Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple’s in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay.

Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a 14-inch screen.

In our testing, CarPlay still showed two rows of four icons in a Honda Civic with a 9-inch screen.

While this is only a minor change, CarPlay showing more icons when possible is a nice quality-of-life improvement, allowing drivers to quickly access more apps with less swiping between pages and keep their eyes on the road.

iOS 18.4 is currently in beta testing. The software update will be released to the general public in early April, according to Apple’s website.

In addition, the Apple Maps electric vehicle routing feature on CarPlay gained support for the North American Charging System (NACS) charging connector standard this week. Ford recently began selling an adapter that allows its Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning vehicles to be charged by a Tesla Supercharger, and now the Apple Maps electric vehicle routing feature can plan routes that include stops at Tesla Superchargers.

Ford says this capability is available now on CarPlay with an iPhone running iOS 17 or later, so no new software update is required.

Here are Ford’s instructions on how to use the feature:

– Connect your Apple iPhone to CarPlay.
– Open Apple Maps, go to Settings and confirm your preferred charging network(s) – make sure you select a NACS fast charging station, such as Tesla Supercharger. You only have to do this once.
– Enter a destination.
– Apple Maps will then calculate the estimated state of charge you will have when you get to a destination.
– If a charge is required, depending on the fastest route, it will automatically route you to a NACS fast charging station.*

* When a route is started that includes Tesla Superchargers, drivers may see a warning that the route requires a Fast Charging Adapter (NACS) – drivers should make sure to have it with them to use. Battery preconditioning when enroute to a charger is not available for Apple Maps EV Routing.

Looking further ahead into the future, Apple confirmed that it continues to work with several auto makers on next-generation CarPlay. However, Apple is no longer providing a timeframe for next-generation CarPlay’s launch.

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