CarPlay has added features such as listening out for police sirens when you're playing music too loud

In the new iOS 18, Apple CarPlay gets extra accessibility options, plus little new touches that while small, are particularly welcome. Here's how to use them.

It's a curious thing, but Apple has said a lot about how a future version of CarPlay will work with cars like Porsche — yet didn't say a word about how it's been improved for all of us right now. In the iOS 18 beta, CarPlay has new options and a helpful change to Messages.

Specifically, when you get a notification that you have a new Message, that banner will include a photo of the sender, if you have one in your Contacts list.

Plus going in to the Messages app, there's still the same text list of recent messages, but there's more. That same Contacts photo is displayed to the left of the sender's message.

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This is all about making it much faster to identify important messages. The idea is to let you see with a glance that it's the message you've been waiting for, and you can ignore it if it isn't.

Notifications

If you plug your iPhone into your car with a cable, you may find that notifications sound on both CarPlay and on the phone. You may also find that you don't care — as long as you hear the important ones, let them sound out twice.

Not all the new features are accessibility ones. Some are meant to solve CarPlay irritations

But if it does irritate you, you can now change it, starting with a tap on the Settings icon. Depending on whether you've rearranged CarPlay icons, you may have to swipe left or right to find it, but find it and tap it.

Within Settings, choose Sounds. By default, the section that appears will be set to Do not change Silent Mode.

But there's also a Turn Silent Mode On option, and one for off, too. If you choose to turn Silent Mode on, your iPhone will automatically shut up whenever you're connected to CarPlay.

Sound recognition

There are now two types of audio recognition in CarPlay, starting with your own Voice Control. Like the similar feature on iOS 18 itself, this is an accessibility option that lets you use CarPlay verbally.

So far it's not consistent, and can't do a great deal. But it is possible, most of the time, to be able to ask to open Maps, for instance — and do so by solely saying "Open Maps," without having to say "Siri," first.

That's all under Settings and Accessibility. Also in this section is a Sound Recognition feature.

With this, your iPhone will constantly listen out for car horns, sirens, or both. If it hears either, it will display a notification on screen.

You have to first turn on Sound Recognition, then turn on your choice the Car Horn, or the Siren.

One of several options to help with visual issues is a grayscale feature

There are visual updates too

The new CarPlay for iOS 18 also features accessibility options to help with visual issues. There's obviously a limit, but via Settings, Accessibility, you can choose to turn on Bold Text.

You can also select from a small range of Color Filters. They're meant to help with conditions such as deuteranopia, where you can't readily distinguish between green and some reds.

Or similarly, protanopia, where it's hard to tell red and some blue tones apart.

CarPlay offers color filters to help, which make the contrast better between problematic colors. Most are so subtle that unless you have the condition, it's hard to register the difference.

But there is one clear and unmistakable color option. CarPlay can turn the whole screen from color to greyscale.

New for CarPlay on iOS 18

1. Contact Photos in Messages App

iOS 18 adds contact photos next to names in the Messages app, making it easier to identify conversations at a glance.

The contact photos are also visible in Messages app notifications.

2. Silent Mode Settings

In the Settings app, you can now choose to have Silent mode on your iPhone automatically turn on or off when the device is connected to CarPlay.

3. Color Filters

Apple has expanded Color Filters to CarPlay. This accessibility feature can help individuals with color blindness to differentiate colors on the CarPlay interface.

There is a grayscale option and three other color filters available to choose from.

4. Voice Control

Voice Control is another new accessibility feature that allows you to control CarPlay entirely with Siri voice commands through a connected iPhone.

5. Sound Recognition

Sound Recognition is expanding to CarPlay to provide notifications for driving-related sounds, such as car horns and sirens. This feature can be especially beneficial to drivers or passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing.

We did not see Sound Recognition in the CarPlay settings on iOS 18 beta 1.

Update — June 14: Sports Score Card via Siri

We found another feature after publishing: if you ask Siri for a sports score, it will now show a card on the CarPlay interface. This works for the NBA and NHL at a minimum.

Next-Generation CarPlay

Apple shared some updated next-generation CarPlay images during WWDC 2024, revealing new Vehicle, Media, and Climate apps on the screen for the first time.

Next-generation CarPlay will be highly customizable, allowing automakers to tailor the design of the system to uniquely match their vehicles. Apple revealed a variety of different design options and layouts that will be available to automakers.

Automakers will be able to show custom notifications on next-generation CarPlay.

Apple's website continues to say that the first vehicles with next-generation CarPlay will arrive in 2024, but it has yet to provide a more specific timeframe, and it did not provide any timing-related updates in its WWDC coding sessions. Aston Martin and Porsche previewed next-generation CarPlay vehicle designs late last year.

Related Roundups: CarPlay, iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Related Forums: HomePod, HomeKit, CarPlay, Home & Auto Technology, iOS 18, iPadOS 18