Apple's iOS 18 Update Brings a Host of CarPlay Upgrades

by Chris Teague

Published: September 17th, 2024

apple s ios 18 update brings a host of carplay upgrades

It’s that time of year again. Apple fans are gearing up for the release of the new iPhone, Apple Watch, and more, but the company also officially rolls out its annual operating system update around this time. This year, it’s iOS 18, and with it comes a host of upgrades for Apple CarPlay that will bring new assistance and accessibility features.

People with newer iPhones (15 Pro or later) can get the updates, though some won’t be available until update 18.1. They will gain new Apple Intelligence features with AI assistance. Siri has new animations, and the CarPlay display screen will pulse when the feature is active. The Messages app will also display a photo when interacting with one of your phone’s contacts.

Apple is also introducing new accessibility features, similar to the tech offered with the iPhone. They include color filters to help color-blind people and adjustable text with more robust voice commands. The new Sound Recognition feature can “hear” sirens and horns to sound an alert for the driver.

While General Motors cut CarPlay from its new EVs, other automakers continue offering the popular technology. Last year, Apple said that 79 percent of new car buyers would only consider a vehicle if it came with the feature, and the ability to overlay a familiar interface over automakers’ sometimes confusing infotainment systems is a significant benefit for many.

[Images: Hadrian, Vladimka production via Shutterstock]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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6 of 26 comments

Funky D 2 days ago
I've retrofitted both of my current rides with a CarPlay capable head unit. It's nice to be able to play tunes from my phone (with contains all 72 GB of my music library), stream from the Sirius XM or one of the radio apps, all while using the Apple Maps to avoid serious traffic backups. If you are going to have online connectivity, I'd rather it go through a company that is not trying to harvest your data so it can sell to the highest bidder.

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- 28-Cars-Later 2 days ago
  "I'd rather it go through a company that is not trying to harvest your data so it can sell to the highest bidder." Do you seriously think Apple isn't harvesting your data?
  
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- Funky D 18 hours ago
  Unlike Google, Apple makes its real money in hardware sales and services, not advertisements. They may harvest data, but there isn't any current evidence that they are selling to the highest bidder. I would certainly trust their privacy policy over Google or any manufacturer.
  
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Cprescott 2 days ago
How is it that I have been driving nearly 45 years and have had no need for a touchscreen car tablet center screen? A co-worker had noted how well I can park backing up and asked if I had a screen in my car for that. I remarked, "no, I have side view / rear mirrors".

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- VoGhost 2 days ago
  That's really impressive, grampy! What's the battery life like with your Nokia?
  
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- The Oracle 2 days ago
  Well done Boomer!
  
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