Apple quietly hid a big change coming to CarPlay with iOS 27

Have you ever sat in your CarPlay-equipped vehicle waiting to pick up a friend and thought, “Why can’t I play a video on this giant screen?” » If so, there’s some good news: Apple quietly announced at WWDC 2026 that CarPlay will soon let you browse and play videos directly on supported vehicles once iOS 27 arrives. This news came shortly after Google announced that HD video playback would also be available on Android Auto.

This CarPlay video feature will only work when the car is stationary; if the system detects motion, it will switch to audio only mode, such as Inside electric vehicles detailed. Still, it will be a boon for electric vehicle owners who get bored while charging their vehicles, rideshare drivers waiting for passengers, and parents picking up their kids from school. There are, however, some serious caveats that may significantly delay the wide availability of this feature.

Here’s how the new CarPlay video feature will work, as Apple explained to developers in its WWDC 2026 video “Renovate your CarPlay app.” The idea is that developers can add video playback for apps in new cars that support its upcoming “in-car video” feature. This requires AirPlay streaming, something Apple introduced last year with iOS 26.4 to enable video mirroring from an iPhone. We will talk about it again soon.

The new video feature in iOS 27 takes it to the next level, allowing users to not only play but also browse videos. In its demonstration, Apple uses a fictional “Landmark” app as an example, but this could probably apply to any video streaming app, like Apple TV or YouTube. The demo is aimed at developers, but also gives end users an idea of ​​what to expect.

If your app and CarPlay system support video playback, you’ll see a “Videos” option at the top left of the screen. Selecting this option will display a list of video thumbnails that you would typically see in video streaming apps, as well as a mini-player at the top right with basic controls. When a video is playing, the thumbnail also shows the remaining time and current progress, as well as badges for newly added or live streaming videos.

In Apple’s demo, tapping a thumbnail brings up a list showing the selected video at the top with a “Play” button and a “+” button for adding it to a playlist. Press Play to view the video in full screen, with controls allowing you to go forward or rewind 10 seconds, see subtitles, and return to the previous page. Apple stressed that the video would only work when the car was parked, for obvious safety reasons.

As mentioned, video on CarPlay is not new. With the launch of iOS 26.4 last year, Apple introduced video mirroring to CarPlay screens from an iPhone using AirPlay. It’s not as advanced as iOS 27’s video browsing and playback feature that we explored above, but it’s another way to view videos. Here’s how it works: First, you enable AirPlay on supported apps and select your vehicle’s CarPlay infotainment system as the mirroring source. Then, when you play a video on your iPhone, it should also appear on the vehicle’s screen.

I say “should” for a reason. The reality is that most CarPlay systems don’t yet seem to allow mirroring from an iPhone, despite the fact that wireless CarPlay systems use AirPlay as the underlying Wi-Fi streaming layer. For example, I expected to find YouTube videos demonstrating this feature in vehicles, even in beta, but I found nothing other than a CarPlay developer simulation on a laptop.

Other hardware constraints can also pose a problem. Developers have noticed that CarPlay video mirroring only works on displays with a minimum resolution of 1920 x 1080, but many factory car head unit installations do not have this feature. Additionally, streaming video playback typically requires H.265 or HEVC codec support and 4 GB or more of memory, and again, older CarPlay systems may not have these specifications.

This missing vehicle support may explain why Apple hasn’t exploited this feature more. At WWDC 2025, the company said automakers need to implement CarPlay video functionality, both to meet additional hardware demands for video and to detect when the vehicle is parked. But so far, no automaker has announced its support.

So it’s clear that Apple was strictly preparing the ground for future implementation by developers and automakers. This begs the question, though: when will this long-awaited feature come to a real car? Given the lack of concrete product announcements from Apple and the auto industry, the answer appears to be “not imminent.”

Normally, if Apple had something to tell consumers about a cool new CarPlay feature, it would do so enthusiastically. It could even reveal which car brands will support CarPlay video or show it in action on a vehicle’s infotainment system. Google, for example, demonstrated YouTube playback on Android Auto in a Kia EV at its I/O 2026 conference earlier this year. Its Android division also revealed the specific vehicle manufacturers supporting 60fps HD playback on Android Auto, including Skoda, Volvo, Kia and Mercedes-Benz.

By comparison, Apple’s silence around CarPlay video is deafening, but that could soon change. The company will likely unveil its latest iPhone 18 models in September and could also hold another Mac-related event this year. This would give it a golden opportunity to reveal more information about the new CarPlay feature. So hopefully we’ll soon know exactly when it will finally help us avoid boredom while parked in our cars.