It's worth mentioning that, unlike Android, Apple does not have a dedicated driving mode on iPhones, nor is there a standalone CarPlay app. The simplest way is to buy a standalone display that supports CarPlay, but doesn't require any extensive modifications of retrofitting in your car. There are a number of different ways to add CarPlay to a car after the fact, but some of them are more difficult than others. Can I get CarPlay in the car I already own? Provided the carmaker supports it for that particular model, like Polestar does with the Polestar 2, you can plug your iPhone in and use it as normal.

The good news is that CarPlay can still work if your car runs on Android Automotive OS. But what does this mean if you have an iPhone? Unlike Android Auto, which is a CarPlay-like app, Android Automotive is built into the car from day one - replacing the need for any in-house software. However, this does cost $10 a month, while CarPlay is free and relies on your existing data plan.Ī growing number of cars are also looking to Google for their software needs, running their cars on the new Android Automotive OS.

Instead the all-electric car maker offers its own premium connectivity package - complete with navigation, streaming, and remote control of certain features. The obvious exception to this trend is Tesla, which doesn't support CarPlay or Android Auto. However, it's always worth double checking CarPlay support for any car you're interesting in buying. Apple has a fairly comprehensive Apple Car vehicle list (opens in new tab) showing which automakers support CarPlay, and on which cars.

More than 600 cars currently support CarPlay, with support from almost every major car manufacturer. With that in mind, you'll struggle to find a carmaker that doesn't support CarPlay in some form, and even fewer modern cars that go without it. While CarPlay started off as a fairly niche piece of software when it launched in 2014, it's quickly spread through the car industry.

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