### CarPlay in iOS 26 Introduces Support for Messages Tapbacks
This year is shaping up to be significant for CarPlay, surprising many after a stretch of mediocre updates. Among the plethora of new CarPlay functionalities arriving with iOS 26, there’s an essential fix for what has been the most frustrating Messages problem: the absence of tapbacks support.
Since Apple revealed the “next generation of CarPlay” in 2022, updates for the standard CarPlay experience have been rather lackluster. Nevertheless, the landscape is beginning to shift, with the long-awaited launch of CarPlay Ultra and iOS 26 featuring a comprehensive array of new CarPlay attributes.
One of these attributes is tapbacks, a fundamental function of the Messages app that has existed since iOS 10. Up to this point, users were unable to send tapbacks via CarPlay, which has been particularly irksome for many. Tapbacks, including thumbs up, heart, or laughing emojis, are frequently utilized to acknowledge messages without prolonging the dialogue, highlighting their absence in CarPlay.
With iOS 26, tapbacks are at last supported in CarPlay’s Messages app, enabling users to experience the same tapback convenience in the vehicle as they do on their iPhones. Moreover, pinned conversations have now been incorporated, improving the overall messaging interaction while on the road.
These functionalities complement a range of additional iOS 26 enhancements coming to the Messages app on iPhone. Apple’s revitalized emphasis on CarPlay indicates that fundamental app features, such as tapbacks, will no longer be missing from the in-car experience going forward.
Are you looking forward to CarPlay integrating tapbacks in Messages? Share your thoughts in the comments.
