Ahead of Apple’s full CarPlay overhaul later this year, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite apps for Apple’s in-car system.
Some of our most popular CarPlay apps
CarPlay, available in almost all new vehicles, provides an iPhone-like interface to your car’s built-in infotainment system. It has become a must-have for iPhone owners due to its familiarity and ease of use.
The number of apps has continued to grow as more developers integrate CarPlay functionality into their apps and Apple adds new app categories to the platform.
Some apps continue to offer lackluster experiences – we’re looking at SiriusXM – but others are invaluable. Here are our current top apps that support CarPlay.
Panera
Finding your way to the nearest coffee shop for your daily carb and coffee fix is easy in the Panera CarPlay app. Most impressive is the ability to order directly from your car’s screen.
Order in the Panera Bread App
You can review your recent orders or fan favorites. Simply tap on an item to add it to your shopping cart, view your shopping cart and tap “Checkout” to submit your order.
It is very useful for frequent visitors who can ship their daily orders with just a few clicks on the screen.
audible
Apple has its audio book store, although we’ve always had a fondness for Amazon’s own Audible. It has a huge library of audio books and a growing selection of original Amazon stories narrated by some of Hollywood’s best actors.
The Audible CarPlay app shows you your audiobook and podcast libraries and any collections you’ve set up. You can adjust playback speed, skip chapters, and more while listening to a book or podcast.
rafters
Apple added fuel apps as a category type with iOS 16, and Chevron is one of, if not the first, to support it. With the Chevron app in CarPlay, you can pay for your fuel without leaving your vehicle.
Pay for your fuel on the Chevron app
As soon as you drive into a Chevron or Texaco station, the app automatically detects your location. You can then select your pump number and calculate your payment on file for as much fuel as you use.
The app also allows you to find the nearest station if you prefer their brand compared to others in a more general map application.
MLB
Many sports leagues have dedicated apps like the NBA and NHL, but our favorite is MLB. You can change the app icon to represent your favorite team, which will appear on the CarPlay interface just like it does on iPhone and iPad.
With an eligible MLB subscription, you get tons of audio content through the league’s first-party app. It’s a great companion app during baseball season.
The downside is that there is no content available for non-subscribers. If you launch the app without a subscription, you’ll see a warning letting you know you need to sign into the iOS app, which isn’t advisable while you’re behind the wheel.
Brave
The browser wars on macOS and iOS have been heating up, especially as rumors swirl that Apple will drop its webKit requirement in iOS 17. Brave, available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, tries to stand out with several rarely seen features.
For CarPlay users, you can play audio directly from the vehicle interface. If you save a video from YouTube or other places in the Brave browser on iOS, you can then listen to it when you get in the car.
The app doesn’t play the video for obvious reasons, but the audio is supported. This makes it a great way to keep up with video podcasts, storytellers, and other video series where looks aren’t important.
Covered
If you’re looking for a more in-depth podcast app than Apple’s, Overcast is an excellent choice. The iOS app is packed with useful features and the CarPlay interface is pretty good too.
Overcast is a great podcast player
You can filter the app by recent podcasts to quickly jump to your last listening, or you can view all the podcasts you’re subscribed to.
The CarPlay app has a favorites button, playback speed control and chapter selection when listening to a podcast. The chapters also support custom graphics if the podcast creator has set them up.
However, its best feature is Smart Speed and Voice Boost support. The former helps reduce listening time by eliminating dead time, and the latter helps make voices easier to understand.
Waze
Apple Maps has improved significantly since its inception, but many users are still turning to third-party mapping applications. Waze is arguably the most popular with its ability to re-route you while driving so you always get there as quickly as possible.
Navigate quickly with Waze
With Waze you can also see the current speed limit, train tracks, roadworks, traffic lights and more. It also supports CarPlay split dashboard so you can see your media while navigating.
You can also report traffic incidents while navigating Waze. You can report speed traps, traffic, accidents and hazards, which can potentially help other road users equipped with the same app.
A new CarPlay is coming soon
Beginning in late 2023, Apple will begin shipping an updated version of CarPlay, which has the potential to support all screens in your vehicle and control key vehicle systems like climate control or seat positions.
A revamped CarPlay is on the way
Apple unveiled the new system at WWDC 2022 with iOS 16, but will begin rolling it out on select vehicles running iOS 17.
Unfortunately for the next generation of CarPlay, there will be a slow rate of adoption. Few luxury car makers have signed up so far, and it will likely be years before most mass-market vehicles support it.
It will take a long time, but it will be worth it in the end.
