iOS 27 was released on 14 September 2026 and brings two notable novelties to CarPlay: full-fledged video and Siri AI. The update is available on iPhone 11 and newer, but most of its features hinge on specific hardware, a waiting list and the car's readiness.
Video in CarPlay now goes beyond AirPlay, which appeared back in iOS 26. Developers will be able to make native apps with a catalog and a player right on the car's screen, so video can be selected and started without a phone in hand. Apple names suitable scenarios: waiting at an airport or charging an electric car.
The main limitation is dictated by safety. Video works only when the car is parked. If the car starts moving, the picture disappears, and a clip already started keeps playing as audio until the car stops. The decision on support is made by the automaker, so in most cars the feature will not appear right away. Apple has not yet named a single compatible model. One more clarification: Apple TV was spotted in the iOS 26.4 code as a future CarPlay app, but in the iOS 27 materials we were able to find, Apple does not call it the first app of this kind.
Siri AI in CarPlay has become the most substantial novelty. The assistant answers questions of any kind noticeably better and holds the thread of a conversation longer: according to 9to5Mac's tests, it retains the context of the current dialogue better than before. Answers draw on data from the iPhone, and conversations started in the car appear in the Siri app on the phone and are marked with a car icon. All of this works only on iPhone 15 Pro and newer with Apple Intelligence enabled.
There are barriers too. Siri AI currently speaks only English, and access opens through a waiting list: after updating, you need to go to Settings, open Siri and enable "Try Siri AI (Beta)". Apple promised French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish in October 2026. In the European Union, Siri AI will not appear on iPhone and iPad at launch, and in China it is absent altogether.
Among the rest, worth noting are the scrubber in Now Playing, a mini-player for audio inside apps and a more stable wireless CarPlay connection. Apple also claims more accurately determined GPS position and heading. New wallpapers and a refreshed look are noticeable to the eye, but they have almost no effect on functionality.
The bottom line is this: if you often drive with navigation and music, the update already delivers clear benefits: scrubbing, a more reliable connection and more accurate GPS. Siri AI wins for those who have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer and who talk to the assistant in English. Video for now is more of a groundwork for the future, because its fate depends on the specific car and on which apps appear in CarPlay.
