iOS 26 brought a host of enhancements and features to the Apple infotainment system, featuring a redesigned look thanks to the innovative Liquid Glass UI. Additionally, Apple incorporated widgets into the vehicle dashboard, allowing users to quickly access messages, navigation, smart home controls, and more. Users can activate these vital widgets by navigating to the CarPlay settings on their iPhone.
In addition to popular vehicle-friendly applications like Spotify, Waze, and Audible, there exists an extensive array of third-party tools that elevate your CarPlay experience — many of which are free. These apps assist in locating parking or EV charging stations, and even enable streaming of your favorite audio content. Here are some of the most overlooked CarPlay applications to maximize the potential of your vehicle’s infotainment system.
We are all familiar with the difficulties of locating a parking space in an unknown location, a task made even harder when navigating a large, crowded city. Thankfully, the SpotHero app is available to assist and is free to download for iOS and CarPlay. From your vehicle’s infotainment screen, you can search for available parking, reserve a spot, and obtain directions to your car’s temporary location. You may also keep destinations in a favorites list for frequently visited locations.
For CarPlay synchronization to function, your iPhone must be operating iOS 14 or later. Additionally, ensure that you have a payment method other than Apple Pay saved in the app for bookings, along with your phone number, vehicle make, model, and license plate. Finally, ensure that the precise search location feature is activated for SpotHero within iOS Settings.
