While iOS 26.4 adds two new features to CarPlay, it also lays the groundwork for another major upcoming update.

#1: Artificial Intelligence Voice Assistant Applications

Artificial intelligence chatbots can now do more than ever, but these capabilities were previously inaccessible while driving.

iOS 26.4 changes this by enabling support for a new category of ‘voice interaction applications’ for CarPlay apps.

CarPlay has always been limited to certain application categories. However, with iOS 26.4, Apple has added a new category that allows artificial intelligence chatbots to be included in CarPlay.

ChatGPT and Perplexity have recently launched dedicated CarPlay apps that allow you to interact with these assistants while driving. We expect similar announcements from Google Gemini and Claude.

Apple has specific requirements to ensure safety on the road. For instance, AI applications must focus on voice interactions and cannot display text or visuals to minimize distractions. Additionally, you cannot currently change Siri to be your default AI assistant.

However, allowing native AI chatbot applications in CarPlay is a significant advancement for users who regularly interact with third-party AI assistants.

#2: Ambient Music Widget

With iOS 26, Apple introduced iPhone-style widgets to CarPlay for the first time. These widgets provide real-time information such as weather, reminders, and access to HomeKit accessories.

Now with iOS 26.4, there is a new widget you can choose: Ambient Music.

You can get started by going to Settings ⇾ General ⇾ CarPlay ⇾ Widgets on your iPhone. There, you can configure one or more widget stacks with the new Ambient Music widget.

The Ambient Music widget allows you to start a mood playlist for Chill, Productivity, Sleep, or Wellbeing. This is exactly the same as what is available on the iPhone Home Screen with iOS 26.4.

Widgets are still very new for CarPlay, so it's nice to see Apple already adding more options.

Coming Soon: In-Car Video

Last year at WWDC, Apple announced that it would be adding video support, a long-awaited CarPlay feature, in iOS 26.

In-car video was expected to arrive with iOS 26.0, but it never came. Ultimately, the iOS 26.4 beta cycle revealed that the new feature would be coming very soon.

The first iOS 26.4 beta contained evidence of CarPlay video support, and developer Thomas Dye managed to run the interface and published a video showing what to expect.

However, so far, we have not seen any evidence that the in-car video feature is included in the iOS 26.4 release. As a result, this feature may need a bit more development time.

When the in-car video feature is announced, a slow rollout is expected since car manufacturers will need to officially approve this feature for their vehicles.

Have you started using AI assistants in CarPlay with iOS 26.4? Share with us in the comments.