined as voice-based speech applications. With this support, CarPlay versions have been released for ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok. This change means the opening of a new application category for CarPlay.
For a long time, basic usage areas such as navigation, music, messaging and podcasts have stood out in CarPlay. With artificial intelligence chat applications, drivers can now make calls, ask general questions and get information via voice command while driving. The critical point here is that the interaction proceeds only through voice. This structure allows use without looking at the iPhone screen or performing manual operations.
The arrival of artificial intelligence applications to CarPlay also gives an important sign for the Siri side. Apple’s own assistant has been at the center of in-car use for years, but the voice work of services such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Grok in CarPlay paves the way for more advanced speech-based experiences on the vehicle screen. While bigger changes are expected on the Siri side with iOS 27, this new category in CarPlay is already changing the way users access in-car information.
The second important innovation in CarPlay was on the widget side. Widget support was added to CarPlay with iOS 26. Thanks to this feature, users can see certain information in small panels on the vehicle screen without opening applications in full screen. However, with recent updates, this area has become more useful. With iOS 26.2, Apple increased the number of widgets that can be displayed on the screen at the same time in certain vehicles.
This change does not appear as standard on all vehicles; On some supported models, more widgets can be placed on the screen at the same time. In the example cited by 9to5Mac, a tool that previously showed two widgets at the same time can now show three widgets together after the update. This increase provides a more meaningful use, especially in tools with large screens. As CarPlay has adapted better to in-car screen sizes in recent years, the widget area is no longer just a decorative section.
Contents such as calendar, weather, media, navigation and sports information can be followed while driving without leaving the home screen. With iOS 26.4, Apple Sports also offered its own widget support for CarPlay. In this way, users can follow match statuses, team schedules and information about sports events in supported regions and leagues on the CarPlay screen. There is no standalone application in CarPlay for Apple Sports; the experience is currently running through the widget.
The Apple Sports widget is a direct usage area, especially for users who want to follow scores and fixtures without touching their phone while driving. Previously, it was necessary to look at the iPhone screen or switch to different applications for such information. The new structure strengthens CarPlay’s role in displaying short and fast information while driving.
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