‘CarPlay 2.0’ May Add Support for Widgets
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While Apple’s so-called CarPlay 2.0 has yet to fully arrive, there’s every indication that the company is still working closely with automakers to make it happen. It’s merely taking longer than expected to navigate the vagaries of the unique user interface branding required by vehicle designers.
After all, in its promised form, CarPlay 2.0 promises to take over the entire dashboard of new vehicles, replacing the manufacturer’s instrument clusters with an Apple-designed version that can tie more deeply into iPhone apps like Apple Maps. Car companies are naturally reluctant to adopt a system that would force them to cede their dashboards to what could become a standard design, so Apple has compromised by offering to build a bespoke interface that’s unique to each carmaker and brand.
That takes time, which is likely why Apple is running behind schedule. Despite late 2023 announcements by luxury automakers Aston Martin and Porsche, we have yet to see a full implementation of the new CarPlay interface. At most, the 2025 Porsche Taycan has met Apple halfway by allowing the infotainment CarPlay screen to control in-vehicle systems like climate control and ambient lighting. Those were also promised as part of “CarPlay 2.0” but fall short of the entire package.
However, Apple may have something else in store for “CarPlay 2.0” that it hasn’t previously spoken about: widgets.
Four new images found in a European Union regulatory database by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris reveal a CarPlay widget interface that looks unsurprisingly familiar.
Perris doesn’t add much context about these images other than to say that they’re “coming to “CarPlay 2.0.” This seems slightly odd as it seems like they could just as easily fit into a standard CarPlay user interface; even the current “dashboard” UI is effectively just three or four predefined widgets, with Maps on the left side and the right taken up by a combination of directions and Now Playing, with Calendar or HomeKit Garage Door controls added at the bottom when appropriate.
Nevertheless, the images shared by Perris may offer a clue as they seem to be designed for a multi-display vehicle. A selector at the top allows the user to choose between “Center” and “Passenger” displays, presumably setting up a unique widget layout for each. The only widgets shown in the images are clock, weather, calendar, and Now Playing, plus a combination “Navigation & Now Playing” widget. However, six dots at the bottom of the “Add Widgets” screen suggest there could be as many as 18 widgets available.
The images are also rendered for a wider CarPlay display, with a familiar column of apps along the left side of the screen. However, they’re notably split into two sidebars and include what appear to be climate controls with temperatures shown for both the driver and passenger.
This suggests Apple may have chosen to limit widgets to CarPlay 2.0 due to its support for more than one screen, letting users customize widgets on additional displays while ensuring at least one display always displays an active app like Maps. Alternatively, Apple could add some of these features to standard CarPlay in iOS 19.
After all, there’s a good chance that CarPlay 2.0 will be limited to higher-end vehicles and brands, even more so than what we’ve already seen with features like wireless CarPlay. Apple initially said it was working with over a dozen automakers, from mainstream brands like Ford, Honda, and Nissan to luxury carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
However, only BMW, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Aston Martin have even hinted that they’re considering the new CarPlay technology, and some folks like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have predicted that CarPlay 2.0 “will be a dud,” and believe that Apple should focus on improving the standard CarPlay for everyone rather than chasing integration with luxury brands.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
