en.Wedoany.com Reported - Apple has introduced video playback and AirPlay support for CarPlay in iOS 27, allowing users to browse videos directly on the car screen, while navigation apps also gain new in-vehicle communication features.

At WWDC 2026, Apple included the video app category in CarPlay for the first time. Developers of video apps, including YouTube, can now bring their apps to the car, provided the in-vehicle infotainment system supports Apple's "Video in Car" feature. Google recently announced similar support for Android Auto.

Video can be delivered to the car screen in two ways: streamed from a smartphone via AirPlay, or selected directly from an app on the car's infotainment system. Apple states that apps already supporting AirPlay can transmit content without modification. With the updated CarPlay Framework, developers can add native user interfaces to their apps, enabling users to browse videos directly on the car screen.

Video playback is only available when the vehicle is parked and cannot be used while driving. The vehicle can notify the video app at any time that the feature is currently unavailable. In Germany, such secondary activities are only permitted in vehicles with Level 3 autonomous driving, but new cars from BMW and Mercedes-Benz no longer offer these assistance systems. In iOS 27's CarPlay, video playback stops while driving, but audio continues, which is meaningful for scenarios like podcasts or sports event broadcasts.

Apple's updated CarPlay Framework for iOS 27 provides new templates that can create lists containing preview images, text, playback progress bars, and buttons. In video apps, the list can start with a content detail view, including information such as a summary. Thumbnails for sports event broadcasts can also display teams and current scores. For audio and video apps, Apple offers a new mini-player.

For navigation apps, iOS 27's CarPlay supports "Route sharing," which allows sharing a selected route with the vehicle system. Active assistance systems can use this to understand the route and notify the navigation app for lane changes. Electric vehicles can also communicate with CarPlay: when Apple Maps selects a route without charging stations due to a lack of knowledge about the vehicle's state, it can automatically add charging stations.

All new features can now be tested in the updated CarPlay simulator, which developers can select in the Device Hub of Xcode.

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