Apple’s latest iOS update improves CarPlay, but not everyone will be able to access it

• iOS 18.4 beta update adds a third row of apps in Apple CarPlay
• Not every infotainment system is compatible
• The update is welcome, but we still await news on CarPlay 2.0

Some Apple iPhone users are already experiencing some of the admittedly minor updates that the latest iOS 18.4 beta update brings with it, including smarter priority notifications using Apple Intelligence.

However, there has been a more subtle change to the Apple CarPlay experience, which has previously gone announced and has been only been discovered by some users by chance.

Upon plugging into a vehicle’s infotainment system, either wirelessly or via a cable, a Threads user (below) found that the Apple CarPlay app display now shows a third row of applications on the main screen, with three rows of four increasing the number of apps that can be displayed without having to swipe to reveal more.

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Despite Apple CarPlay being introduced in March 2014, it has only really enjoyed numerous minor updates to how it looks, feels and performs, seemingly ignoring the fact that many modern vehicles now come with enormous infotainment displays.

The most recent update appears to address this issue, scaling up in a proportion to the screen size it is being displayed on.

That said, there is currently no news on the parameters required to enjoy the extra row of applications, only that it seems to work on those larger infotainment displays, particularly those with a portrait orientation.

CarPlay 2 can’t come soon enough

Apple initially said that we would see an all-new version of its CarPlay system in 2024, but that suggested timeline has already elapsed and we are still waiting to see what comes next.

Far from simply being a way to mirror a handful of apps from your iPhone, Apple CarPlay 2 promises greater integration with all of the screens found in a modern vehicle, effectively taking over everything from the digital instrument cluster to the infotainment system.

Apple revealed that it was working with Porsche and Aston Martin on a brand-specific system that would stay true to the marques’ heritage and distinct design, but would effectively form the operating system upon which everything runs.

This would mean that applications and Apple’s user interface would be available from all of the digital touch points, including the digital instrument binnacles and passenger-facing touchscreens in the front and rear seats.

Porsche is arguably the only automotive manufacturer to harness the power of Apple’s Automaker toolkit and expand the Apple CarPlay offering within its vehicles so far.

Introducing more Apple functionality into its My Porsche app negates the need to exit Apple CarPlay to do things like change the radio station, heat for cool the cabin and check on vehicle state of charge and other settings.

But this is still some way off the levels of integration that Apple CarPlay 2 have previously promised, and this could be part of the problem.

In order to take over an entire dashboard, Apple has had to work with notoriously slow automotive manufacturing giants, effectively asking permission to access both vehicle and user data, which is likely something legacy automakers haven’t been particularly comfortable with.

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