Slightly off topic, but here’s a power user tip it took me a long time to figure out regarding audio playback controls in CarPlay when in split screen mode.
In full screen mode, you have access to a full suite of playback controls, including play/pause and skip forward/back, and also the artwork and name of the episode.
But in split screen mode, your playback widget size depends on what else CP tries to jam on that right hand side of the screen. If it has a lot to show, then it will reduce playback controls to “single height”, and you will lose buttons like “skip back”, which I use all the time to replay passages in songs and podcasts and audio books.
So I noticed that often there is some calendar widget using the rest of the space that would otherwise be used for audio playback. So I removed Calendar from CarPlay completely. But it still showed up!
Finally, I figured out what was presenting this event from my calendar: “Suggestions in Dashboard” in the on-screen Settings app. Siri trying to be smart, but actually pissing me off :-) Once you turn that off, you get a really nice set of playback controls since it uses a “double height” widget. Highly recommended!
Oooh, that is a good trick! This has irritated me multiple times, as like you I’d prefer the full set of playback controls over a calendar event.
For info, this is car dependent. On some cars the map is on the left, on some it’s on the right. Not sure if the manufacturer specifies this or CarPlay determines it based on other system specs. The status icons and shortcut buttons down the side also vary which side they’re on based on the car.
Nope, all the cars I’ve driven are right hand drive (i.e. the car is on the left side of the road). But the side of the buttons and map pane varies. My best assumption is the side for the CarPlay status/button strip is something the manufacturer chooses based on what works best with their physical button or other surrounding layout, and the map panel placement is tied to that.
I’m still suspecting localization. Were all those cars you tried using OEM radios? Maybe radios meant for left hand cars got shipped to right hand countries…
I find this discussion very interesting. What about adding aftermarket CarPlay to current General Motors (or other non CarPlay) vehicles, as they’ve discontinued supporting it? I’d like to be able to consider some of GM’s offerings but without CarPlay it’s a problem.
What car? The answer varies widely by year, make, and model, so it’s hard to answer that generically. If you have a specific car in mind, I can help guide you how I’d use Crutchfield to answer that question.
The lack of Carplay in recent models raises the issue of data privacy. Presumably these vehicles download contacts and other data from the iPhone and use it for their own purposes:
So I can understand the desire to find aftermarket products that enable Carplay.
When renting a vehicle I now have to check that it will support wired Carplay (don’t even like the idea of a Bluetooth connection since the car has control of the data).
This is not surprising. Most recent-model cars no longer have an easily accessible radio. There are just controls/apps on the car’s main computer interface screen, which (presumably) just control various computer peripherals (USB ports, digital radio receiver, etc.).
So you can’t just open the dash, remove a radio and replace it with a new one, like you could 10+ years ago.
And yes, this really annoys me. Factory radios have never been particularly good, and now you no longer have the ability to rip it out and replace it with a good one.
So (at least for me, at this time), I’m sticking with my phone’s screen on a vent-mount in the car. Fortunately, this has worked great on several rental cars on recent trips, so I’m not too bothered by the lack of convenient CarPlay.
After experimenting with the CarPlay screen in spouse’s Kia, I’ve determined that I don’t like the split screen, because the screen is just too small. As I calculated, the displayed map area in split screen in that car is narrower than my iPhone 12 Pro Max’s screen, and barely wider than spouse’s 2nd-gen iPhone SE’s. So not a good option for us. With a wider screen, I could see it working, but I’m not going to pay for an infotainment screen replacement just for that.
Waze still needs to add the ability to use their in-app audio controls with on-device music. They allow music controls only for specific apps, and they’re all streaming only, including Apple Music. I’ve suggested this to them before, to no response. And I can find no way to activate in-app audio controls in either Apple Maps or Google Maps. Google Maps’ settings pane has an option to allow it access to media and Apple Music, but doing so does not make any audio controls visible, even if I start audio playing and start a trip.
Not a surprise since they have stated for some time that they’re going with their own infotainment system powered by Google.
One thing stands out in the article regarding the modification of GM’s software:
" It’s hard to imagine how White Automotive or LaFontaine Chevrolet thought these CarPlay retrofit installs were going to continue without a hitch. The kit modified proprietary GM software without the manufacturer’s permission, breaching a line in the sand that it’d publicly drawn. While dealerships aren’t necessarily required to only use OEM parts—they can throw aftermarket wheels or tires on a car, for example—changing the fundamental functionality of a vehicle using unauthorized third-party hardware is never going to fly with the manufacturer, especially when tapping into sensitive elements like the instrument cluster. At that point, mods like these arguably do carry a safety concern, to GM’s point. The fact the company squashed this in short order is hardly surprising."
GM has had numerous issues with their EV’s like the Lyriq so it’s hard to imagine anyone even wanting this modification even if you’re a CarPlay fan.
As described above, Carplay gives me navigation, contacts and safe driving features that I regard as essential, especially in an unfamiliar vehicle in an unfamiliar town. I don’t wish to share my data with Google or whoever tries to give me similar “safety”.
So when looking to rent a vehicle I now check the Apple Carplay list (for Australia)
Your situation is similar to many who frequent some of the GM discussion sites especially regarding the Lyriq. Most don’t want to lose CarPlay for the reasons you cited.
CarPlay is literally the #1 criteria for me when purchasing a car. It’s a deal breaker. I have a fresh box from Crutchfield sitting on the table right now to retro fit a CP-enabled stereo into an older Honda Civic I just purchased.
No disagreement here. But I have absolutely no problem continuing to do what I currently do with my 2012 Honda (which has nothing resembling CarPlay) - I use a vent-mount to put my phone on the dashboard and use its navigation features via its own screen.
Unfortunately, most new cars have integrated the “infotainment” system so tightly that it is effectively impossible to swap-in an aftermarket stereo system.
I’ve been ticked off by this fact for many years, and I would love to get a new car where I could install an aftermarket stereo, but I’m not expecting to ever find such a car.
One problem is that, in Australia and many other countries, it is illegal to touch a smartphone while driving. This is mainly to stop handheld phone use but also applies to use of navigator apps, texting etc.
I can see the dilemma for vehicle manufacturers because the car touch screen has become the interface for the car’s computer. It is a bit like running macOS on a Windows computer. However all the manufacturers know there is a strong demand for Carplay and should take this into account in the development process. It seems that some are very stubborn but, as others have said, they stand to lose market share.
I’m with you there. I’m in the market for a “new” vehicle. I find myself wondering what might be the latest, high quality, pre-surveillance/infotainment mid-sized SUV that I can buy that could be expected to last at least five more years without requiring a major overhaul.
