Earlier this 12 months, CarPlay – Apple’s infotainment system for vehicles – obtained a significant replace with the primary launch of iOS 26. Not solely did it acquire the brand new Liquid Glass interface, but it surely has additionally obtained options akin to widgets on the Dwelling Display screen, video streaming over AirPlay when the automotive is parked, Stay Actions, and extra customizations.
With iOS 26.2 rolling out this week to iPhone customers, CarPlay can also be getting some good upgrades that make the entire expertise even higher. Extra particularly, there are two new options that CarPlay customers have been requesting for a very long time which can be lastly on the best way.
With iOS 26.2, Apple is additional refining a few of CarPlay’s new options, beginning with Dwelling Display screen widgets.
Much like widgets on the iPhone, CarPlay widgets let customers see temporary info and even entry fast interactions proper from the Dwelling Display screen with out having to open an app. This consists of choices akin to a calendar widget to point out your upcoming appointments, the climate forecast, and even Dwelling controls.
Customers can at present place as much as two widgets on the CarPlay Dwelling Display screen, however that may change with iOS 26.2.
The replace allows assist for extra widgets on the CarPlay Dwelling Display screen. Nonetheless, there’s a catch. The power so as to add three or extra widgets is proscribed to autos with bigger built-in screens. Sadly, Apple doesn’t specify which automotive fashions assist extra widgets in CarPlay, but when your automotive has a big built-in display screen, you’ll probably have the ability to add extra widgets to it.
You’ll have the ability to unpin CarPlay coversations in iOS 26.2.
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A cleaner interface for the Messages app
Additionally with iOS 26, CarPlay launched a brand new interface for the Messages app that reveals pinned chats on the prime. For customers preferring a cleaner interface, there’s now an choice to disable pinned conversations in CarPlay.
Within the Settings app, you’ll now discover a “Pinned Conversations” toggle. Flip it off, and also you’ll now not see pinned chats within the Messages app, simply the common listing of chats. For CarPlay customers who didn’t like the brand new Messages app interface, the replace will definitely turn out to be useful.
The brand new CarPlay options are mechanically enabled after putting in iOS 26.2 in your iPhone. Simply go to Settings > Basic > Software program Replace and search for the most recent model of the working system.
