A much-anticipated feature is coming very soon.
By Steve Dent July 15, 2026 2:30 pm EST
Porsche Have you ever sat in your CarPlay-equipped vehicle waiting to pick up a friend and thought, "Why can't I play a video on this ginormous screen?" If so, there's some good news: Apple quietly announced at WWDC 2026 that CarPlay will soon let you browse and play videos directly on supported vehicles once iOS 27 arrives. This news came shortly after Google announced that HD video playback would be coming to Android Auto as well.
This CarPlay video capability will only work when the car is stationary; if the system detects motion, it will switch to an audio-only mode, as Inside EVs detailed. Still, it will be a godsend to bored EV owners charging their vehicles, ride-sharing drivers waiting for passengers and parents picking up their kids from school. There are a few serious caveats, though, that may significantly delay wide availability of this feature.
How the new CarPlay video feature for iOS 27 works
Here's how the new CarPlay video feature will work, as Apple explained to developers in its WWDC 2026 "Rev up your CarPlay app" video. The idea is that devs can add video playback for apps in new cars that support its upcoming "video in car" feature. This requires AirPlay streaming, something that Apple introduced last year with iOS 26.4 to allow video mirroring from an iPhone. More on that shortly.
The new iOS 27 video feature takes this to the next level, letting users not only play back but browse videos. In its demonstration, Apple uses a fictitious "Landmark" app as an example, but this could presumably apply to any video streaming app, like Apple TV or YouTube. The demo is aimed at developers, but gives end-users an idea of what to expect as well.
If your app and CarPlay system support video playback, you'll see an option for "Videos" at the top left of the display. Selecting that will show a list of video thumbnails you'd typically see in video streaming apps, along with a mini player at the top right with basic controls. When a video is playing, the thumbnail also shows the remaining time and current progress, along with badges for newly added or live streaming videos.
In Apple's demo, pressing a thumbnail brings up a list view showing the selected video on top with a "Play" button and "+" button to add to a playlist. Tapping Play will then show the video at full screen, with controls to let you skip ahead or back 10 seconds, see subtitles and go back to the previous page. Apple emphasized that video will only work when the car is parked, for obvious safety reasons.
Can't you already watch videos on CarPlay?
Harry Howitt/Shutterstock As mentioned, video on CarPlay isn't brand new. With the launch of iOS 26.4 last year, Apple introduced video mirroring to CarPlay screens from an iPhone using AirPlay. This is not as advanced as the iOS 27 video browsing and playback feature we explored above, but it's another way to view video. Here's how that works: First, you enable AirPlay on supported apps and select your vehicle's CarPlay infotainment system as a mirroring source. Then, when you play a video on your iPhone, it should appear on the vehicle's screen as well.
I say "should" for a reason. The reality is that most CarPlay systems don't appear to allow mirroring from an iPhone yet — despite the fact that wireless CarPlay systems use AirPlay as the underlying Wi-Fi streaming layer. For instance, I expected to find YouTube videos demonstrating the feature in vehicles, even in beta, but I came up empty other than a CarPlay developer simulation on a laptop.
Other hardware constraints may be an issue as well. Developers have noticed that CarPlay video mirroring only works on displays with a minimum 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, but many factory car head unit installations don't have that. Also, video streaming playback generally requires H.265 or HEVC codec support and 4GB or more of memory, and again, older CarPlay systems may lack those specs.
This missing vehicle support may explain why Apple hasn't played up the feature more. At WWDC 2025, the company said that automakers needed to implement CarPlay video functionality, both to allow for the extra hardware demands for video and to detect when the vehicle is parked. So far, though, not one automaker has announced support.
CarPlay video playback may not come in the near future
It's clear, then, that Apple was strictly laying the groundwork for future implementation by devs and automakers. That begs the question, though: when is this much-anticipated feature coming to an actual car? Based on the lack of concrete product announcements from both Apple and the auto industry, the answer appears to be "not imminently."
Normally, if Apple had anything to tell consumers about a nifty new CarPlay feature, it would do so enthusiastically. It might even reveal the auto brands that will support CarPlay video or show it in action on a vehicle's infotainment system. Google, for instance, demonstrated YouTube playing on Android Auto inside a Kia EV at its I/O 2026 conference earlier this year. Its Android division also revealed the specific vehicle manufacturers supporting HD 60fps playback on Android Auto, including Skoda, Volvo, Kia and Mercedes-Benz.
In comparison, Apple's silence around CarPlay video is deafening, but that could change soon. The company will likely unveil its latest iPhone 18 models in September, and may also have another Mac-related event sometime this year. That would give it a golden opportunity to reveal more info about the new CarPlay feature — so hopefully we'll soon know exactly when it will finally help us stave off boredom when parked in our cars.
