Apple will give third‑party AI chatbots access to CarPlay

Apple Opens Doors to Third-Party Voice AI Apps for CarPlay

According to Bloomberg, Apple will soon allow voice applications powered by artificial intelligence—created not only by the company itself but also by external developers—to run in the CarPlay system. This will give drivers the ability to interact with such systems through the car’s native interface.

What Will Change
Income Now Soon Voice Assistant Only Siri
In addition to Siri, apps from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and other major providers will appear
Launch Via button or “Hey Siri”
Third‑party chatbots will open manually; when launched the app may automatically enable voice mode

Thus, a driver can ask AI to recommend a restaurant without taking their eyes off the road. Siri will remain in CarPlay for controlling music, sending messages and navigation, but many users already turn to ChatGPT, Gemini and similar services when they need a deeper answer.

How It Looks Right Now
- On an iPhone you can launch an AI app and listen to answers through the car’s audio system.

- Displaying widgets on CarPlay is also possible, but it isn’t as convenient yet.

Apple plans to improve Siri by adding web search and a summary feature for search results. This update will be included in the upcoming iOS 26 release along with widget support and a new Liquid Glass interface.

Additional CarPlay Innovations
- CarPlay Ultra – a platform that allows seat adjustment and climate control via the screen. Implementation is slow and tailored to specific automakers: it’s already available in Aston Martin, and this year it will debut on Kia or Hyundai models.

- Standard CarPlay remains the most sought‑after option; even Tesla is working on its support.

In short, Apple is expanding CarPlay’s capabilities by opening the door to third‑party AI apps and giving the system a more flexible and modern functionality.