Watch iPhone videos in the car: How "AirPlay in the Car" works
Apple has so far prohibited the playback of moving images via CarPlay for security reasons. iOS 26 nevertheless makes it possible.
iOS 26: The new CarPlay.
(Image: Apple)
Video on the car screen via CarPlay? So far, this is unthinkable. Just like the use of a web browser, Apple prohibits such applications because the company wants to prevent drivers from using them while driving and being distracted from what is happening on the road. In future, however, this will still be possible: iOS 26, which is due to be released in September,will implement "AirPlay in the Car" for the first time. This will make it possible to display videos directly on the main screen of the vehicle when it is stationary. As with CarPlay itself, the source is – – an iPhone.
Will it work in every car?
At the moment, it is not yet possible to say which vehicles are specifically supported by the function. Apple is telling developers from the automotive industry that they will be able to allow users to "watch their favorite content while they are not driving". However, it is also clear that this is not possible without technical changes: "Integrate support for CarPlay with AirPlay Video to enable this feature in your vehicles." Apple has not yet published any further documentation on the specific requirements for this –, for example whether the existing car entertainment system must have certain features.
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Video can already be played in other vehicles, such as Tesla models. Others offer suitable technology for Android cell phones. Here too, this usually only works when the car is parked. CarPlay then also requires a corresponding signal. Apple does not appear to be planning to allow video apps directly, at least this is not clear from the information provided so far. Instead, the iPhone will always serve as the outgoing playback station, just as we know it from televisions or Apple TV boxes via AirPlay.
One developer has already tried it
Apple must also take traffic laws into account when implementing this. In some countries, such video applications are simply prohibited or only permitted when the car is parked. Accordingly, it is not yet clear how geographically widespread the function will be rolled out with iOS 26. App developers recently tried to bring corresponding functions into the car. However, this was done without Apple's approval.
In April, the developer behind the Sidecar app briefly activated a new function that allowed websites and videos to be displayed on the vehicle screen when the car was parked. Apple reacted promptly and ensured that the features were deactivated.
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