Apple CarPlay overhauled with iOS 13 update
This week Apple rolled out a bunch of new product, from iWatch to a new Mac Pro and more, but it was the CarPlay update for iOS 13 that caught our attention.
Apple announced a bunch of new stuff coming to the brand later this year at its Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) but it’s the iOS 13 update that will be of most interest to those using Apple CarPlay. To be rolled out later this year, CarPlay is more feature rich than ever.
Sure, there’s still the familiar grid layout but there are new apps, like Calendar which, if you’ve got an address attached to your appointment will fire up maps and direct you to the location. And there’s now access to the Settings app which allows you to toggle on or off a Do Not Disturb While Driving function. Given the rise in distracted driver collisions this is a good addition. You can also access Appearance and toggle on or off Siri Suggestions in Dashboard.
The new Dashboard display splits the screen, showing the map on one side and the other devoted to Siri Suggestions, music that’s playing and any upcoming appointments in your calendar.
Apple also announced that ‘Hey Siri’ can now be used by app developers to work with third-party apps, and there is now split-use functionality for CarPlay, meaning that if someone picks up your phone it won’t throw you back out to the home screen causing you to lose your navigation page, for instance. And Apple also claims the new-look CarPlay will be able to work in with heads-up display systems.
Now, just how much functionality we ultimately get will depend on your vehicle and whether the car maker has opened up the doors completely to CarPlay integration.