Android Auto vs. Apple CarPlay: What Features Set Them Apart

Most automakers have thrown their support behind Android Auto and Apple CarPlay over the past decade, meaning it’s easy to continue using your phone’s apps and services while you drive. These two mirroring services feel like an extension of your Android or iPhone smartphone, but just like Apple and Google phones are full of differences, you’ll find the same thing when using Android Auto or CarPlay.

CarPlay has plenty of features, but Google’s approach to Android Auto means users have access to more advanced features and more frequent updates, with enough to set it apart from its Apple counterpart – at least for now.

The Android Auto and Apple CarPlay experiences are refined extensions of those you’ll find on your phone. Where they differ is in the depth of these experiences. For end users, Google has always allowed for greater customization of the Android interface, while Apple sticks to its tried-and-true formula.

While CarPlay’s interface primarily focuses on one app at a time, Android Auto comes with a multi-window design. It gives drivers the ability to define exactly where maps, media playback and widgets appear on the screen, as well as how much space they take up. It’s up to the driver to choose where each element will be placed on the screen.

To be fair to Apple, the company is trying to close the gap, but only so far. It lets you rearrange your apps’ grid and offers a split-screen view for maps and music, but other features, such as setting a custom wallpaper, are limited to a set of photos only. Google has no such restrictions for Android Auto. For example, you can use your phone’s wallpaper on your Auto screen. Apple’s next-generation CarPlay Ultra, tested so far by Aston Martin (and apparently Tesla), could narrow the gap further. But, for now, the advantage is with Google.

Power users who like to change their settings will find their place with Android Auto. A completely secret developer settings menu exists in Google Auto to manually change some of Auto’s most powerful settings.

You can use this menu to allow apps from unknown sources, especially those you downloaded on your phone, on your car screen. This will allow you to use apps like CarStream, which you can then use (in a roundabout way) to watch YouTube on your car’s screen: perfect for kids while you drive, but not while you’re driving yourself.

Access to third-party applications is also important. Apple CarPlay compatible apps are limited in number, with strict guidelines on what they can and cannot do. Google can also restrict them in the Google Play Store, but if you want a non-Google compliant app on your device, you can simply download it.

You can also use the developer menu to make quality of life changes to your setup. It will let you manually change the default video resolution, force day or night mode at different times, or enable or disable Android Auto wirelessly, which can be useful if you’re having connectivity issues. Unfortunately for iPhone users, there’s no comparable menu by design, because Apple really doesn’t want you to go under the hood like this.

Artificial intelligence may seem like an extravagance for a driver, but Gemini’s ability to understand complex commands and questions may result in fewer distractions.

Complexity is key here. Gemini is one of the largest and most powerful multimodal AI solutions created to date. It can understand natural language more clearly, which is an advantage for a driver who might need quick responses. Apple is even using Gemini to power its latest Siri AI in the latest iOS 27 update.

A practical comparison of CarPlay by TechRadar found, however, that Gemini’s natural language skills far outperformed the newer Siri AI in the new iOS 27 beta. Siri’s ability to understand even basic instructions, such as finding the next rest stop, would have led it to open the calendar app. In contrast, Gemini could understand clear and natural instructions, contextual to driving, and respond accordingly. Our own hands-on experience with iOS 27 found that Apple’s AI improvements to Siri are reliable, but there’s still a way to go.

However, we are still in the testing phase for iOS 27. Apple will not release the final version until the fall, and only then can a full and fair assessment of Siri AI’s capabilities be made. Any changes to Apple CarPlay capabilities, as well as in future iOS updates, could level the playing field.

The battle between Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is no different from the battle between Android and iPhone. Apple’s locked-down approach means fewer apps are available and fewer configurable settings, while Android Auto remains an open beast to tame. Android’s Developer Menu means you can use more apps, even non-Play Store apps, on your car’s screen, while Apple limits you to a smaller selection of CarPlay-compatible options.

Apple is, however, catching up. CarPlay Ultra is a sign that the company is looking to upgrade the interface with better features and settings, and the new Siri AI will (hopefully) improve over time for users. For now, though, Android Auto continues to be a particularly strong rival with more accessible apps, better AI integration, and more customization for power users to enjoy.