CarPlay could soon get these two upgrades with iOS 26, but I'm still more excited about CarPlay Ultra

• Apple will reveal further details about CarPlay updates next week
• Rumors suggest iOS 26 will bring with it design changes
• Increased accessibility features have so far been unearthed

Apple is due to announce some updates to its CarPlay infotainment software at its WWDC 2025 event next week, with the next major iOS release scheduled to feature a number of in-car changes.

Apple has been relatively slow at releasing CarPlay updates over recent years, with only the addition of an extra row of icons appearing for those lucky enough to sport enormous, portrait infotainment displays in their vehicles.

It appears that CarPlay Ultra, which expands the CarPlay experience to the driver display and was recently announced by Aston Martin, has been the focus of the Californian tech giant’s attentions.

But next week (specifically, Monday June 9) could bring some welcome news to those of us who have to make do with good old-fashioned CarPlay, as Apple is rumored to be refreshing the look of its operating system across all devices with iOS 26, including those that are tethered to a vehicle’s head unit.

Details remain scarce, but MacRumors reports that the new UI will feature a more "glass-like, Vision-OS-inspired design", alongside some new accessibility features, such as the ability to activate a Large Text option and the expansion of Sound Recognition for CarPlay.

This feature was launched with iOS 18 last year and can alert passengers or drivers who are deaf or hard of hearing to horns or sirens outside of the car, as well as detect babies crying within the vehicle, highlighting this with a notification on the screen.

Analysis: New designs are nice, but Ultra nails UX

While the introduction of an overall design change and some new accessibility features are likely just the tip of the Apple CarPlay update iceberg, it is difficult to see how any further tweaks can better what the company has achieved with CarPlay Ultra.

Finally, the system allows the sort of control over key car functionality (without having to leave the CarPlay ecosystem) that many drivers have been demanding for years.

Porsche introduced a sort of CarPlay Ultra-lite with the launch of its new Macan, but Aston Martin is the first to relinquish full control of its digital displays, including those in front of the driver.

Purists will argue that Aston has perhaps lost a certain charm with the disappearance of beautiful, hand-finished analogue binnacles, but it is difficult to get away from the user-friendliness of CarPlay Ultra's UI.

The ability to display the mapping application of your choosing in glorious resolution before the driver’s eyes is a delight and the option to tweak vehicle safety settings without leaving CarPlay just makes sense.

Without the automotive manufacturer’s permissions, it will be very difficult for Apple to implement these sort of features in any upcoming generic CarPlay update. But we do know that the likes of Hyundai, Kia, Renault, Porsche and Ford are all in line to receive CarPlay Ultra in the near future.

Let’s just hope Apple reveals some juicy CarPlay user-experience features to make up for the fact we can't all afford new, expensive cars. Stay tuned for our full WWDC 2025 coverage next week.

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