WhatsApp gets long-awaited CarPlay upgrade that makes it easier to call your friends on the move

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Hands-free calling just got a little easier

  • WhatsApp has just updated its CarPlay functionality
  • The app now offers a native in-car experience
  • That makes hands-free calling simpler and more feature-rich

If you use WhatsApp with your vehicle’s CarPlay system, there’s some good news: Meta has just updated its messaging app with expanded support for CarPlay, and it could make the in-car experience just a little more pleasant.

To be clear, WhatsApp has technically worked with CarPlay for years. You’ve been able to send messages and make calls while driving using your voice, but the previous app relied on Siri for a lot of its features. While it worked, it was a basic, non-native solution that left a lot of room for improvement.

Thankfully, that improvement has finally arrived. The latest version introduces a native-feeling interface that makes using the app much more user-friendly. There’s a new contact menu with profile details for each person; support for your favorite contacts on a dedicated tab; and a call history log that shows whether calls were incoming or outgoing.

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The update was in testing over the past week or so, giving users a hint of what was to come. Now that it’s arrived, you’ll be able to get the CarPlay improvements by updating WhatsApp in the iOS App Store.

Calling on the go

A screenshot of the WhatsApp CarPlay beta

(Image credit: WABetaInfo)

The new CarPlay-friendly version of WhatsApp is just the latest tune-up that’s arrived for Apple’s in-car entertainment and navigation system. Indeed, several prominent apps have brought new features to their CarPlay integrations over the past few weeks.

Perhaps most notable among them is ChatGPT. You can now interact with the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot right within your car, but it’s worth noting that you’ll only be able to do so in voice mode so as to prevent distractions while driving. It’s also a bit of a weird experience.

Still, other apps have been adding new features to CarPlay, with Google Meet among them. Like WhatsApp, this has added an upgraded way to conduct calls on the go and also displays your upcoming schedule if required.

So, if your car is outfitted with CarPlay, contacting your friends and family just got a little easier. Hopefully the updates to WhatsApp, ChatGPT and more will inspire other compatible apps to improve their offerings for Apple fans in the not-too-distant future.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Freelance Contributor

Alex Blake has been fooling around with computers since the early 1990s, and since that time he's learned a thing or two about tech. No more than two things, though. That's all his brain can hold. As well as TechRadar, Alex writes for iMore, Digital Trends and Creative Bloq, among others. He was previously commissioning editor at MacFormat magazine. That means he mostly covers the world of Apple and its latest products, but also Windows, computer peripherals, mobile apps, and much more beyond. When not writing, you can find him hiking the English countryside and gaming on his PC.

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