Apple CarPlay is getting an upgrade – here are the coolest features announced at WWDC 2024

Apple WWDC 2024 is over, and while things like VisionOS 2, iOS 18, and Apple Intelligence grabbed all the headlines, one announcement didn’t capture the attention it deserved.

Apple CarPlay is about to get a big upgrade.

Also: Apple WWDC 2024 recap: Every new feature in iOS 18, Siri, AI, and more

Drivers will be able to use the new version of CarPlay on both the vehicle’s infotainment screen and the vehicle’s instrument cluster. Not only will the overall feel vary by manufacturer, but drivers will also have control over how information appears.

Miss needle-style gauges of your analog instrument cluster? You can bring them back. Prefer all digital-style displays? You can set those up. Want to move your navigation menu to the passenger side or add a background image? Go ahead.

Of course, exactly how much customization will be available will depend on how much your manufacturer allows, while how much information can be displayed will depend on how much information the car gives to the software in the first place.

In addition, Apple promised several new apps that would give drivers more control over their vehicles. An expanded home screen, Apple says, will include buttons for things like climate control, driver assist, and parking cameras, plus provide popup notifications for important information such as the remaining battery charge on an electric vehicle. 

Ben Crick from the Apple design team said that the new CarPlay “enables you to express your own visual design philosophy to create an iconic, individual look tailored to you, your vehicles, and their unique functions.” The creations won’t just look like Apple, he said, and won’t be a copy of the default system. “It’s designed to be a unique celebration of both brands.”

Also: How to fix common Apple CarPlay issues: A frustrated user’s guide

Apple didn’t say which manufacturers it was working with, but TechRadar pointed out that Porsche and Aston Martin have previewed a new version of CarPlay in upcoming vehicles, so it’s reasonable to expect full functionality with those two brands at least.

The company also didn’t announce a specific release date but did say that the upgrade would be available later this year.