What Is Apple CarPlay? A Plain-English Guide for NZ Drivers
Apple CarPlay is a system that shows a simplified version of your iPhone on your car's screen, so you can use maps, music, calls and messages with big touch buttons or your voice instead of handling the phone. The iPhone does the work, and the car screen is just the display and the controls.
What CarPlay does
Once your iPhone is connected, the car screen shows a home screen of CarPlay apps. You can get directions from Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze, play music and podcasts, make and take calls, and have messages read out and answered by voice using Siri. The layout is built for driving, with large icons and short prompts, so you spend less time looking at the screen.
What you need to use it
- An iPhone: CarPlay works only with iPhones. If you use an Android phone, read can you use Apple CarPlay on an Android phone.
- A screen that supports CarPlay: either a car built with it or a head unit that adds it.
- A connection: a cable for wired CarPlay, or a head unit and phone that support wireless CarPlay over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Wired or wireless CarPlay
Both give you the same CarPlay screen. Wired CarPlay uses a cable, which also charges the phone. Wireless CarPlay connects by itself when you get in the car, which is handy for short trips. We compare them in wireless vs wired Apple CarPlay, and explain how the wireless link works in what is wireless CarPlay.
Does your car have CarPlay?
Check the car's manual or its settings menu, or plug in your iPhone and see whether a CarPlay icon appears. Many newer cars have it, but many older cars and many Japanese imports do not. If yours does not, you have two options: a CarPlay adapter only helps if the car already supports wired CarPlay, so for a car with no CarPlay the usual answer is a new head unit. Our guide to a CarPlay adapter vs a head unit explains the difference.
Adding CarPlay to a car that does not have it
A CarPlay head unit replaces your stereo and brings CarPlay, and often Android Auto, along with a larger touchscreen and a reverse camera input. We fit them at your home or work anywhere in Auckland, and most jobs take 1 to 2 hours. See Apple CarPlay installation in Auckland for how it works, or request a free quote with your make, model and year.
Frequently asked questions
Does Apple CarPlay use mobile data?
The apps on CarPlay use your phone's data connection the same way they do on the phone, so streaming music and live maps use data. Downloading music or offline maps beforehand reduces what you use.
Does wireless CarPlay drain my phone battery?
It can use more battery than a wired connection, especially on a long drive, because the phone is running Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and is not charging from a cable. Many drivers keep the phone on a charger for longer trips.
Can I use CarPlay in any car?
No. The car or head unit must support CarPlay. If yours does not, a head unit that supports it can be fitted.
Is CarPlay free?
CarPlay is built into the iPhone and costs nothing to use. Some apps that run on it have their own subscriptions, as they do on the phone.